AN: S.M. owns Twilight. I own a friendly dancing goldfish.

Chapter twenty five. At last.

Dear Nan,

I just have to write and thank you. You have given me so much.

*thanks for the wonderful recipes. I found them in an old school notebook on that high shelf in the kitchen. It was a bit like time travelling, as you'd handwritten each recipe with extra notes added in, like Marcus's favourite, or Marcus's recommendation, even a few dishes from Marcus's home town Voltura. It was a pleasant surprise, I showed them to Jasper and he got a thoughtful look on his face. He asked me if I would try cooking any of them, I smiled, of course I'd cook them.

*thanks for all of the furniture. I'll keep your writing desk, the rocking chair and your lovely kitchen table. These are all pieces that remind me of you. All the other furniture was either sold at the yard sale I had yesterday, and the remaining pieces are being donated to the local charity.

*thank you so much, for thinking ahead and planning so well. I was eighteen today and got a personal visit from Mr. Jenks. I was expecting to receive the title to the house and land in the post, but he came and gave me the paperwork himself. He's just as serious as ever, but keen to see how I was doing. He said he'd made a promise a long time ago to you, Nan. The other pleasant surprise was the amount of money you'd kept aside to pay for rates and taxes on the property. It was something I'd never thought of. But it seems you remembered and left provision for all of those payments until today. That's excellent, because there are no back-payments owing, and the house is mine without any impediments!

*thank heavens for pest exterminators! The guy we got in is a master at his craft and has found a heap of nasties. "Cockroach heaven" is what he labelled the infestation, and he's also come across five rat nests and has killed nearly fifty adult and baby rats. It's disgusting! I'm glad he's got the stuff to kill them quick. He's coming back a few more times to check to see if there are any stragglers that need rounding up.

*the lock smith only sold me the new locks and not a full security package, not for any lack of trying on his part. Poor guy, he really tried hard, but I stood firm and wasn't going to give him an inch. Jasper turned up after I'd been gone for an hour, and gave the man a seriously scary look. He left finally, thanks to Mr. Scary Face.

*I found all of your lacy embroidered tablecloths and runners I love them, I don't remember you using them when I was younger. I'm going to keep them for special occasions in Taos.

*thanks for those old quilts that you had hidden away, (you sneaky old thing). I found them in the back of your bedroom shelves, wrapped up in several garbage bags. You made them look so inconspicuous, neither Renee nor the rats ever found them. Those quilts are such an amazing gift.

I cried the day when Renee sold your antique cream and delicate floral print hand-stitched nine patch quilt that was on your bed. You'd told me that it was made by your great grandmother on her trip here to Arizona as a teenage bride.

That young bride only had fabric from her old petticoats and a small amount of coloured fabric, from a ripped blouse that was beyond repair. She decided to make something really special out of scraps!

(I stopped hoping that day, that Renee would ever start being someone who ever cared).

***I took strength from my young ancestor, who using only her hands and creative mind, made an exquisite treasure from worn-out rags.***

*thanks for the le Creuset Dutch-oven and saucepan! I'd opened up the last of the kitchen cupboards and spotted them, I was surprised that I'd forgotten them; we had so many wonderful meals cooking with them. I'm looking forward to using them again in Taos. Steve has his eyes on them, he's envious. I told him that I'll leave them to him in my will.

*talking about wills- when I get back to Taos, I'll write one with the help of Peter. I now have so many assets, it really is becoming vitally important. I need to think of what to do with not only my two houses, but also all of Marcus's art. I guess the good thing is if I change my mind, I can always write a new will.

Without a will, my assets may go to Renee, which just makes me want to write one as soon as I can. I must ensure that she never gets anything of mine. Better safe than sorry!

*thanks for the things I didn't find. No dead bodies, no drug labs, no hydroponics set-ups. Lucky for me, the boarded up window was only broken and Jasper had that fixed in a jiffy. It was great learning how to replace window glass; he said he'd done it heaps of times, while fixing up his other houses.

*I want to thank Jasper for being in my life, he's given me great advice, support, understanding and treats me like I'm really worth it. He's got something planned, but he won't tell me what it is. He and the boys have been acting funny all day. I don't know what it might be. I hope he hasn't gone to too much trouble. I'll just have to wait and see.

I was just about to make a sandwich for lunch, when Steve grabbed me and dragged me out for a walk around the corner to the salon, as he said Vlad needed something or another.

Steve was chatting away about his new inspirations about the colours of New Mexico, when we arrived at the salon.

Vlad pounced, hugging me and wishing me happy birthday. The salon crew all came out with a big cake, candles, streamers and those whistle thingies and sang 'Happy Birthday'.

I was so surprised I started crying. I made a wish cutting the cake and gave everyone a slice, it was totally divine. Dark chocolate mud cake decorated with edible gold leaf and tiny preserved pale pink rosebuds and violets.

I made sure that I had photos of the cake before I cut it. It looked amazing! It's given me inspiration for Char and Pete's wedding cake.

Jean Michel the massage therapist stood by me while I was eating my cake, and when I finished, he took the plate away and pulled me over to his massage table. I looked a bit confused, and he told me to undress and to lie down with a towel over my back, so he could give me a nice relaxing massage.

I shrugged, why not? It had been a couple of years since I had a massage from him, and he was great. I thought back to my sixteenth birthday, when they each gave me a treatment.

I started crying, sniffing as I undressed behind the screen. I blew my nose and lay on my tummy.

There was nice soft music playing, I sighed and relaxed into the fluffy towels around the face hole.

Jean Michel started chatting as he started warming my back muscles with long strokes and delicately scented oil. His heavy French accent was calming and soothing, and I was drifting off, relaxing. After a while he asked me to turn over to my back and he massaged my shoulders arms hands neck and finally my head.

When he'd gotten to massaging my hands, Lakshmi came over and started to apply a face mask and eye pillow. I wasn't going to complain, the stuff in the mud mask is special fine clay.

Then the next thing I know, I have another pair of hands on my legs applying wax!

Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound!

Luckily I was quite relaxed; the ripping back the strips wasn't so bad, at least I didn't jump off the table. That is until he got to my bikini area. I mumbled to Frankie that I wanted to stay the way God made me; but Frankie the wax-master was having none of it.

He told me to stop being a wimp, and said a little neatening-up never hurt anyone.

I squealed like a wounded animal. I had to admit, when I finally got to look and see his handiwork it was ok. I'm not completely bald, but very neat and at least, not scary-ugly.

They all made me lie back there on the table, till Jean Michel had done both a manicure and a pedicure. Mmm, flaming vermillion?

I was past the point of questioning. When Lakshmi took the mask off, raised-up the back section of the table, so I was half-sitting and gave me some food and juice. Lakshmi gave me a light facial and applied some make up.

I couldn't see what I looked like. I'm glad I loved them all in the salon; they were great at what they did. The results would be fine I'm sure.

Vlad and Luke both came over and took me over to a seat with the salon mirror covered up. They gave my hair a light wetting with a spray bottle, and proceeded to give me a few different treatments that I could only guess at, I wasn't able to see everything they did.

They kept up their happy banter, making me giggle.

Luke asked me if I'd had anyone to rent my house yet. I told him that I was still getting the place ready for human habitation. He asked if he and his girlfriend could come by soon and have a look. They needed to get another place quickly, as their landlord was kicking them out, to demolish and turn the land into a car park.

I shrugged, and told him that if he was ok with a place where the garden was a mess and walls needed some paint; then he was welcome to visit.

He chucked and told me the place they were moving out of was falling apart, and anything would be an improvement. I asked him about his girlfriend, he said that they'd been together for a few months, and she was a professional horticulturist, who worked at the botanic gardens. He was certain, Lucy would be excited to whip the garden into shape.

This development was an unexpectedly positive. I might be able to have Luke and Lucy rent my place. I wouldn't ever have to worry about them not paying rent or letting the garden go to rack and ruin. Steve and Vlad were next door, would be keeping an eagle eye on the house.

Vlad pulled the cover off the mirror and I was shocked, I looked amazing! I was beyond words. I started doing that strange hand flapping thing in the air in front of my face. Saying ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod like a broken vinyl record.

I wanted to cry, but didn't want to mess up my makeup.

Everyone cheered and clapped and Vlad did a happy dance with Luke.

Steve came up behind me and took several photos on his phone. He reached over to a garment bag and gave it to me and told me to change.

Holey moley, what next?

I walked back, to the screen where I could change. Steve slung another couple of bags over the screen, telling me to put those things on as well. I took a big breath and had a peak in the bags.

The first bag had the dark cherry-red satin corset. With this came matching low satin bikini bottom and stay-up stockings. I loved the colour, and this was all new. I hadn't bought this on the crazy bra shopping expedition with Jasper.

I just shook my head, what the hell? I need to break loose and live a little!

I put it on, but fastening the corset needed an extra set of hands. I asked Lakshmi but she looked confused. She said if it was a sari, she'd have me done in a minute, but this was completely beyond her.

Steve came to the rescue and took over the fastening like a well-seasoned pro. (Which I guess he is considering all the girly outfits he loves to wear.)

While he was with me I asked him about all the clothes, and he said he was sworn to secrecy, but to look no further than a certain JW; who'd been missing for the last several hours.

Steve said he'd help me into my dress which I was grateful for, because it too, had strange fastenings in odd places.

The bodice of the dress was a darker cherry colour, with a low sweetheart neckline (showing off my bazookas, perched in their corset cups, like some sort of wicked double dessert).

The rest of the dress was a deep aubergine colour, and cut on the bias, to drape perfectly. It came down straight to my ankles, in a swirly finish on the hemline. The shoulder straps and frilly trim around the bust and hemline was the same vermillion colour as my nails. (Interesting colours so far, and the dress fits perfectly!)

The second bag had scary high heels; they were magnificent and so high that I wondered how I was supposed to do anything in them, I wasn't even sure I'd be able to walk. Steve smiled and sat me down, as he helped me put them on. Yummy aubergine velvet.

I said thanks and hugged him. I held his hand and slowly walked, being mindful that I could end up with a nasty fall at any minute.

Everyone crowded round clapping and cheering and eating more cake. I thanked them all and told them that they were truly amazing and that I loved them.

Lakshmi gave my face a quick touch-up and put the lipstick and other stuff in a little clutch, made of the same velvet as the shoes.

After group photos and hugs, they made me pose for more individual shots. Vlad spotted a taxi waiting outside the salon, and ushered me into it, everyone waved goodbye. I just sat in the back smiling. It was dark outside. I must have been in the salon for ages, I wonder where Jasper was?

I asked the driver where we were headed, he said that although he wasn't allowed to tell, he assured me that he wished he could go there with his wife some day, he'd heard it was incredible and he hoped I enjoyed myself.

The taxi drove up to the plush entrance. Jasper was waiting for me; he opened the door, smiling like a brilliant sun that had just burst in the heavens. Jasper paid and thanked the driver.

Jasper held me and kissed my cheek.

"Birthday celebrations are in order little swan, you deserve it."

I grinned, speechless once more.

"You look positively sinful in that heavenly dress, never mind those heels!"

"Jasper, thanks for organizing this whole thing, it's been mind-blowing so far, and the outfit what can I say? Mind you, I'm gonna need you to get me out this outfit at some stage in the near future."

"That's on the list of things to do, but for now it's time to get a seat, admire the spectacular view and eat as much as we can. Ready Miss Swan?"

"Yes Mr. Whitlock sir, anything you wish. I'm completely willing to let loose tonight and have a most memorable time, even break through a few barriers."

I sniggered and took his arm. Jasper had been dressed to kill himself. I think Steve and Vlad had given him some fashion tips.

"Jasper, you look good enough to eat, has anyone ever mention what a luscious looking man you are?"

He just shook his head, chortled and kept me walking into the restaurant. We were seated immediately, at a beautiful romantic table with an extraordinary view. It took my breath away. I'd never been to such a great restaurant.

"It's incredible."

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