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Jac Naylor unhappily pressed the doorbell to the Peterson-Holsen residence, annoyed that Jonny had been more than happy to let Ava spend the day with the twins and their significantly older brother.
'Are you sure you're ok?' Ava asked her aunt for the umpteenth time that morning 'because you're being really weird.'
'I'm fine Ava' Jac forced a smile.
'I can stay with you if that's what you really wanted?' Ava had decided the reason her aunt was being strange about her spending time at the Peterson-Holsen's was because she was missing out on spending time with her before she went away.
'No no you should have time with your friends and besides I need to work on my research' Jac tried to speak reassuringly.
'If you're sure'
'Absolutely' Jac answered as the door was opened by a smiling Ms Peterson-Holsen. Jac guessed this woman was around the same age as her. She was dressed casually in jeans and a sweater and could easily be described as pretty with her large blue eyes. Her blonde hair was tied messily back and in bun and her skin was free of make-up. Clearly this was a woman who had more to worry about than perfecting her appearance Jac thought approvingly.
'Hi Ava!' she beamed 'come on in, the girls have got everything set up in the lounge.'
'Hi Ms Peterson-Holsen' Ava beamed as she stepped into the house.
'I can keep Ava overnight as well if you wanted' the woman offered kindly 'I know how busy you and Ava's father are with work.'
'He's my uncle not my father' Ava laughed as she hung up her coat and took off her shoes 'and Auntie Jac isn't working at the moment. See you later Auntie Jac!' she called over her shoulder as she made her way into the house towards her friends.
'I'm working on my research instead' Jac explained embarrassedly.
'Oh of course' the woman nodded.
'And to be honest Ava still gets home sick so thanks but you'd only have to call me in the middle of the night to come get her'
'Look, Jac isn't it?' she smiled as Jac nodded 'why don't you come in and have a coffee? I hardly feel as though I know you but you have no idea how relieved I was when I met you at sports day; finally there was another parent who was bloody normal!'
'You think I'm normal?' Jac laughed.
'Compared to the other mothers, you and I look like a dying breed of normal-ism' the woman laughed back 'I'm Amanda , just come in for half an hour. You'd be doing me a favour distracting me from work.'
'Ok then' Jac smiled, surprised at how easy this was; making friends with other parents. 'What line of work are you in?'
'Well don't laugh' Amanda talked as she showed Jac the way through the house to the kitchen 'but I'm an event organiser although at the moment most of the events I organise are weddings' she rolled her eyes as she switched on the kettle 'so I'm basically a wedding planner.'
'Oh well I'm sure that's interesting' Jac spoke politely.
'It pays the bills' Amanda shrugged as she made the coffee 'after my husband left I didn't have much of a choice. He pays for this ridiculously large house, the kids schooling and spoils them rotten but the rest of the day to day stuff falls down to me.'
'Sorry to hear that' Jac spoke awkwardly.
'Well we all have our problems, our little burdens to bear' Amanda shrugged again 'but I wouldn't change having those three kids let me tell you. They drive me insane sometimes but I love them more than anything. You know what I mean, you're a mother.' Amanda smiled kindly as she handed Jac her coffee.
'I know exactly what you mean' Jac smiled back at this woman, finding she was liking and admiring her in equal measure.
'Sorry for calling Ava's uncle her father just then, I just assumed he was her father and you were her step-mum but she chose to call you Auntie' Amanda tapped her own head embarrassedly 'sometimes my brain takes on a life of its own.'
'Its ok, it confuses a lot of people' Jac laughed following Amanda to the table and taking a seat. 'Ava's mother was my sister, she died when Ava was three so we adopted her.'
'You must have been very close' Amanda spoke sympathetically.
'We were' Jac answered truthfully and simply, deciding she didn't yet trust this woman to share all the complicated details.
'I was sorry to hear about your grandfather passing over the summer, I know he and Ava were very close.'
'Yes, we all still miss him' Jac looked down at her coffee cup, suddenly wishing she hadn't agreed to stay.
'Your Ava is lovely girl' Amanda tactfully changed the subject, realising she had made Jac feel awkward 'I need you to give some tips on how to raise teenage girls, my twins spent four weeks with their father and his new child bride over the summer and came home with far more attitude than I know what to do with.'
'Trust me Ava can have her moments' Jac spoke reassuringly 'she's far too clever for her own good.'
'Oh I've been there, done that with Markus' Amanda laughed 'wait until she hits fifteen, she'll suddenly realise she isn't always right and doesn't hold all the answers.'
'Are you sure?' Jac looked a little relieved 'because if anything I can only see her getting worse.'
'Trust me, she's like the female version of my son' Amanda smiled reassuringly 'she'll level off. Besides I have great faith in St Catherine's for reining in wayward teenaged girls. Thank god they don't allow any of the girls to wear make-up, it made that argument on the first day of term a little easier. I tell you my husbands little miss prefect wife has a lot to answer for. Can you believe she taught twelve year old girls how to perfect smoky eye make-up?' she shook her head angrily 'I never wanted my girls to grow up too quickly, that's why I was so thrilled when they made friends with Ava, alas I thought, a child who acts her age!'
'Oh well like I said she has her moments' Jac shrugged embarrassedly.
'What's her IQ?' Amanda asked causally 'Markus hit hundred thirty at his last testing. His Dad was over the moon. I told him he's not the one living with it. I think Markus overheard…' Amanda let her voice trial off as she remembered her parenting blunder.
'One hundred and sixty seven' Jac blurted out, surprised to have found someone who finally understood the perils of raising a child with high IQ.
'Boy' Amanda whistled 'and I bet you still can't work out were it all came from' she laughed companionably, feeling the same as Jac it was a relief to finally have someone who understood.
'Not really' Jac spoke bluntly 'mines one hundred and seventy one' she shrugged 'but who's counting?'
'Huh' Amanda considered her for a moment. 'Well I have to say you do put my mind at rest.'
'How do you mean?' Jac gave her a confused look.
'Well you seem fairly normal, well adjusted. You're married, holding down a job, rising a child' Amanda smiled 'maybe there's some hope for my Markus yet because believe me if I worry my girls are growing up too fast I worry far more Markus won't grow up at all.'
'Trust me Amanda , I'm about as messed up as they come' Jac laughed sourly 'but it has less to do with high IQ and a lot more to do with maternal abandonment. We're good mother's, we love our children' Jac looked the other woman dead in eye 'other people might not understand what it's like rising children like ours but so long as they stay with us we can't fail as badly as my mother and social services did me.'
Amanda nodded her head solemnly 'you see that's another thing we have in common, I was raised by social services too. I thought I recognised you Jackie Burrows.'
