The next day all four of us were wearing vinyl boots. On Wednesday after Masha’s performance they both came in dressed fairly normally in jeans, but...once in the office took off their street shoes and put on kinky boots of their ownClare and Bridget were not so slowly brought round to our way of thinking and becoming as adventurous as us. They had to be more careful as they had to get to the office by public transport rather than just come downstairs but that just meant covering up or changing. I thanked her, grabbed some Branston Pickle out of the fridge and sat at the table to eat. I heard Jen tell Mum that she was going up for a shower, and when I had finished eating, I quickly washed up my plate and cutlery and went to sit with my parents through the end of the News and the weather forecast.Sure enough, ten minutes later Jen came down with her hair in a towel and her dressing gown wrapped round her, bare legs exposed to the knees.“Have you left me any hot water, Sis?”“Yes, loads.. .. so gentle ... so emotional. Well done, my darling son.”She said no more but stayed where she was. She knew that Toby had a major problem on his mind and she was prepared to bet it was about Allie. She had to be there for him to unburden himself.At last he slowly raised his head and took her hands in his. “Thank you, Mum,” he said softly. “I didn’t really hear it myself. I was miles away.”“Mm. Want to tell me?”There was another long silence.“Allie told me she loved me and that if I didn’t. Taking full clumps of hair in her hands. She came up for air. RJ tried to stop her but she moved a hand to his face. She cupped his face resting her thumb just under his eye. He stilled in her hand. She sat up, straddling his waist. She looked down at him, giving nothing in her face but showing her anticipation in her eyes. He whispered, “Please.” The faintest smile crossed her face, it was as if the whole world fell away in that instance. He didn't give a damn about anything. Only what his big.