Deasil Street7.2

She wasn’t sure when it had started, but Megan was becoming aware of a presence. She was being followed. Some teen would be there when she left school…

… and whenever she went to the park, she had a shadow. Megan was not easily scared, but this had her worried.

Megan didn’t go to James for help, but when he noticed she was looking down he asked her if she was ok. It was a Saturday, didn’t she want to go to the park like usual? Megan spilled. That girl had been waiting at the end of the street for hours.

James would be the first to admit he usually shied away from confrontation, and Megan was the confident one. But someone scaring his little half-sister roused something in him. No matter how badly they’d got on in the past, he would do his utmost to stick up for her now.

He went on the offensive and surprised her form behind. Who the hell was she, what did she think she was doing? He should call the police! Why was she stalking his baby sister?

To his surprise, the girl backed down immediately, and seemed genuinely apologetic. She said she understood why he was so upset, and begged for the time to explain herself. Somewhat mollified, James agreed. One hour.

She took him to a nearby pub and spilled her guts. She got it all out so quickly James could only gape. It was impossible, ridiculous. His step-mother had never mentioned the possibility… this girl claimed to be Teresa’s daughter, Emma Marshall.

James knew Teresa had arrived to be a housekeeper when he was a toddler, and that she had always been quiet about her past. He had even heard her tell Bernice, her best friend since childhood to stop prying.

So there was a gap, a time in Teresa’s life no one knew anything about. But an abandoned daughter?

Surely Teresa was too maternal to have dumped a child. She’d been so attached to him when she’d… oh.

Maybe that was why she had become so attached to him. Had she been recovering from the loss of her own baby?

Things were going far better across the road at number 4. Ambrose had let Gareth stay over, the first time she had gone so far with a man. Being with him was magical, she had fallen in love.

She decided to ask him if they were a couple, because her lack of experience meant she wasn’t sure. Watching Bernice had taught her a bit of woohoo didn’t necessarily mean a relationship. She was thrilled when he said they were. Her first boyfriend!

After a quick affirming chat with Teresa, Bernice decided to bite the bullet and do the same. She would ask Gracie out properly.

Bernice had never asked anyone out before, never wanted a relationship. She really like Gracie, and wanted things perfect. Luckily, Gracie saw her bumbling mumbling question as adorable, and agreed to be her girlfriend.