Baby May

Stepmum

Hey guys, I'm so sorry this update is so late at night. I completely forgot what day of the week it was, I didn't realise until I got to work that I forgot to update and I didn't finish work till 10.

My useless brain also forgot that it was Ben Hardy's birthday on the 2nd so happy belated birthday Ben Hardy.

November 2002

To celebrate their second anniversary, Brian and Anita are going away on a long weekend holiday, however, it is the school term so Alyssia will be staying at home.

Well, that was the plan until Zoe came down with the flu and can't have her over the weekend. Victoria hasn't got the room, Brian is not letting Alyssia stay at Toby's for an entire weekend, he hasn't talked to John in months so that's not an option and Roger has just broken up with Debbie so that's also not an option. Roger did offer but Brian told him no, he needs some time to get his head together.

So they have two options left, cancel the holiday or leave her at home alone because they can't take her with them, the school won't allow it.

"Why doesn't she stay with us?" Louisa throws out the suggestion, "I could talk to mum?"

Brian is straight-up not keen on that idea, she's stayed with his ex-wife once before she was kidnapped and it's not happened since.

"Why can't I just stay here on my own?" Alyssia is pretty sure that Chrissie resents her because she is the daughter of the woman that Brian had an affair with.

"Because your 13 and leaving you here alone for four days would not only make us bad parents but if social services caught wind of it, we'd lose you to the foster system and your dad would lose the right to see Jimmy, Louisa and Emily." Anita will always be the scarlet woman for having an affair with a married man but when Brian chose to leave Chrissie, she made sure Brian knew his kids come first above all else, "So Brian, ring Chrissie and see what she says."

Chrissie happily agreed to have Alyssia for the weekend and Friday after school, Alyssia walked to Emily's school then walked back with her sister.

"Hey mum, we're home!" Emily called out entering the house.

"Hiya love," Chrissie pops her head out the kitchen door for a moment, offering them both a smile, then goes back to whatever it is she's doing, "Hey Alyssia. You girls go on up, get out your uniforms and do your homework. Lissy, your overnight bag is in Louisa's room, hope you don't mind sharing with her? Her room has the pull out bed."

"No, I don't mind. Thanks, Chrissie," If she's stuck here all weekend, she's going to try and get on with Chrissie.

She runs upstairs and gets changed, chatting with Louisa while she does her homework.

Dinnertime felt awkward for Alyssia, while Emily chatted about her day at school, she felt Chrissie watching at her intently but whenever she'd look at Chrissie, the woman immediately looked away.

It's at breakfast the next morning when Alyssia has her first moment alone with Chrissie.

She has to get up early for skating practice, after quietly dressing so as not to disturb Louisa, she bounces downstairs to get some food.

She comes to a halt at the kitchen door, Chrissie is already sitting at the kitchen table, "Morning Chrissie."

"Oh, morning Lissy. I didn't expect you to be up this early," She used to not seeing her kids till closer to lunchtime on weekends, "The others won't be up for another hour or two."

"I have skating practice at nine. Do you mind if I get some breakfast?"

"No, help yourself. Bread is in the toaster, cereal is cupboard next to the fridge, milk and butter in the fridge," She points to the various cupboards then continues sipping her coffee, watching Alyssia.