The rest of the week went quite quickly and was a good week for Anna.
Brett had accepted the fact that she was his mother and had spent every night with her after school just hanging about and talking.
The gossips at school weren't give much more to gossip about as no one told them the story surrounding Brett's birth and no one planned on. The only people who knew were Brett, Anna, Tom, Mika and Chlo ( whom Anna had let Brett tell, because they might as well know if Tom did, and they would hardly tell anyone) and Grantly.
Yes, the day after the revelation, Grantly had approached Anna at lunch time and asked to speak to her. During their talk, he told her that he was sory for his predjudices against her and he and his wife - Fleur - wanted to be more involved in their only grandsons life. Anna knew full well that it was probably Fleur who wanted to know her only grandchild, and that Grantly went along with it to keep her happy. When asking about Phillip, Anna was told that he was now in prison for assualting someone else, and that Grantly now believed her about what happened all those years ago.
Anna's relationship with Tom was growing from strenght to strength, especially as she was getting on well with the girls - and they both meant so much to him.
It was Friday night when Anna was round at Tom's house. She had eaten dinner with he, Brett and the girls, before they all went to watch a film in the living room.
The film was one that Chlo had picked out - Pirates of the Carribean.
As the closing credits played, two hours later, Anna lifted her head from Tom's strong chest and looked over at Chlo, sprawled out on the rug on the floor, and Mika, curled up on the other sofa with Brett.
' Have you girls got your outfits for the ball yet? ' Anna asked them in interest.
The school's christmas ball was to be held on the last Friday of term, which was the 19th of September. Mika, of course was going with Brett, and Chlo was going with Donte - who she had married only a few months ago. Their marriage broke down when she slept with someone else, and he got together with Celine, but Chlo and Donte were now back together. Some of the techers had to go of course, to chaperone - the ones going were Tom, Anna, Eddie, Rachel, Davina and Matt. Davina and Matt were both bringing their partners - Matt's boyfriend, an investment banker, and Davina's boyfriend - Jack Rimmer, the man who used to the the head teacher of the school, before Rachel.
' No,' Mika admitted.
' Me neither,' Chlo said, ' I have no idea what I should wear.'
Anna grinned, ' Well why don't the three of us go out tomorrow and we can all buy something to wear, because I haven't gotten mine yet.'
'Sure,' Mika nodded.
' Yeah, OK,' Chlo agreed.
Tom cleared his throat and looked over at Brett.
' So how about we go and... I don't know.. do something? ' he asked.
Anna skirked at the awkwardness between the pair of them. Anna and Tom had made an agreement to get on and get to know each others children/step children. Anna and the two girls already got on well, but Tom was having a harder time gettin on with Brett becuase they didn't seem to have anything in common that they could talk about. But they did seem to be on OK terms because Anna had found out that just as she suspected, it had been Tom who had sent Brett round to see her and talk to her on Monday.
' Well I suppose we should be going,' Anna declared, standing up to leave, Brett doing the same - he was staying the weekend at her house since Roger and Celia were going away for the weekend. Roger had suggested to Brett that he might like to move in with his mother now, and Brett was considering asking Anna, though he hadn't told her any of it yet as he was unsure of how she would feel about it. He found himself thinking that maybe Tom could be useful after all, as he would be able to give him advice on matters concerning Anna, since Anna told Tom everything.
Brett said goodbye and left after Anna tossed him her set of house keys.
Anna turned to Chlo and Mika, ' How about I pick you up at 10, tomorrow? That way we can hit the shops early and we have plenty of time to find something brilliant.'
' Yeah, OK, see you then,' Mika smiled, before prancing on up the stairs.
Chlo also smiled, ' See you tomorrow,' she said before leaving the same way as her sister.
' Well, I guess this is good night,' said Anna, her voice husky.
Tom leaned in and wrapped one of his rather muscular arms around her waist tightly and planted a firm kiss on her soft lips.
They broke apart after a good few minutes, and Tom brushed Anna's flopped fringe out of her face.
' I wish you could stay here with me,' he mumbled, kissing her neck.
' I know, I know, I do too,' Anna sighed,' But we have three kids in the way.'
' I guess we'll just have to form some master plan to get a house to ourselves one night,' Tom grinned that trademark cheeky grin.
True, they had Anna's house to themselves whenever Brett wasn't around, but they couldn't leave Mika and Chlo in Tom's house or they'd end up burning it down.
Tom and Anna exchanged one last kiss before she left.
As she reached the end of his front drive, he called out,
' Anna - I love you! '
' I love you too ! '
--
The next day, Mika, Chlo and Anna had looked around half of the shops in Rochdale just by lunch time.
Chlo - who was not very fashionable, and was easily pleased - had picked out something almost right away, with Anna and Mika's help. She had already chosen a dress, and matching shoes, handbag, and jewellery.
A few house later, Mika had found hers, and now only Anna was left.
There had been one shop Anna had been avoiding at all costs, the shop that Celia owned, but now Anna found herself inside it because even if Celia annoyed her, that shop sold beautiful clothes.
Anna stood in the changing rooms, looking at her self in the full length mirror.
' It's incredible, Anna,' Chlo breathed.
' Yes but do you think Tom will like it?' Anna asked, looking in the mirror at the two teenage girls.
' Tom won't care what you wear, he loves you for you,' Mika told her firmly.
' Looks like I'm getting this then.' Anna announced happily.