Sian's Point Of View

I heard Jez get up at 7 and go for his Saturday morning run. Not me, I huddled under the duvet, savouring the fact that I could have a lie-in. After the nightmare, I hadn't slept too well, and when I finally woke up again, it had gone 10 o'clock. Actually, it was closer to eleven. I went downstairs in my pyjamas, finding Jez in the living room. He grinned, kissing me as I collapsed onto the sofa.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty."
"Morning," I yawned, combing through my hair with my fingers.
"Enjoy your lie-in?"
"Yes. Enjoy your run?"
"Yep, I did. I went through the woods and along the river, for a change. Nice run, that. I should do it more often."
"Okay, cool. Done anything useful since you've got back?"
"Yeah, I mowed the lawn."
"Oh, didn t hear you.
"You were very fast asleep. You didn t even wake up when I knocked the stuff off the cabinet in the bathroom."
Mmm. I did tend to sleep very deeply after a nightmare. "Did you break anything?"
"Only that bottle of bubble bath... joking, Sian, joking!" He said, seeing my face. That bubble bath was VERY expensive.
"Give me a heart attack, why don't you?" I muttered, reaching for the laptop.

"Jez, Madi's left herself logged into Facebook again!"
"Oh, she always does that, even though she has a laptop of her own... Give it here."
I passed Jez the laptop and watched as he typed a status, posted it, and returned the laptop to me.
"Did you just frape your own daughter?! Oh, how cruel!" I said, laughing at the status. Madi might just kill her Dad now.
"She deserves it; she needs to log off all the time. Someday she'll leave it on a public computer and it won't just be the status that gets changed."
"I know, I know."

I looked down my Facebook news feed, which mostly consisted of pointless statuses (people don't need to say good morning to Facebook!) and Farmville requests (no, I will not give you virtual manure!). I couldn't help lingering a bit longer than necessary on Michael's page, and then jumping guiltily when Jez spoke to me.
"Sorry, what did you say?"
"I asked, Miss Head-In-The-Clouds, if you wanted to go shopping today?"
"Yeah, that'd be good. Depends what Madi and Zack say."
"Wait a moment," Jez walked out into the hallway, and yelled up the stairs. "Madi! Zack! Come downstairs!"
Zack appeared straight away; already dressed (he's an early riser like his Dad). Madi took a bit longer, and by the time she had dragged herself downstairs, Zack was stuck into a game on the Playstation.

"Dad!" Madi groaned. "Why did you have to wake me up?"
"Madi, it s gone eleven. You should be awake by now."
"Well, I wasn't. Anyway, what did you want?"
"I was wondering if you two want to come shopping?"
"Yeah, okay." Zack said, without turning around.
"Yes, Dad, but I need money, I'm broke." Madi batted her eyelashes.
Jez sighed. "How much do you want?"
"Er, £70?"
"Dream on, Madi."
"Fine, £40."
"You're lucky that you're getting more than 10p, the way you treat me."
"Sorry. Please may I have some money, Daddy?" Madi asked, giving Jez puppy-dog eyes.

I watched this exchange with amusement. Madi and Zack were great kids, and after a rocky beginning, we were getting on very well. I wouldn't want to leave them. Jeez, why does this keep ruining everything? There isn't a day where I'm not thinking about Michael or Jez, who to choose. I wish it would leave me alone for just a few hours!

Finally, we are all dressed, fed, and we are ready to go shopping. As soon as we get there, Madi drags us to the designer shops like Superdry and Jack Wills, and she ends up with an armful of clothes, costing way more than £40. After trying them on and finding that they all fit, she begs us to fork out on them. Jez caves, giving her the money.
"Now you know why she regards you as a walking, talking piggy bank." I smile. He smiles back, knowing what I said was true.

My phone buzzes, and I see that I have a text from Michael. The fourth one today, actually. I sigh, irritated. Why does he have to keep making moves on me? I'm perfectly happy as I am... I'm beginning to wish that Jez and I did not accept the job offer at Waterloo Road. We could have got a way better job, we only did it to help a friend.

Pah, friend. Friends don't end their text messages with kisses.