4.31

Deasil

Street

4.3

The next morning Megan gave her brother a big hug to say goodbye. He was a bit of a weirdo, but she would miss him all the same.

The biggest hug was reserved for his dad. Warren was worried his son might think he was sending him away, not wanting him as a reminder of Miranda now he had a new family... But James just seemed content and excited.

In fact, he strode out of the house with a smile on his face, looking back only to shout goodbye over his shoulder.

He was a bit more nervous once he was in the taxi, and it drove away. His lips quivered a little, but he didn’t cry. The driver was a chatterbox, and he was soon distracted.

He arrived late, and was shown to his dorm while the other kids ate dinner. Alone, it seemed scary, and a long way away from Deasil Street.

But the next morning, he was allowed to go into his classroom first as ‘the new kid’. He gasped as he stared around him at all the instruments, this was paradise.

His dad and step-mum were missing him already, but were happy he was where he would be challenged and engaged. Though she would never say it out loud, Teresa was also very happy they had qualified for a free scholarship. At present, they might have a nice house but they were increasingly cash poor.

With James and his particular needs removed, Teresa and Warren made more time for Megan, quality time, getting to know her properly.

Though Megan liked the spa trips her mum took her on, she loved fishing with her dad at the weekends more.

In fact, she was soon venturing out on her own after school. She would have taken Annette or Malika, but neither of them were interested.

She’d always loved stories about pirates and adventures on the high seas, now her nautical leanings had a place in the real world. She dove into the it, picking up knowledge anywhere she could.

Jen moves into first floor tiny house

Jen’s estate agent did a great job for her. He sold the house with all their bespoke and antique furniture for a much higher price than she might otherwise have got.

It’s moving day for her now, and even though it’s just across the road she feels incredibly unsettled. She’s leaving all her furniture behind, leaving the marital home and starting up again on her own.

She watched the estate agent preparing for the incomer from the roof of her little flat. She got the shivers, that could have been her family home with her husband and children… but it wasn’t to be.

This was the start of a whole new chapter in her life, and she’d die before letting the memory of Pablo ruin anything else.

But it was dark, and drab and small. How could she pick herself back up from this?