"Don't forget to do your summer homework, have a nice six weeks!" Heather said with a smile as her Year Ten drama class packed up excitedly and rushed out of the drama studio.
Heather laughed as she picked up her briefcase and put her things away. She could remember that feeling, when it was the last day of the school year and she was dying to rush outside into the sunshine with her mates, at that very same school where she now worked.
Heather popped into the staff room to say goodbye to the other teaching staff then drove around the corner to Nicole's school.
A long time had passed since she and Ben had got back together. Nicole was now seven and was getting on well at school. Heather had been to teacher training college and now had a job at a secondary school in Staines. She and Ben had bought a big new house there, right by the river.
Nicole was waiting by the gates when Heather pulled up. "Hi kids, get in," she said cheerfully to Nicole, and the twins who she was also picking up.
"I want to sit in the middle." Nicole cried as she pushed Kris into the back seat. "Mum, me and Kris are getting married!".
"That's nice," Heather laughed as she checked the kids were strapped in.
During the drive home, Nicole described her 'wedding', while Kris sat quietly, red with embarrassment.
"Boys, you're staying at our house until your dad comes home," Heather told them as they pulled up outside her house; Paul and Helen lived next door.
"Yes!" Nicole cried. "Let's have a rehearsal for the wedding!". As soon as Heather had unlocked the door, she ran inside and dashed straight to her dressing-up box.
"Who's idea was the wedding?" Heather asked the boys with a laugh.
"Nicole's," Kris said, blushing, before walking into the play room.
Jamie stayed with Heather, he was being very quiet. "Would you like a drink, Jamie?" Heather asked him.
"Yes please," he said quietly.
"What's up?" Heather asked him as she poured out a glass of Sunny D and handed it to him. They walked out to the patio and sat in the sunshine.
"Nothing, it doesn't matter," he muttered.
A couple of hours later, Ben returned home with Paul. They had been in the studios in London with the other boys, recording new songs. "Where's Kris and Nicole?" Ben asked as they joined Heather and Jamie outside.
"They're practising their 'wedding'," Heather smiled.
Ben and Paul looked at each other and laughed. "Oh I remember playing weddings when I was little," Ben laughed. "I had like, three wives at once!".
"Ha ha, me too!" Paul grinned.
Jamie, stood up and took Paul's hand. "Dad, can we go home?".
Paul looked at his son with concern. "Yes, of course Jamie,". He turned to Heather. "Is he OK?" he whispered.
Heather shrugged. "He's been quiet all afternoon,".
Paul left with Jamie, leaving Ben and Heather alone in the garden. "How was your recording session?" she asked.
"Great!" Ben grinned. "We recorded a really good new song today, it was one I wrote by myself... I wrote it about you,".
"Awww, thanks Ben!" Heather said proudly.
"I'll bring a tape of it home tomorrow for you to hear," Ben told her.
"How are the other boys?" Heather asked.
"Chris and Mark are doing fine, they're both planning holidays for the summer," Ben answered. "Naomi and Sarah were at the studios with them,".
Soon, Nicole and Kris came running into the garden, screaming with laughter. "We're getting married tomorrow!" Nicole cried, grabbing Kris and kissing him on the cheek.
Ben laughed. "Have you sorted out your bridesmaids and everything?" he asked.
Nicole nodded. "Yeah, of course! I'm having my ten best mates as the bridesmaids, and Jamie's gonna be the best man,".
"Kris, dinner time!" Paul shouted through the fence.
"Bye," Kris said before squeezing through the gap in the fence into his own garden.
Heather turned to Ben. "I suppose we'd better have our dinner now," she said, walking into the kitchen.
"Can we have chicken nuggets?" Nicole pleaded.
"No, we're having lasagna," Heather told her. "We can have nuggets tomorrow for lunch,".
The three of them had just sat down for dinner when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" Nicole offered, jumping up and running to the door.
Nicole reappeared in the dining room a few seconds later, with Lucy, Nick and Summer behind her. "We were just passing by, hope you don't mind us calling round," Lucy said. "Bryan, in here honey!".
Lucy and Nick's almost-two year old son Bryan came toddling into the room and clung onto Lucy's leg; he was very shy.
"We were just having dinner, I'd we'd know you were coming we would have made enough for you," Ben said. "Anyone like a drink?".
"Oh, a coffee please," Nick said, sitting on the sofa as Summer climbed onto his lap.
Heather, Ben and Nicole had soon eaten their dinner so they then joined Lucy, Nick, Summer and Bryan in the lounge. "Have you sorted the house sale out yet?" Heather asked Lucy. They had recently become friends again after a long time of not speaking to each other.
"Yes, it's ours now," Lucy smiled, as she held Bryan on her lap. He was a really cute kid, looking a lot like herself and Nick with bright blue eyes and light blond hair.
"We're moving in next week so Lucy can set up her practice," Nick added. He and Lucy had bought a house on the coast near Bournemouth where Lucy was going to run her own psychotherapy practice.
"We're going to throw a party once we've settled in so you've all got to come," Lucy said.
Summer stood up and turned to Nick. "Daddy, I wanna play with Nicole,".
Ben glanced at Lucy as she said that, knowing that Nick wasn't really her 'daddy', he was.
The girls went into the playroom, leaving the grown ups and Bryan in the lounge. "Who have you invited to the party then?" Ben asked.
"Oh, everyone!" Lucy smiled. "Can you ask Chris, Mark, Naomi and Sarah to come as I don't think I'm gonna be seeing them?".
"Of course," Ben agreed.
Meanwhile next door, Paul was watching TV alone while the twins played on their Dreamcast. He looked at his watch, it was seven o clock. Helen should be home by now...
Just as he was thinking of her, Helen walked in the door. "Sorry I'm late, the flight was delayed,".
"That's OK, I've given the twins their dinner," Paul told her.
Helen hung up her jacket and went upstairs to change out of her uniform. She was the head air hostess for British Airways at Heathrow and was always jetting round the world.
Her mobile bleeped, she had a new message. She picked it up and read it.
Helen's mouth curled into a smile as she read it. The text was from the new captain that she had met that morning. His name was Stuart and he was really fit. They had been chatting at lunchtime and had swapped numbers.
'Thanks for making my first day enjoyable,' the message read. 'See you tomorrow, Stuart,'.
Helen pressed reply. 'I enjoyed the flight,' she wrote, then pressed send with a big smile.
.