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Enjoy!

"You have a lovely house Mr Clarke," Mara said truthfully stepping out of the taxi, Jerome handed her, her red suitcase, which she thanked him for silently

"Thank you, and call me John, Mara. We're all happy to have you staying with us, you made this happen, isn't that right kids?" John, slammed the car door shut, and turned to look at his two tall kids.

"That's why I invited her," Poppy smiled wildly, hugging Mara sideways.

It was a large, friendly house. Quite deserted, a large wood behind the house, just beyond their well kept garden. Mara vaguely wondered how they could afford a house like this, but she didn't ponder on that for too long.

"I'll show you to your room," Jerome offered quietly. Mara nodded, and followed him up the carpeted stairs. They walked down the long corridor and stopped at a white door. Jerome opened it for her

"Unnecessary," she hummed quietly, stepping inside.

"Some girlfriends, might say thank you," he laughed. Mara smiled, and looked around. It had a large bed with a red and white blanket and pillows. There were large windows, that showed the woods outside. She had an ensuite.

"This is amazing," she breathed. Jerome laughed loudly in her ear, placing her suitcase down next to the bed

"What are those woods outside?" Mara asked, moving to stand in front of the window. Jerome smiled, something he seemed to be doing a lot of nowadays, and went to move beside her

"Well, a wood, or a forest, is a group of trees tha-"

"Oh ha ha," Mara turned to look up at him, brown eyes shimmering

"They're just woods. Poppy and I just use to go and play,"

"It's lovely,"

"No," Jerome shook his head "You're lovely, my hair is lovely, that wood is…normal." He shrugged, Mara tip toed and kissed him lightly "And what was that for Miss Jaffrey?"

"Calling me lovely," she sang, turning back to look out the window

"Well then, complimenting you is something I should do more often,"

Line Break

"I was thinking," Jerome began, popping another mouthful of pie into his mouth. Everyone looked up. They were eating dinner, everything was settled now, Jerome and John sat at the heads of the table, Poppy and Mara opposite each other. "I should take Mara into the woods tomorrow,"

"Yay!" Poppy exclaimed loudly, dropping her fork onto the floor. Mara laughed lightly

"Not you Poppy," Jerome waved off "Just me and Mara,"

"But Jerome…" Poppy whined

"No," Jerome sighed as if it were obvious, he turned to Mara, leaning suavely on his elbow "So Mara, how about going to the woods together, tomorrow? Up for a hot date?" he waggled his eye brows suggestively and they both burst out laughing, Mara blushed They were in front of his dad, did he not get embarrassed?

"Jerbil! Why can't I come?"

"Because you're lame." Jerome turned back to her, a relaxed smile on his face, Mara kicked him under the table and he jumped "I mean! Because you're…..blonde." he finished lamely, unable to think of another reason

"Dad!"

"Jerome, let Poppy come with you," John admonished. John enjoyed the feeling of telling his kids what to do. Of setting them straight. And he should have left it there, but he didn't, he kept going. And as Jerome had never been scolded by a parent before in his life, this wasn't going to be fun "You have to act kindly, she only wanted to spend time with you. You should try to be a better big brother, Poppy looks up to you. Don't you want to set a good example?"

Jerome lifted his chin up haughtily, jaw set and identical eyes flashing back at the challenge.

"Like feeling like a dad, dad?" he asked rhetorically, smiling slightly. Mara turned to him, eyes widened as a warning, she shook her head slightly, but he paid no attention "Like bossing people about, huh? Well," Jerome stood then, his chair scraping along the floor. Even Poppy cowered slightly at the sight of him, his eyes never left his dad's. "I don't think you know what it's like to be a role model, do you? Where were you when Poppy grew up, huh? Did you teach her how to ride a bike? No wait, that was moi. Did you show her how to open a chocolate bar? No wait, guilty, that was me too. What did you do, exactly, John? Oh no, now I know, you ditched her. Well done, I applaud thee," he did a fake bow, clapping his hands slowly.

Mara stood too, angry. "Jerome!" she scolded, Jerome turned to her quickly, as if he had forgotten she was there. "That is no way to speak to your father! He's new at this! Don't you think you should be giving him a chance? As for the other things, you should leave what's in the past, in the past. Do you want him to remember? Do you want Poppy to remember, do you want to remember?"

Jerome shook his head sadly. Mara brushed her brown locks out of her face

"Well then, apologise," Jerome turned to his dad with a sigh, and ran his hand through his amazing hair.

"I'm sorry…dad,"

John sighed too "Me too son, hopefully this will all get easier, right?"

"Right." Jerome smiled thankful that his dad didn't carry on commenting.

"But Poppy has to come with you two tomorrow, okay?"

Poppy smiled wildly.

"But Mara doesn't want her to come," Jerome breathed

"What?" exclaimed Mara "When did I say that?"

"You didn't say it exactly," he smiled cheekily "But you thought it," Mara rolled her eyes at him and turned to look at Poppy

"We'll have a day of fun tomorrow, the three of us,"

Poppy smiled and kicked Jerome hard under the table. She had won. Poppy 1, Jerome 0.

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