Stephanie was growing up fast. She turned 13 only a few weeks after Joe was born, swapping her bright blue “banana” dress for a stylish purple top, which for reasons best known to herself, was teamed with equally purple shorts.

Kathryn too was racing towards her next big birthday, only in her case it was her 5th. She would soon be at school, and Jon had enrolled her at the same place he’d attended. Kellie had wanted a more prestigious education for their daughter, but had acquiesced… after being forced to listen to her husband waxing lyrical about it for three hours straight!

“Dad, can our Alex stay for tea?” Kathryn had barely been at school five minutes before she was begging Jon to let her cousin come over. Despite living in the same town, Jasper had rarely brought his family over when he visited, so meeting Alexandria at school and subsequently getting to know her had been quite a coup for the 5-year-old.
“Course she can. You know I’ll never say no to family. I’ll call your uncle and let him know I’ll drop her home this evening.”
“Yay! Come on, I’ll show you the telescope!”
“In a minute – I need a quick chat with Uncle Jon.”

“So what’s up kid?” Jon was surprised Alex wanted to talk with him privately.
“Well, it’s kinda hard to explain. See, there’s this kid at school, in the year between me and Kat. He… well… he looks weird…”
“In what way? I mean, he can’t be all that weird, surely?”
“He… he’s got the same colour skin as you and Dad…”
“Oh yes?”
“Yeah… I mean... he looks pretty much like all the other kids, except for that… but I can’t work out why. He told me his mum’s name was Jane.”
“What’s the name of this kid?”
“Julian. Julian Stacks. I’d ask Mum, but she’s really moody at the moment…”
“Don’t you worry about this Julian guy Alex. I’m sure there’s a perfectly rational explanation. Now scoot, or it’ll be tea-time before you and Kat have had time to play!”

As Jon dialled his brother’s number, he wondered what HAD been going on the other side of the tracks…


Six years previously…

“Come on, time for your nap.” Allegra had once again been left ‘minding the baby’ as Jasper had gone to work. “I’m sure Daddy will be home when you wake up again.”
Little did she know that work wasn’t her fiance’s only port of call that afternoon.

“I’ve missed you, you know.” Jane had called Jasper at work, begging him to stop off on his way home.
“I’ve missed you too sweetpea – Allegra’s cute an’ all, but she don’t have the sexy curves you do!” Jasper was in full flow, knowing that Jane was having no luck with men whatsoever, and had been blaming it on her larger-than-average size. Even the smallest compliment would work miracles in the flattery department!
“Oh, you’re a bad boy…” Jane giggled, pulling her ‘green giant’ (as she liked to call him) into a long lingering kiss.
Needless to say, the way Jane was feeling, it soon turned into a little more…

“But you lurve bad boys…” Jasper whispered as they lay in bed afterwards.
“Only one bad boy for me darlin’, an’ I’m looking at ‘im!” Jane winked.
More like ‘only one boy for her full stop’, Jasper thought to himself. Whereas I’m definitely a two-woman kinda guy… as long as Allegra doesn’t find out anyway...