“It’s not going to go any faster by looking at it,” the older man admonished Ellie as she stared at the clock on the shop’s wall.

“…Sorry, Chris,” Ellie replied to her manager as she tried to stop her cheeks from flushing at her telling off.

“I get that it’s the summer holidays and it’s hot and you’d rather be outside,” Chris said in a calm, understanding voice. “God knows I did when I was eighteen. Then again, when I was eighteen, I couldn’t afford to take weekends off to go to music festivals, heh.” Ellie grinned as she remembered the events of the beginning of the month, when she spent three days with her friends and her boyfriend in the north of the city at one of the loudest, most cramped and most fun music festivals she had ever attended.

However, as much fun as she had at the festival, Ellie still couldn’t shake the feeling that something had been missing. Her friends had been with her for every day of the festival, but her new sister hadn’t. Ellie tried to console herself with the knowledge that as Jade was only fifteen (her birthday wasn’t until the end of August) and that she’d be allowed to attend in future years, but she still felt guilty that she’d been away having fun while Jade had been struggling with the important first few weeks of her own transition. Ellie had made a conscious decision to support Jade and be there for her as much as she could throughout the summer holidays, but wherever Jade went, her parents went too, which meant yet more stress for the young woman.

While Ellie was forced to admit that her relationship with her parents had improved since Jade’s coming out, it was only an improvement in that it went from 'non-existent' to 'existent'. Ellie and Jade’s mother and father had outwardly lived up to their promise to give the younger girl the support she needed, but Ellie still harboured doubts about their sincerity and concerns that eventually, Jade would be coerced into attending ‘conversion therapy’. Mostly, though, Ellie felt resentment that Jade’s transition was accepted, whilst her own had been rejected. And as hard as she continued to try, Ellie couldn’t help but direct some of that resentment at her new sister. Nonetheless, she was determined to support her to the best of her abilities.

At first, the change to Ellie’s living arrangements and the related upheaval in her life had make this task harder, but as she settled into her new home and her new routine, Ellie quickly developed her new comfort zone. A large part of this was, much to Ellie’s surprise, thanks to her new housemate. Despite the anger that came with their first ever meeting, Ellie and Lindsay had quickly bonded as friends, their similar circumstances of parental estrangement helping to bring the two closer together. There were even times when Ellie felt closer to Lindsay than she did to her own sister. And, of course, Ellie continued to feel closer to Janet than she did to either of her biological parents. Despite having her own biological child under her roof, Janet had continued to give Ellie all the time and attention she needed and hadn’t played favourites during the rare disagreements between the two teenagers. Ellie continued to view Janet as the most ‘real’ parent she had, even as the older woman allowed her more and more freedom and responsibility with her life. There was, however, still one ‘line’ of Janet’s that Ellie was not allowed to cross no matter how much she pleaded- though over the prior few months, Ellie had become adept at finding ways around the ‘line’.

“Hey you, stalking me outside my place of work,” Ellie said with a wide grin as she left the shop and immediately greeted her boyfriend with a long, deep kiss.

“Hey babe,” Dane replied with a goofy grin. “Does it count as actual stalking if we’ve been going out for months, though?”

“Hmm…” Ellie mused, a wide grin spreading across her face. “Depends on how long you were out here, hehe!”

“Half an hour?” Dane asked, before grimacing and chuckling. “Okay, maybe two or three minutes, heh.”

“…Think I’ll skip calling the police this time, hehe!” Ellie giggled as she and Dane linked fingers before heading to the nearby bus stop for their respective rides home.

While Ellie was making her way home, her guardian was also finishing up her working week at her still-new job. Janet had settled into her new role with relative ease, thanks largely to the support she had received from her managers, but it had still been a large leap to return to her old career after almost two years of scanning groceries for a living. However, Janet found it easy to disregard the few negatives to her job- especially the dress code, even on a hot day such as the one that had just ended for the middle-aged woman.

“See you on Monday, Ella,” Janet said as she walked through the almost deserted reception area, smiling at the sound of her low-heeled shoes clicking against the polished floor and the feeling of her smart pencil skirt tugging with every step she took.

“See you Janet,” the head receptionist for the prestigious modelling agency replied. “Got anything planned for the weekend?”

“Nah, just relaxing in front of the TV,” Janet replied. “You?”

“Definitely going to take advantage of the Sun while I can!” Ella said with a giggle. “You got the house to yourself this evening, then?”

“Well… Eventually,” Janet replied, smirking as she left the office building and got in her car, driving out of the centre of London and toward the north-east of the vast city- specifically, toward a pub where she knew her two best friends would be waiting for her.

“Hello, office lady!” Shannon teased as Janet approached the table where she and Meredith were sat, still dressed in the blue uniforms they wore to work.

“Hello, married lady!” Janet retorted, earning giggles from her newlywed blonde friend. “Ahh… Another week over, hehe!”

“Well, for some of us,” Shannon said, making herself and Janet giggle as the third member of their group sighed and blushed.

“It’s only two hours tomorrow morning,” Meredith said in reply. “And it’s just a very small internet radio station, it’s not like I’m going to be taking over from Chris Evans or anything, and it’s still a probation period so there’s no guarantee I’ll still be doing it this time next month, not that I’m not going to try my hardest, you know?”

“Mmm,” Shannon replied almost dreamily, before giggling and blushing. “Oh- umm, sorry, I was kinda- kinda thinking about Chris Evans. Though probably not the same Chris Evans as you, hehe!”

“And what would Jason think, hmm?” Janet teased, making the young blonde woman’s cheeks go an even deeper shade of red.

“…Probably about Scarlett Johansson, hehe!” Shannon replied. “Or about one of the women you’ve been working with all week?” Janet and giggled her eyes as she suddenly became the target of the table’s good-natured teasing.

“I don’t actually work with the models,” Janet said in response. “Not even hiring or firing, I mostly just deal with the backroom staff, management, that sort of thing.”

“Isn’t Jamie-Lee Burke part of the management team?” Meredith asked. “I mean, Jason’s got to be attracted to her, right? Not that I mean he’s more attracted to her than he is to you, I mean in a general sense, like the whole Captain America thing you were just talking about-“

“I get it, it’s okay,” Shannon chuckled even as Janet fidgeted in her seat.

“Of course,” Janet said hesitantly, “as it’s Jamie in particular we’re talking about, he may not be…” Janet bit her lip as her muttered comment caused an awkward silence to fall over the table.

“…If he isn’t,” Shannon said. “Well, not for that reason, anyway- we may need to have words, heh.” Janet smirked as her friend smiled to let her know that no offence was intended or taken.

"What are you two doing tonight, anyway?" Janet asked. "You got married two weeks ago, I'd have thought you'd want to spend all day every day in his- well, company?"

"Yeah," Shannon replied with a shy grin. "But I've got my whole life to be with him, he can spare me for an hour and a half to be with you two every week, heh."

"You've got him well trained, then," Meredith said with a chuckle. "I mean, when I had my first boyfriend when I was eighteen, I'd spend all my time with him when I could but I'd always make time to go out with my friends when they asked. That was actually what broke us up in the end, he felt he was more entitled to my free time than even I was."

"Sounds like a total arsehole," Janet snorted.

"Oh, he was," Meredith said with a roll of her eyes. "Didn't even have a cute arse to surround the hole." Meredith smirked as both of her friends nearly choked on their wine.

"Oh- well Jason has definitely ticked THAT box, hehe!" Shannon giggled. "Think he's actually out tonight with a few mates from work. And I figure, you know, I can't fault him if I'm out, you know?"

"As long as he knows who's boss," Janet advised.

"Yep," Shannon replied. "Both of us, fifty-fifty. A partnership, like marriages should be, heh."

"And then, when you have kids, you and Jason get 'five' each and the kid gets 'ninety'," Janet teased, making her friend blush again.

"Gonna be a while before THAT happens, believe me," Shannon chuckled. "Unless you can guarantee me a place at the nursery where the Angels are sending their kids, anyway."

"Don't have THAT much influence," Janet laughed. "Ahh... Besides which, eventually they'll be teenagers and spending most of their Friday nights out with their friends, heh."

"Are Ellie and Lindsay out tonight, then?" Meredith asked.

"The one who's legally an adult, yes," Janet replied. "As for the one who's still legally a child, the answer to your question is HELL no. Though that's only going to be the case for a few months, heh..."

Sure enough, when Janet returned home, the older of the two girls in her care was nowhere to be seen, while the younger one was curled up on a corner of the sofa in her pyjamas, lazily playing with her phone. As she watched her daughter, Janet couldn’t help but flash back to when Lindsay was four years old, when she would curl up in the exact same spot on the sofa in the exact same way, whether she was watching television, reading a book or avoiding the teasing of her brother. However, the more she watched, the sadder Janet got, knowing that Lindsay should have been relaxing on the sofa in her real home…

“Hey,” the seventeen year girl greeted her parent, not looking up from her phone as Janet took off her shoes and her jacket. “Me and Ellie ordered pizza for dinner, hope you don’t mind.”

“Sure,” Janet shrugged as she headed through to the kitchen, sighing and the predictable sight of the pizza box awkwardly crammed into the bin. “Has she already gone out, then?”

“Yeah, about half an hour ago,” Lindsay replied with a sigh that tugged at her parent’s heartstrings.

“You’ll be eighteen soon enough,” Janet reassured her daughter.

“Yes, yes, I know,” Lindsay replied in an irritated voice. “And I know that I can enjoy my summer break without going out partying every night it’s just- ugh, you know?”

“I think I do,” Janet replied. “Do you get why I don’t want you doing anything that’s illegal or getting into situations where you could get hurt?” Like Ellie did, Janet thought to herself.

“Yes, yes,” Lindsay sighed.

“Think of it this way,” Janet advised. “You’ve got a long day tomorrow, lots of time to spend in the sun hanging out with your friends.”

“Yes, I get it, honestly,” Lindsay huffed.

“…And think of it this way,” Janet said with a sigh. “You’ve only got one year until you’re eighteen, I’ve only got three years until you’re twenty and not a moody teenager anymore!” Janet smirked as Lindsay shot her an angry glare, one she’d seen many times before as a response to her teasing but one she didn't mind receiving at all if it meant having her daughter under her roof.

The two women eventually headed to bed just after 11pm, both falling asleep long before Ellie returned to the flat, stumbling through the door in her extra-high heels and tiny clubbing dress. Ellie was soon asleep in bed herself, and remained that way until the middle of the following morning, when she was awoken by the sound of Janet and Lindsay moving around downstairs- and by the throbbing pain in her head.

“Ah, good morning, sunshine!” Janet cheered, making Ellie wince with pain as flopped down onto the sofa, clad in only her favourite pink dressing gown. “Good night last night, I take it?”

“…Yeah, it was pretty good,” Ellie replied, her foggy memories of the previous night forcing a smile onto her face despite her hangover, memories of dancing and drinking- even if she was melancholy that she couldn't have shared the night with her boyfriend and her surrogate sister. “SO glad I’m not in work today, heh.”

“What time’s everyone coming over?” Janet asked, smiling at Ellie’s recollection of the previous night.

“Umm, whenever,” the blonde girl shrugged. “They’ll text us when they’re on their way.”

“…Okay then,” Janet said. “And will you be staying at the house all day or will-“

“We’ll decide when everyone’s here,” Lindsay interrupted, causing Janet a moment of frustration that quickly passed when she realised that the two girls on the sofa were indeed sisters in all but name.

However, while Lindsay was becoming Ellie’s sister in spirit, there was another girl who was becoming Ellie’s sister in fact, and she was the first to arrive at the house shortly after Ellie had finished breakfast and got dressed.

“Hey, sis!” Jade giggled, giving Ellie a playful hug as she opened the door. “Ahh… I saw your photos from last night on Facebook, looked SO much fun, hehe!”

“Yeah,” Ellie giggled as she led her sister to the living room, marvelling at how much Jade had changed in such a short space of time, both in a physical and emotional sense. The smooth, hairless legs poking out from underneath her short summer dress, her quickly-growing hair and delicate silver necklace were a far cry from how 'Jack' used to look, but what surprised Ellie the most was the internal change from ‘Jack’ to ‘Jade’. ‘Jack’ had been shy and introverted, rarely speaking unless spoken to first and painfully uncomfortable around women- even Ellie. ‘Jade’, on the other hand, had quickly become lively almost to the point of being ‘bubbly’, interacted with Ellie and the other girls as an equal and was rarely not smiling. Even though she was a long way from starting any hormone therapy (she was still a month away from turning sixteen), Ellie mused to herself that it was almost like pulling on a dress was all it took for Jade to become the person she was always meant to be. And even though experience had taught Ellie that that was far from the case, she was forced to admit that at first, she had thought the same way.

…Though that thought quickly soured Ellie’s mood as she was forced to realise that when Jade had dressed for the day ahead, she had done so in her bedroom at home, with the full knowledge and consent of her parents- parents who had ejected Ellie from their home, from HER home, for doing the exact same thing. And while Ellie and her parents were at least on speaking terms again, they were a long way from truly reconciling. The fact that her parents had dropped Jade off at the house and driven away without even saying hello was proof to Ellie that she needn’t waste any time trying to reconcile- though she was forced to admit to herself that she wouldn’t have spoken to them even if they had stayed…

“Hey Jade!” Lindsay said with a grin as the fifteen year old girl flopped down onto the sofa. “I like that dress, is it new?”

“Well, umm, it’s new to me…” Jade said as she showed off her dress to her friend, before biting her lip as Lindsay realised her faux pas.

“Oh- oh god, Jade, I’m sorry,” Lindsay said with a nervous, awkward laugh.

“It’s okay,” Jade shrugged.

“I mean, how long have I lived with your sister and-“ Lindsay babbled.

“Honestly, it’s okay,” Jade said with a reassuring smile. “And the dress is nothing special, just a Primark one. Not got the biggest or poshest wardrobe yet for obvious reasons, heh.”

“Well- well it looks great on you, heh!” Lindsay said, smiling as her younger friend grinned in reply. “Right, Ellie?”

“Oh- definitely better than what you were wearing this time last year,” Ellie chuckled as Jade rolled her eyes.

“Well duh,” the fifteen year old girl replied. “You know anyone other than you saying that would be insensitive, right?”

“Yeah,” Ellie shrugged. “Still true though.”

“…Yeah, it is!” Jade replied, sharing a giggle with her sister as she waited for the rest of their friends to arrive.

Before long, all seven girls had decamped to the house’s small back garden, where they spent the rest of the day relaxing, gossiping and soaking up the sun's warm rays.

“Ahh…” Monique sighed as she stretched her lithe, dark-skinned body out on a garden chair. “Really don’t want summer to end, you know?”

“You got a place at uni then, Mon?” Keira asked.

“Yes I have!” Monique replied with a giggle. “Depending on my results, gonna be studying drama at Nottingham University this September!”

“Aww, that’s so cool!” Jodie giggled. “Pity it has to be so far up in the north, though, I’m gonna miss you…”

“Yeah, I’ll miss you guys too,” Monique sighed. “But, you know? Gotta take the opportunities I get, right? Not all of us are smart enough to get into a London uni…” Ellie giggled and blushed as Monique overtly pointed in her direction.

“Heh, just lucky, I guess?” Ellie giggled. “Though we are TOTALLY throwing you a going away party, hehe!”

“You’d better!” Monique giggled. “Don’t suppose there’s any chance you can get Steph Abbott to come along, is there?”

“Umm… Probably not,” Ellie said with a sympathetic sigh that turned into a giggle. “Especially if rumours are to be believed, hehe!”

“Ah, she will be SO good on Strictly,” Kacey giggled.

“And it’s about time girls like us got some representation,” Jade said, biting her lip as an awkward silence fell over the garden. “Umm…”

“’Girls like us’ of course meaning ‘every girl who’s been on the show since 2004’?” Ellie asked her sister, who smiled and nodded.

“Too right,” Jade said with a giggle that was shared with the other girls.

“And on the topic of parties,” Kacey teased the younger girl, who began to blush. “Any idea yet what we- yes, WE- are doing for your sweet sixteen?”

“Ah yeah, forgot I was in a queue!” Monique giggled.

“Honestly, I don’t want a huge celebration,” Jade mumbled.

“Well I DO,” Ellie said. “It’s a big birthday, and not just because it’s your 16th, but, well, your 1st too. You need to, like, introduce yourself to the world, that sort of thing.”

“Well- I dunno…” Jade mumbled.

“Trust your big sister on this,” Ellie said with a smile. “Coming out is a big deal, you’ve earned the right to celebrate.”

“Oh- it definitely would be nice,” Jade said. “It’s just- well, you know… Mum and dad…?” This time, it was Ellie’s turn to bite her lip as the awkward silence returned to the garden. However, before Ellie could reply, the silence was broken by the sound of the patio doors opening and Janet emerging into the garden, followed by several young men that put smiles on the faces of many of the girls.

“Hey girls,” Janet said in a serious, almost tired-sounding voice. “Found these on the doorstep. Usual rules apply, I really don’t want to have to enforce them.”

“Yes, yes, thanks dad,” Lindsay sighed with embarrassment, before smiling as her new boyfriend approached and gave her a gentle kiss on her lips- a smile that widened as the teenaged girl saw the look of disapproval on her parent’s face.

Lindsay and Joe had only been going out for two weeks, but had quickly grown close in that time- too close, as far as her father was concerned. Janet was firm in her ‘no boys at sleepovers ‘rules, but was certain that Lindsay and Joe had somehow snuck behind her back, especially as she watched the two of them cuddle together on the grass. What surprised Janet the most, though, was that she felt equally uneasy watching Ellie and Dane also trying to squeeze together into one garden chair.

“Hey babe,” Dane said, laying down next to Ellie and giving her a gentle kiss. “What did I miss?”

“Girl talk and lots of it,” Ellie replied with a giggle.

“So, nothing important then?” Dane teased, laughing as Ellie gave him a playful shove.

“If you must know,” Ellie sighed, “we were planning Jade’s birthday party next month. She’ll be sixteen, so kinda need to make it special, you know?”

“A party?” Dane asked with a grin. “Am I invited?”

“Ugh,” Ellie spat, momentarily confusing her boyfriend. “Don’t get me wrong babe, normally- yeah, I’d love you to be there, but- but it’s, you know, gonna be at my parents’ house…”

“Okay, ‘nuff said,” Dane sighed. While he had yet to meet Ellie and Jade’s parents, Dane had been told enough horror stories by Ellie that he was in no rush to meet them- just like Ellie had intended.

“For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t have minded,” Jade said as she adjusted her bikini top. “Well, until my parents came in the room, anyway.”

“Yeah, I get it, I get it,” Dane said, before frowning as an awkward silence fell over the three teenagers- though the silence only lasted as long as it took for Ellie to slip her hand into the back pocket of Dane’s jeans.

“I’ll turn my back,” Jade said with a half-sigh, half-chuckle, rolling over on the grass to talk to Jodie and Kacey while her sister flirted with her boyfriend.

The flirting, chatting and sun worshipping continued for the rest of the afternoon before the teenagers all eventually dispersed and headed back home. However, even this increased the tension levels in Ellie’s body, as while most of the teenagers had either walked or taken public transport to the house, her sister had been given a lift by their parents, meaning that their parents would be returning to pick her up.

Ten minutes after all the guests apart from Dane and Jade had left, a knock came from the front door, which Janet instinctively got up to answer.

“Wait,” Ellie said, stopping her guardian in her tracks before she reached the door. “I- I’ll get it.”

“Are- are you sure?” Janet asked, fully aware of who was on the other side of the door, and why answering it might cause Ellie unnecessary stress.

“It’s my home too,” Ellie shrugged.

“Well, if you’re sure,” Janet said as Ellie took a deep breath and opened the front door.

“Oh- umm, hello,” Ellie’s mother said, clearly taken aback at the sight of her elder daughter greeting her. “Is Jac- umm, is- is Jade ready to leave?”

“Yep, right here,” Jade said, her manner much more subdued than it was earlier that afternoon. “Ready to go.”

“Did you have fun today?” Sharon asked stoically.

“I did,” Jade replied with a smile. “Looking forward to hanging out at Jodie’s on Tuesday.”

“And to her birthday party,” Ellie said, the words slipping out before she could control her tongue. “We- umm, we, like, talked about it today…”

“Oh,” Ellie’s mother said. “Well, umm, we were thinking of having a quieter celebration, just family.”

“Did you ask Jade what she wanted?” Ellie asked defiantly.

“Ellie,” Janet said softly in a vain attempt to defuse the tension in the room.

“We are still her parents,” Ellie’s mother said. “We know what’s best-“

“Like you knew what was best for me?” Ellie asked, immediately biting her lip and stifling a groan of frustration the second the words left her mouth.

“…We’ll be going now,” Sharon said in a curt voice. “Despite what you just said you’re still welcome to come and visit Jade tomorrow if you want.”

“I- I’ll be there,” Ellie mumbled.

“Alone, if you don’t mind,” the girls’ mother said, shooting a very overt dark glare at Dane as she and Jade left the house and drove away.

“Ellie-” Janet said softly as the front door closed.

“I know, I know,” Ellie interrupted. “It’s just- ugh! Every time I see her, I get so wound up…”

“It’s okay, I know you do,” Janet said softly.

“And you heard how she called her ‘Jack’, right?” Ellie asked. “Doubt that was a slip of the tongue.”

“It IS a large change for her to get used to,” Janet said. “Just, you know, playing devil’s advocate… I can understand why you’re concerned though.”

“They still expect her to become ‘Jack’ again,” Ellie snorted as she and her boyfriend slumped down onto the sofa. “Hell, they probably still expect me to become ‘Liam’ again.”

“Don’t write them off just yet,” Janet advised. “Anyway, I’m going to make some dinner now, Dane, are you staying?”

“Umm, please, Ms. Cole,” the seventeen year old boy replied.

“I’ll drive you home after we’ve eaten,” Janet said, before leaving the three teenagers to themselves and heading to the kitchen to prepare their meal.

As Ellie ate, she mused on how Janet could often be as strict as her own mother- for example, not even giving Dane the option of staying after the end of dinner- and yet beyond the occasional moment of frustration, Ellie never harboured any ill feelings toward her guardian. Ellie figured there were multiple reasons for this- in addition to their obvious shared connection, they had both been rejected by their families, and Janet had welcomed Ellie, at the time a total stranger, into her home when she had nowhere else to go. Ellie was certain about one thing- she would much rather have been raised by Janet than by Sharon and David.

After dinner, Ellie headed up to her bedroom, where she wasted no time in logging into Facebook on her phone, smiling and letting out a small sigh of relief when she saw that her sister was online.

‘Hey Jade,’ Ellie hastily typed into messenger and sent to her sister.

‘Hey sis!’ Jade replied with a ‘giggling’ emoji. ‘Long time no talk lol!’

‘Lol,’ Ellie replied. ‘You just eaten dinner?’

‘Yep,’ Jade replied. ‘Just chilling on the sofa now.’ Ellie smiled at this news- in the past, if 'Jack' had been on the sofa, in front of 'his' parents, there was no way the chat could've proceeded uninterrupted.

‘Still wearing that cute dress, I hope?’ Ellie asked, smiling as she got a ‘grinning’ emoji in reply.

‘Any reason why I wouldn’t be?’ Jade typed.

‘None at all,’ Ellie replied with a grinning emoji of her own. ‘Is everything okay with Sharon and David, though?’

‘Umm, you mean mum and dad?’ Jade replied, making Ellie bristle. ‘Things are good as ever, why do you ask?’ Ellie started typing out a reply, only to stop when another message from her sister came through. ‘Never mind, I’m guessing this is about you and mum this afternoon?’

‘It’s not ABOUT it,’ Ellie typed. ‘I’m just worried, that’s all.’

‘Well I AM fine,’ Jade replied. ‘And I told mum and dad about your idea for my birthday and they’re okay with it. You can ask them tomorrow if you don’t believe me.’

‘I believe YOU,’ Ellie typed. ‘It’s them I’m not sure about.’

‘Well believe me, they are okay,’ Jade typed.

‘Even when they’re calling you ‘Jack’?’ Ellie asked. ‘I heard what Sharon said. Do you get called by the wrong name a lot?’

‘No,’ Jade immediately replied, before following up with another, more carefully-considered reply. ‘Maybe a few times. It’s not a big deal. It’s not like they deliberately do it.’

‘Do they apologise when they do it?’ Ellie asked.

‘I don’t notice,’ Jade replied. ‘Probably, I guess.’ Which is more than they’ve ever given me, Ellie thought bitterly as she quickly diverted the topic of conversation away from Jade’s home life and onto more enjoyable topics.

The two sisters chatted for another hour about mostly trivial things, Ellie deliberately changing the topic of conversation whenever Jade tried to talk about their family. Eventually, Jade was called away and logged out of Facebook, but not before saying goodbye to her sister, and asking her to at least be civil to their parents the following day. And while Ellie promised her sister that she would behave, she couldn’t guarantee to herself that she’d be able to keep that promise…

Ellie woke up earlier than usual the following morning due to her excitement (and, to a lesser extent, due to her anxiety) at going to her family’s home later that day. After a quick shower, she headed back to her bedroom to muse on what outfit she’d wear to her parents’ house- or, as she mentally referred to it, Jade’s house. Ellie knew that her usual overtly feminine style of short skirts, heavy make-up and tight-fitting tops tended to rile her parents up, especially since her oestrogen treatments had begun to make noticeable changes to her body. She’d hoped that Jade’s transition would make her parents more sympathetic to her own personal style, but much to Ellie’s frustration, the opposite seemed to be true. However, Ellie was determined that regardless of Sharon and David's feelings, she was always going to be true to her own self. Ellie pulled on one of her trademark short skirts, followed by a loose, soft summer top and a pair of 2" heeled wedge sandals. Ellie didn't leave her bedroom until she was satisfied with her look- which included a thick layer of make-up including her favourite make of blood red lipstick.

“Good morning,” Janet said as Ellie descended the stairs and made her way into the kitchen.

“Morning,” Ellie replied. “Linds up yet?”

“It’s 8:45am on a Sunday morning,” Janet replied. “Take a wild guess. I was astonished when I heard you moving about upstairs just now, thought we had burglars or something.”

“Oh ha ha,” Ellie snorted as she poured herself a cup of coffee. “Besides, you know why I’m up this early, right?”

“Yeah, I know,” Janet said with a sympathetic smile. “Are your parents coming to pick you up or would you like a lift?”

“I’ll be okay on the tube,” Ellie shrugged. “Not like I don’t know the way there, heh.”

“Yeah, it’s not your sense of direction I’m worried about,” Janet said quietly, frowning as Ellie groaned with frustration.

“It’s not like I haven’t been round there loads of times since Jade came out,” Ellie retorted.

“True,” Janet said. “Do you nearly get into shouting matches with your mum every time you go around?”

“Okay, one,” Ellie replied angrily. “I didn’t ‘shout’ at her yesterday. And two…” Janet frowned in confusion as Ellie trailed off.

“…Two?” Janet asked.

“Two…” Ellie said, blinking back a solitary tear. “Sharon isn’t my mother anymore, you are.” Janet bit her lip to stifle a tear of her own as Ellie turned away to disguise her own emotions.

“Yeah…” Janet said quietly. “I think we both know that I’m not, not really. But thank you for saying so anyway, good to know I’m doing some good at least.”

“Yeah,” Ellie said, sipping her coffee. “Anyway, umm, I’m probably going to be out until late afternoon, so, umm, yeah…”

“Yeah,” Janet whispered, staying silent as Ellie finished her breakfast, grabbed her handbag and left the house.

Janet let out a sigh as her young charge shut the door behind her- while she wasn’t Ellie’s counsellor, let alone a biological parent, she still felt a responsibility to the young woman beyond providing food and shelter. Every time Ellie became stressed, particularly about her family, it made Janet worried for the young woman. However, she was forced to admit to herself that if Ellie’s relationship with her parents ever dramatically improved, she’d be more worried that she’d move back in with them…

Janet’s musings were interrupted mere minutes after Ellie’s departure by the sound of an upstairs door opening and closing, followed a few minutes later by the house’s youngest resident entering the living room, dressed only in her pyjamas, and flopping onto the sofa.

“Hey dad,” Lindsay said as she switched on the television. “Ell already gone out?”

“Yes, ‘Linds’, ‘Ell’ left a few minutes ago,” Janet replied, smirking as her daughter rolled her eyes at her. “What? I think it’s cute, the two of you using little pet names for each other like that.”

“Whatever,” Lindsay replied, making Janet giggle.

“Breakfast’s in the fridge, where it always is,” Janet said as she provided the seventeen year old girl a mug of coffee. “You got anything planned for today?”

“Dunno,” Lindsay shrugged. “Might text Martin later, see if he’s free.”

“Great,” Janet sarcastically replied, earning another eye roll from her daughter. “Just as long as you’re not still wearing that when he gets here.”

“No, obviously,” Lindsay replied. “Was thinking of wearing a t-shirt and that new skirt I got last week.”

“What, the light blue one that’s about eight inches too short?” Janet asked, giggling again as her daughter groaned.

“It’s summer, you wear shorter skirts in summer,” Lindsay retorted, before frowning in confusion as her father laughed even louder. “…What?”

“There was a time a few years ago you wouldn’t wear a skirt even if you were paid, regardless of the season,” Janet chuckled.

“What, I’m not allowed to be a girly girl?” Lindsay protested. “Bit hypocritical, isn’t it?”

“Only if I was criticising you,” Janet replied. “Which I’m not, I’m just commenting on the change.”

“Okay,” Lindsay shrugged. “And I dunno, I see what a kick you and Ell get out of dressing up, and, you know, why shouldn’t I, like, not enjoy it, just ‘cause I was born this way?”

“No reason at all why you shouldn’t,” Janet replied with a wide, genuine smile.

Ellie took a deep breath as she walked up the short path to her parent’s home. It was a path she’d walked down many times, even since the start of her transition, but she still felt anxious. Ellie found it odd how relieved she felt when she rang the doorbell, as if it was reaffirming the fact that she was merely a guest in the house.

“Oh, hey Ellie!” Jade said with a giggle as she opened the door, dressed in a loose patterned tank top and a short denim skirt. “Come on in, mum and dad have gone to the supermarket so we’ve got the place to ourselves until they get back, hehe!”

“Cool!” Ellie giggled as she followed her sister up to her bedroom, where the younger girl sat down cross-legged on her bed while Ellie quickly investigated the room.

In the few weeks since Ellie’s last visit to Jade’s room, it had changed considerably. The blue walls had made way for a softer yellow colour, the furnishing were all soft and light, and taking pride of place in the room was a dressing table with a growing collection of make-up on top of it. Ellie mused on how similar it was to her own bedroom at home- and how she'd never have been allowed a bedroom even remotely like it if she'd still been living under Sharon and David's roof...

“You approve?” Jade asked with a smug grin on her face.

“Oh- definitely,” Ellie giggled. “Really love the furniture, is- is this new?”

“Kinda an early birthday present,” Jade chuckled. “As is half the stuff in the wardrobe, heh.”

"Okay... Is that an invitation to look?" Ellie asked with a cheeky grin.

"Go right ahead," Jade replied, giggling as her older sister opened the wooden doors.

“You’ve got a lot of great stuff in here,” Ellie said as she idly browsed through the tops and dresses in the wardrobe. “I’m guessing ‘Jack’s clothes are-“

“Spread across three different Oxfam shops,” Jade chuckled. “Underwear’s in a landfill somewhere. Believe me when I say I AM totally committed to this change.”

“Oh, I believe you, I really do,” Ellie said.

“Then why do you look like someone’s just taken a shit on your bed?” Jade asked, her initial giddy enthusiasm quickly disappearing as Ellie let out a long sigh.

“Because it took me YEARS to get a wardrobe this full,” Ellie sighed. “And Sharon and David didn’t spend a single penny to help fill it.”

“Ugh, Ellie…” Jade groaned, before letting out a quiet, sympathetic sigh. “No, maybe they didn’t.”

“’Maybe’?” Ellie snorted.

“Okay, more than just ‘maybe’,” Jade replied. “Don’t take it out on me, though, not my fault if mum and dad are trying to make up for their past mistakes.”

“Yeah, but they’re not, though,” Ellie grunted as she sat down next to her sister. “If they were, they’d have helped me as well as you.”

“Well- I guess,” Jade said, fidgeting awkwardly in her skirt.

“And I don’t mean to take it out on you, I really, really don’t,” Ellie sighed. “I- I’ve been talking to my counsellor about this, especially since you came out. She reckons I’m jealous of you, and I guess, in a way, I maybe am.”

“’Maybe’?” Jade said, echoing her sister’s earlier comment. “…Sorry.”

“S’okay,” Ellie shrugged. “…Do you know that mum and dad haven’t even apologised to me? Never even said they were sorry for kicking me out of the family and treating me like shit?”

“No, I didn’t know that,” Jade mumbled. “Have- have you ever, you know, asked them to apologise?”

“Well- no,” Ellie was forced to admit.

“They- umm, I mean, mum and dad sometimes come to my counsellor meeting with me,” Jade said.

“They’re probably not going to be as happy to come to my meeting,” Ellie snorted.

“No,” Jade admitted. “But maybe- maybe you could come to my next meeting? I mean, I talk about you with my counsellor a lot, and she’s said she’d like to meet you…”

“Okay,” Ellie shrugged. “When’s your next meeting?”

“Umm, tomorrow…” Jade mumbled, making her older sister roll her eyes and giggle.

“Good job I’m not at work tomorrow then,” Ellie said, before chuckling and leaning in for a gentle hug with her sister.

“Ah…” Jade sighed happily. “You want to talk about jealousy, your hair and your skin! Hugging me must feel like hugging a hedgehog…”

“A ‘hedgehug’?” Ellie giggled, before sighing happily as her sister pouted. “No, seriously though, you’ve done a good job of, you know, getting rid of all the unwanted hair. Maybe I should get you a day at a beauty salon for your birthday? Heavenly Talent own one, Janet can get, like, an employee discount and all…”

“That sounds AWESOME,” Jade said with a happy sigh. “If we can persuade mum and dad, anyway…”

“Yeah…” Ellie sighed. “But it’s hardly, you know, weird for a sixteen year old girl to get a makeover on her birthday, is it? And there’s plenty more party to plan as well, hehe!”

“Yep!” Jade giggled, watching intently as Ellie got her phone out and showed Jade some of the ideas she’d come up with the previous night.

The sisters’ morning was interrupted less than an hour later, though, when their parents returned from the supermarket. Ellie felt her body instantly tense up as the front door opened, which didn’t go unnoticed by her sister.

“Are- are you okay?” Jade asked in a quiet, timid voice.

“Y- yeah, I’m fine,” Ellie said, taking several deep breaths to compose herself. “Huh, it’s not like I didn’t know they lived here, heh.”

“Jade?” The girls’ mother called from downstairs. “Jade, we’re back, is your sister up there with you?” Ellie felt herself relax as she heard her mother’s words- referring to Jade by her real name instead of her dead name, and referring to Ellie herself as Jade’s sister put the eighteen year old girl’s mind almost completely at ease. However, she couldn’t guarantee that she’d still be relaxed when she saw her parents…

“Yeah, I’m here,” Ellie replied before Jade had the chance to speak.

“We stopped off at Starbucks on the way back,” Ellie and Jade’s mother said. “Figured the two of you might be thirsty.” Yeah, a coffee isn’t going to make up for the last two years, Ellie thought bitterly to herself as she and Jade made their way downstairs.

“Hi you two,” the girls’ father said as the two girls entered the kitchen. “Have you two had a fun morning?”

“Yeah,” Jade replied. “We’ve been talking about my party, heh.”

“Oh- yes, that…” the girls’ mother said uncomfortably.

“We were- we were thinking of going out for a meal that evening,” Ellie and Jade’s father said. “Somewhere fancy, we can all get, umm, dressed up…” Great choice of words, Ellie thought to herself.

“What, just the four of us?” Jade asked.

“Or just the three of you?” Ellie asked, before grimacing as she immediately regretted her choice of words. “Umm…”

“It would be a family meal,” Ellie’s father said sternly.

“…But that doesn’t answer my question,” Ellie mumbled quietly.

“Ellie,” the girls’ mother sighed, “did you come here just to start a fight?”

“No, I came here to see my sister,” Ellie replied.

“Yes,” the girls’ mother sighed. “Yes, you’d be invited along. At least in public, you might act a bit more maturely.”

“I- I’m sorry?” Ellie asked.

“Yes, you should be,” the girls’ father snorted, making Jade sink in her chair as she sensed her sister’s temper reach boiling point.

“I- what?” Ellie hissed. “Are you serious?”

“Ellie, ple-“ Jade whispered.

“The way you treated me over the last two years, and I’M the one who should apologise?” Ellie said, barely keeping her voice below a shout.

“You-“ Ellie’s father angrily snapped, before grimacing and taking a deep breath. “That- that isn’t unfair.”

“I- I’m, umm, what?” Ellie asked.

“We were actually speaking about this in the car,” Ellie’s mother said with a heavy sigh of her own. “Especially after yesterday, when I picked Jade up, we- we don’t want to keep continually sighting with you, Ellie.”

“And calling me immature and saying I should apologise for being who I am is your plan?” Ellie snorted.

“And constantly jumping down our throats is yours?” Ellie’s father asked. “I’m not saying you don’t have a right to be angry. But as you like reminding us, you’re an adult now. So start trying to act like one.” Ellie felt her blood pressure rise over the perceived insult from her mother, but as hard as she tried to think of a retort, she was forced to concede that the older woman had a point.

“We do want you to be a part of this family again,” Ellie’s mother said softly, making the eighteen year old girl bite her lip to keep herself from crying.

“But you didn’t two years ago,” Ellie said. “You were very clear about that two years ago, in fact. I can’t forget that.”

“I know,” Ellie’s mother whispered. “And I- I am sorry. Jac- umm, Jade coming out too shows us that we can’t afford to lose both of you.”

“But you can afford to lose one of us?” Ellie asked, before groaning loudly and sighing. “Ugh, I’m sorry… And I- I accept your apology.”

“I know it doesn’t make up for the last two years,” Ellie’s mother said quietly.

“No,” Ellie concurred. “But it- it’s a start.”

“And we don’t want to lose either of you,” the sisters’ father said. “We realise that now. Well, ever since going with Jade to her counsellor, anyway.”

“Ell- Ellie’s coming with me tomorrow,” Jade said softly. “Dr Williamson said she wanted to meet her so, well, yeah…”

“…Seems like a good idea,” Ellie shrugged.

“Yeah,” Ellie’s mother said. “Well, we’re both at work tomorrow, otherwise we’d have come along too… Unless- unless you’d rather we didn’t?”

“I don’t mind,” Ellie said. “It should really be about what Jade wants.”

“I- I’d like it if you could all come, you know, one day…” Jade said in a quiet timid voice, before letting out a small, happy laugh as her parents and her sister all smiled- the first time in a long while that all three people had smiled at the same time.

Ellie also found herself almost completely at ease as she and her family discussed not just Jade’s upcoming counsellor meetings but her birthday as well, and was shocked when her parents approved of Ellie’s suggestion of a salon visit. When the time came for Ellie to head home, she almost couldn’t bring herself to leave the house- though after a quick toilet stop before she left, a glance inside her old bedroom and the sight of storage boxes piled on her bed was enough to remind her that the house wasn’t truly her home anymore.

The following day, as promised, Ellie went with Jade to her counsellor’s meeting, and spoke earnestly to the older woman about her own transition, as well as listening intently to any advice she had about both her transition and Jade’s. All the while, the counsellor emphasised how important it was for Jade to have the support of her parents, and how beneficial it was for Ellie to repair her own relationship with them. Janet’s enthusiasm about the rapprochement, and her encouragement to keep seeing her parents also bolstered Ellie’s confidence and determination to repair a relationship she’d once thought permanently lost.

At the end of the month, Ellie, Jade and their five close friends gathered to celebrate Jade’s sixteenth birthday with, as promised, a group trip to the Heavenly Talent-owned beauty salon (arranged with Janet’s help), before Ellie and Jade changed into their smartest dresses (the latter’s dress being a birthday present from her parents) and enjoying a pleasant meal with their parents at a fancy restaurant.

As the summer holidays drew to an end, Ellie couldn’t help but wonder whether or not her relationship with her family- not just her parents, but Jade too- would continue to improve, or whether or not it was just a ‘holiday’ in more than one sense of the word. When she returned home, it was always to Janet’s house. When she needed parental advice, it was Janet she turned to, and even though Jade looked up to her for sisterly advice, when Ellie needed advice of the same kind, she sought out Lindsay above Jade. And yet, as her counsellor reminded her, she was lucky to have two families to turn to whenever she needed them.

What Ellie didn’t know, though, was just how jealous Janet was of her improved relationship with her family- and her hope to one day be reconciled with her own wife and son...