“I’m Jamie-Lee Burke, on behalf of Infemme- THE fragrance for women, exclusive to amazon.co.uk!” I grin widely as I place one hand on my hip whilst another holds up a bottle of expensive, branded perfume for the video and still cameras that are recording me. Naturally, my look is perfect. In addition to professionally-applied make up and nail polish, I’m wearing a chic, tight top, a cute black skirt with wavy pleats, opaque black tights, and my long blonde hair has been teased and styled to perfection. You’d never have imagined that six years ago, I was a scruffy teenaged boy… And with every day that passes, I find it harder to believe that I was anything other than the fashionable young woman that I am.

“Beautiful, Jamie,” the director says, making me giggle as I continue posing. “Okay, don’t need any pick-ups, think we’ve got all we need here. You are officially free to go!”

“Thanks,” I say, handing the perfume bottle back to one of the crewmembers before grabbing my goody bag of perfume (which is actually a really nice scent) and heading to my carefully-prepared dressing room where the Angels’ PA is waiting for me.

“All done?” The brown-haired girl asks with a grin.

“All done,” I giggle, tossing the grateful girl a bottle of perfume before heading into the dressing room. “I’ll be out in a bit Nik- Sandy. God, sorry… You DO look kinda similar, though.”

“It’s okay,” Sandy shrugs, obviously knowing better than to complain to me about being told she looks similar to a transgendered woman.

“Five months, you’d have thought I’d have got used to it by now, heh!” I laugh with a sympathetic smile.

“In fairness, it HAS been a pretty mental five months!” Sandy replies.

“That’s putting it mildly,” I sigh as I enter the dressing room and crash heavily into the chair in front of the mirror.

It’s been almost six years since ‘James Travis’ became a thing of the past and ‘Jamie-Lee Burke’ took his place, and in those six years, a lot of things- not least yours truly- have changed. The last six months, however, have probably seen the biggest change of all.

In September, I turned 25, graduated from university and welcomed another member of the ‘Angel family’ into the world (Mary’s daughter Natasha). All of this was expected. What wasn’t expected was our reality show being cancelled by ITV2 and renewed on Amazon Prime Top Gear-style, or the Angels gaining a rival ‘clique’ called Constellation (managed by Spencer and Hall, of all firms), or two members of the extended Angel family defecting to Constellation… Or me being offered the chance to be the third member to defect.

I didn’t take the chance, obviously, but I was sorely tempted- especially as the ‘Angel family’ was very much falling apart at the time. Joshua had suffered a heart attack from which he still hasn’t fully recovered, leaving Jonathan in charge of the agency, and his management style left a LOT to be desired. He’s much improved in the time since, but he still needs a LOT of help, both from the now part-time Joshua and from myself. Most days when I’m not pulling on designer clothes and promoting new brands, I’m pulling on a smart skirt suit and working in the office, putting my business admin degree to good use and trying to repair some of the relationships that got damaged in September, particularly with Stephanie- who I now acknowledge I acted appallingly to- and Nikki, who I treated so badly during that month that she actually quit her job as The Angels’ PA and started working for Out of Heaven instead, where she seems a LOT happier. It’s hard to believe that Nikki will be twenty years old in a couple weeks’ time… Or that she’s now older than I was when Jamie-Lee Burke was ‘born’… And almost two years older than the PA who’s waiting for me as I emerge from the dressing room.

“All done,” I say to the eighteen year old girl, who makes a note on her iPad before escorting me back to the Angelmobile.

“Cool!” Sandy giggles. “All prepped for the party tonight?”

“Eh, Charlotte’s dealing with that,” I say. “He IS her husband, after all.”

“Cool,” Sandy laughs. “So, like, how old is he today? 22, 23?”

“26,” I say. “And before you ask, Stuart will be 27 next month.”

“Ah, so cool,” Sandy laughs. “God, I can’t even imagine what I’ll be doing when I’m 27…”

“Probably running the entire agency,” I laugh as I climb onto the back seat of the pink London taxi and Sandy gets in the driver’s seat.

“Meh, hopefully,” Sandy replies. “Haven’t even got my uni place yet, though…”

“You will,” I say confidently. “You’re acing your NVQ, aren’t you?”

“…Wouldn’t say ‘acing’,” Sandy replies. “But I’m doing well enough. But back to happier topics, will all the Angels be there tonight?”

“Yep, all of us, even Viks,” I say with a grin.

“When’s she due again?” Sandy asks.

“March 11th,” I reply. “And Krystie due in August, seems like at any point in time, half of us are off on maternity leave, heh.”

“One of my favourite quotes I’ve read in your interviews is ‘you can never have too many friends’,” Sandy says, making me smile. “So if the ‘Angel family’ grows, that’s a good thing, right?”

“Yeah, I guess,” I reply as I see the reflection of the taxi in a nearby shop window, and sigh at the image of the ten young women’s portraits painted onto the side of it. “Most of the time, anyway…”

One of the main criticisms that Constellation had received since its launch was that it feels ‘manufactured’, that the friendships between the girls feel ‘forced’, and from what little I saw when I was interviewed by Spencer and Hall, that criticism is very much correct. Most plaudits The Angels received stemmed from the fact that we were friends long before we were stars, and that everything seen on-screen on our show felt natural- largely because it was. As part of our new deal with Amazon, though, some changes had to be made to the show, and chief among those changes were the addition of new faces to our group.

“Hi Jamie!” A tall, raven-haired girl with subtle oriental features squeaks excitedly as I enter Charlotte’s house, before greeting me with a tight hug.

“Hi Kelly!” I say with a genuine smile. Of the four new Angels, Kelly’s probably the one I like the most- though that is due to two factors. One, she defected from Constellation at the same time that members of Heavenly Talent were going the other way, and secondly, she’s also transgendered. Unlike me, she’s currently pre-op- though by the end of the week, that will have changed.

“Everyone’s already here,” Kelly says with a nervous giggle. “Just waiting on you…” I laugh as Kelly hands me a pink t-shirt identical to the one she’s wearing- a shirt that has the phrase ‘bona fide angel’ on the front.

After changing into the t-shirt (which doesn’t offer a lot of protection from the cold February air), Kelly and I head through to the main room of Charlotte’s house where our eight other colleagues are waiting for us. Obviously, I’m happy to see Charlotte, Krystie, Mary, Hannah and Viks, but I can’t help but feel a tad uneasy at the sight of the other three young women stood in formation with us as though they’ve been Angels their entire lives.

Of the four new Angels, I probably know Kelly the best, but a close second would be Abbey-Gayle Simpson, despite her being easily the youngest of all the Angels at just eighteen years of age. Despite her youth, she’s already a talented and experienced model, and perhaps more importantly, the long-term girlfriend of Keith’s younger brother Reuben. As such, she’s been on the fringe of the main group for a while now (going right back to our big Star Wars party at the end of 2015) but only recently became a full ‘Angel’. Some members of the group, particularly myself and Viks, thought at first that she was a gold-digger, only dating Reuben because of his connection to the Angels (and obviously his parents’ considerable wealth), but Charlotte stuck her neck out for her, and the more we get to know the Jamaican girl, the more we like her.

The same can’t really said of the tall red-haired girl stood next to Abbey-Gayle. Just as I ‘sponsored’ Kelly and Charlotte ‘sponsored’ Abbey-Gayle’s entry into the Angels, Hannah also ‘sponsored’ a new member, in this case a twenty year old model named Alice Devry who had been signed to Heavenly Talent for a few years, but had never been part of the core gang… Much like Hannah herself was when Joshua pushed her onto myself, Krystie and Mary back in 2013. And like Hannah did back then, Alice has tried her hardest to ingratiate herself with us- though there is a big difference between someone trying to make friends with three other people who are effectively your peers, and nine other people who are either celebrities or about to be celebrities. Alice is trying hard, but maybe she’s trying a little TOO hard.

The final member of our group… I don’t know quite how to relate to her, and I’m pretty sure a lot of the others are unsure about her too. Her name is Malaika, and she moved to the UK from Kenya 3 years ago when she was eighteen. Joshua is a big fan of her, not least because ‘Malaika’ is the Swahili word for ‘Angel’, and he was the one who ‘sponsored’ Malaika’s place in the Angels (and obviously, he has final say over any of us), and whilst Jonathan and Viks are also very big fans of her… The rest of us are kinda struggling a little. It’s not because she’s black, of course- Kelly and Abbey-Gayle are also non-Caucasian- or because English is her second language, but… It’s like she’s the ‘anti-Alice’. Whereas Alice tries far too hard, it’s like Malaika doesn’t try at all, almost like she’s an introvert- and when you want to be a national celebrity, that’s a character trait you DON’T need, especially when you’re being sold on your interactions with other members of your group.

Of course, it’s not like I HATE any of the new girls- I don’t even dislike them, not really, but I miss the old days when you said ‘The Angels’ and you immediately thought of six women in their early twenties… or even, as much as I love Hannah and Viks, back when there was no such thing as ‘The Angels’ and it was just me, Charlotte, Krystie and Mary… Or even back when it was just me and Charlotte…

“Beautiful, ladies!” the agency’s photographer (not my ex-boyfriend Paul, thank god- he was one of the ‘defections’ to Constellation) says as he takes a photo of all of us in our t-shirts.

“Since when did partying become work?” I ask, making Krystie giggle despite herself.

“Since we became a tensome and there’s hardly any time when we’re all together,” the tall dance teacher replies.

“And besides,” Viks says as she tries to stretch her t-shirt over her swollen, baby-filled belly, “these t-shirts are going to make us a LOT of money.”

“So’s all the other merchandise we’re making for Amazon,” I retort. “No reason we couldn’t have had a day out just shooting promo stuff for it though.”

“Other than the odds of all ten of us not having work on the same day?” Hannah snorts, making me sigh. "You help Jon out with the bookings, you know what our diaries are like."

"Well- yeah, I guess..." I mumble.

"And two of us are going into hospital REALLY soon," Kelly says, making my bite my lip- not least because Kelly is going into hospital for the exact same reason I did at the start of 2014, just as the Angels were about to hit the big time.

"But we're all here now, right?" Alice asks with a cheerful voice, breaking the awkward silence that I inadvertently caused.

"Yes, and that is DEFINITELY the most important thing," Krystie says. "Though I gotta agree with Miss Burke, we SHOULD be partying and not working!"

“It’s Keith I really feel sorry for,” Abbey-Gayle says, momentarily surprising me. “I mean, it IS his party, right?”

“Well- yeah…” Charlotte says, clearly as taken aback as I am by the teenager’s concern.

“God, remember Keith’s 21st?” I ask in an attempt to cheer myself up. “What was the costume again?”

“Hooters girls,” Mary replies with a grin. “Sure doesn’t feel like five years ago. Remember having to physically pry Dan’s hands off me after that one.”

“Ahh, wish I’d been at that one,” Hannah sighs, making me bite my lip as she’s clearly trying to make me and Mary feel bad about ‘excluding’ the other girls.

“Get yourself a man, then we’ll throw a ‘uniform’ party for him,” Mary says, making everyone laugh.

“I’ve told you a million times,” Hannah retorts, “I don’t want A man, I want THE man. Find me THE man, THEN you can break out the bunny costumes!”

“Or you can break them out for my birthday in April,” Abbey-Gayle shrugs. “It IS two days before Easter, like…” I suppress a giggle as Krystie, Mary and I all share an eye roll with each other.

"Oh my god, yes, yes it is!" Alice squeaks. "Oh, please...?"

“Ahh, yes, we are SO doing that!” Charlotte giggles. “Seems like ages since our last costume party…”

“As long as I’m not showing by then,” Krystie laughs.

“As long as YOU’RE not showing?” Viks asks, making everyone giggle.

“You’d be, like a month overdue by the middle of April!” Krystie retorts.

“…I’d still have baby weight,” Viks mumbles, earning snickers of laughter from Hannah, Alice and Abbey-Gayle- but tellingly, not from Mary or Charlotte, the only two in the group who are actually mothers.

“Okay,” the photographer says. “That’s all we need. Enjoy your party, girls!”

“Can do!” Mary laughs as she crashes on the nearest available sofa.

“Eee!” Alice excitedly squeaks as she follows myself and Charlotte to the bar. “SO looking forward to tonight!”

“It’s a Monday,” Charlotte laughs. “It’s gonna be, like, the tamest party we’ve ever held here!”

“Yeah,” Alice says, “but it’s still an Angel party, and there ain’t no party like an Angel party, right?”

“Damn right!” I laugh, even as I try my hardest not to sigh at the red-haired girl’s limitless enthusiasm.

“Don’t expect a lot of excitement from the birthday boy, though,” Charlotte laughs. “He’s been at work all day, looking after junior all afternoon and evening…”

“Well, then we’ll just have to be enthusiastic for him, won’t we?” Alice giggles in her thick north-eastern accent, before grabbing her drink and mingling with the few guests already here.

“…I know we’re only 25 and we’re supposed to be young…” I mumble, making Charlotte snort her drink out of her nose with laughter.

“She exhausts me too,” Charlotte laughs. “Still, a bit of added energy’s good for the group, right? Four of the original six are either drowning in nappies or will be by this time next year.”

“…You’re planning on keeping little Keithy in nappies by the time he’s 3?” I ask.

“I’m planning on having another!” Charlotte laughs. “You know I always wanted a girl, and now that Keith and I are married and settled, and we’ve got more Angels to take on the work for those of us on maternity…”

“Does Keith know this?” I ask.

“We’ve talked a little about it,” Charlotte says as I take a deep breath.

“…So have me and Stuart,” I whisper.

“R-really?” Charlotte asks. “Umm, I assume you mean, like, adoption?”

“Yeah,” I whisper. “I mean, I thought we weren’t ready, but like you said, more than half the Angels are either already parents or about to be parents-“

“More than half of the ORIGINAL Angels,” Charlotte corrects me, making me laugh and sigh. “And yes, I do kinda miss the early days when it was just the six of us.”

“I miss the early days when it was just the TWO of us,” I say, making Charlotte laugh. “Remember that holiday we had at the start of 2012? A week in Australia?”

“SO awesome,” Charlotte laughs. “Spending a whole week in January wearing just a bikini…”

“I am freezing just thinking about it!” I giggle. “I REALLY miss those days. We hardly ever seem to do anything anymore, just the two of us as BFFs, I mean.”

“We’ve both got responsibilities now, we’ve both got families,” Charlotte shrugs, before grinning and pointing toward the double doors at the entrance to the large, L-shaped room. “And you have to admit, not all change is bad, right?” I smile as I follow Charlotte’s finger straight into the gaze of my handsome, grinning fiancé, who immediately hurries over to me and gives me a long, deep kiss.

“Hey, beautiful!” Stuart laughs, giving me another kiss.

“Hey, stud!” I giggle, before grimacing about the shiny pink stain I’ve left on my fiancé’s designer shirt. “Ehh… Sorry about the glitter…”

“It’s fine,” Stuart shrugs. “One thing I’ve come to learn about these parties is that it’s impossible to avoid anything feminine.”

“…Isn’t that, like, a bad thing for you?” Charlotte asks.

“It’s worse for Keith, it’s his party!” Stuart says, making Charlotte once again snort with laughter!

“It’s your birthday next week, and I’ll tell him you said that!” Charlotte teases, before leaving me alone with the man I love.

“Long day at work?” Stuart asks, making me giggle.

“Yes, not that you’ll ever acknowledge that!” I say, earning a giggle in return.

“No, I’ve learned my lesson there,” Stuart laughs. “And I’ve just about learned all the names of the 73 new Angels, too!”

“Oh- shut it, you,” I laugh, giving my fiancé a playful shove. “Your ‘gang’s expanded too. Don’t you ever miss the days when it was just, like, you and Keith hanging out together?”

“We never really hung out by ourselves THAT much,” Stuart retorts. “But to answer your question… Sometimes. Guys don’t really have ‘BFF’s, though, you know? And you’ve always been my best friend anyway.”

“Aww,” I laugh, resting my head on Stuart’s slender shoulder. “You’re okay with sharing me with Charlie in that, then?”

“Unless Charlotte’s ever gone down on you, then yes, I’m okay,” Stuart says, making me laugh and nearly choke on my drink.

“No danger of THAT,” I say with a giggle. “Though are you giving me a preview on what you’re going to do later tonight?”

“Well… I could,” Stuart says with a knowing grin. “Or…” I grin widely as Stuart scratches the top of his thigh, clearly indicating what we’ll be doing later tonight.

Sure enough, Stuart and I excuse ourselves early from the party to head to bed, and the second we get through my bedroom door, our hands are all over each other, freeing ourselves from our clothes before collapsing on the bed together, Stuart gently massaging my stiffening nipples with his slender, expert fingers whilst I gently stroke and manipulate his penis, slowly finding my way to the implant within and smiling as my fiancé moans whilst I gently inflate the implant, turning his flaccid organ into a long, stiff rod.

I gasp with desire as Stuart- having lubricated his fingers- draws a line from my navel to my vagina, lingering on my clitoris until I start to moan, before poking his index and middle fingers deep inside me, making the inside of my most sensitive area slick and wet. Moments later, Stuart's penis finds its way inside me and I yell as lightning bolts of ecstasy shoot through my body, feelings that become more and more powerful as Stuart gently, deliberately thrusts inside me until he's filled my vagina fully and I scream as a powerful orgasm takes over my slender body.

"I love you," I gasp as Stuart withdraws from me and deflates the implant within him.

"I love you too," Stuart whispers, before heading to my en-suite bathroom to clean himself up.

Ever since Stuart got his final operation to make him 'functional' in bed, we've been having pretty regular sex, and whilst this is practical in that I no longer need to dilate with a stent or a dildo, it's also really good in many other ways, as Stuart is easily the single best lover I have ever had. Either because of his 'origin' or the fact that he's concerned about damaging his 'equipment', Stuart's love-making can best be described as 'careful'... But 'careful' is a lot better than 'just shove it in and hope for the best'. Stuart makes sure to hit every single erogenous zone on (and in) my body every time we make love, which usually leaves my body in a puddle of jelly by the time he's done with me, and tonight is no exception. We still perform oral sex on each other a lot, of course, and I've even persuaded Stuart to 'enter my back door' a couple of times, but he is a bit squeamish about that and would never do that without wearing a condom (though the smug smile he wore when he put on a condom for the first time may have killed the mood a little).

And, of course, the hottest part of our lovemaking is easily the fact that Stuart- someone with XX chromosomes- is using HIS penis to penetrate the vagina of someone with XY chromosomes.

I have a wide grin on my face as I lie on my back, trying to get my breath back as Stuart wraps a strong arm around my slender waist. As much as I might miss 2012 and the intimacy of my friend, some of the changes of the last five years have DEFINITELY been for the better- especially as Paul Gould isn’t even a tenth of the lover that Stuart is, and isn’t even a millionth of the soul mate that he is.

Last Tuesday was Valentine’s Day, and as both Stuart and I were working that day, I was expecting the traditional ‘gift and romantic dinner’ that most couples get on February 14th. What I actually, got, however, blew my mind. When I returned home, I discovered that my whole bedroom had been filled with over a hundred small pink heart-shaped balloons, each of which had the letters ‘S’ and ‘J’ written on them in cursive script. A trail of pink and white confetti led from the door to my bed, on which my fiancé was laid, stark naked, next to a pile of presents.

Naturally (after a lovemaking session, of course), he put on clothes for our ‘date’, which was just a candlelit meal in Charlotte’s main room, which had also been filled with balloons, confetti and also photos of myself and Stuart, some in collages with other blown up in size so that they almost filled a wall. I wore one of Stuart’s gifts to the date- a sexy multi-layered strapless black dress, along with ridiculously expensive, frivolous and uncomfortable lingerie (which had been another gift from my fiancé). After the meal- a delicious chicken dish that Stuart cooked himself- was done, we headed back to my room, where our clothes ended up in a heap on the floor and Stuart and I ended up in a heap on my bed for the remainder of the night, where I felt like the single most loved woman in the universe- and I made sure that Stuart felt like the most loved man. We fell asleep listening to the sounds of my 'main present'- a mix tape of love songs, each of which was performed (and some were even written) by my fiancé and his guitar.

Of course, it took several hours the following day to clean everything up, but the memories I took from that night more than made it worth it. As Stuart later pointed out, last week was our last ever Valentine’s Day as fiancées- next year, we will celebrate it as husband and wife. As much as the recent changes to my life might stress me out, they’re a small price to pay to have an amazing man such as Stuart by my side.

When my alarm wakes me on Tuesday morning, I momentarily frown when I find that I’m not still wrapped in my fiancé’s loving embrace, only to giggle when I see that he’s already awake and browsing websites on his iPad- and it’s not hard to guess which websites he’s looking at.

Immediately after made love for the first time- well, as ‘man and woman’, anyway- Stuart turned to me and asked, quite bluntly, ‘have you thought any more about adopting?’. In response, I sat there slack-jawed for about a minute. Ever since the week I spent looking after Keith junior, I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t think about becoming a parent until I was one hundred per cent sure I was ready- even if that meant never becoming a parent. But every time I make that promise to myself, I see the sheer joy that Keith and Charlotte get from their son, or the love Mary and Dan share with their daughters, and with Viks and now Krystie expecting, the ‘urge’ is growing greater than ever- especially with the knowledge that Mary’s second daughter, Viks’s daughter and, in all likelihood, Krystie’s child will all be in the same school year. With Stuart’s sister expecting a second child soon as well, the old urges are back, stronger than ever.

“Looking at more adoption agencies?” I ask as I encircle Stuart’s waist from behind and give his neck a gentle kiss.

“Not in depth,” my fiancé replies, switching off his iPad and returning my kiss. “Just looking into what it’ll require, what it’ll cost…”

“Money shouldn’t be a problem, right?” I ask. “Amazon’s contract to the six- well, okay, the ten of us was VERY generous…”

“It should be, given how hard they’re working you,” Stuart says, making me smirk. “Take it there’ll be a camera crew there today?”

“At just an ordinary dress shopping session where, in all likelihood, nothing remarkable will happen?” I snort. “They’ll be there with bells on.”

“Well… Try to enjoy, I guess,” Stuart sighs, making me laugh as I get up and shower away my stresses.

After I’m done, Stuart takes my place in the shower (after also trying to take my towel, obviously) and I apply what is hopefully a professional-looking layer of make-up for today. In the past, I’ve done plenty of ‘everyday’ make-up tutorials for my YouTube channel (which is still growing in popularity despite the fact I rarely update it), but when you’re in front of the camera all day, you need a little bit more than ‘everyday’, so my mascara and eyeliner are thicker than normal, my foundation is darker, my lipstick redder… It’s a fine line between ‘everyday’ and ‘professional’ and an even finer line between ‘professional’ and ‘heavy’. Luckily, six years of being a model has taught me these distinctions… As has six years of being a woman. Charlotte really has taught me well…

Stuart lets out a playful groan of frustration when he emerges from the shower to see that I’m still not done with my make-up, and has finished dressing for the day (in a very plain pair of jeans and a sweatshirt) before I’ve even selected my underwear for the day. As I’ll be spending all day trying on wedding dresses, I select a very plain white strapless bra and thong set, followed by a pair of shiny nude tights. A plain- but very chic- dark blue top, a tight black knee-length skirt and black stiletto pumps complete my look, and after tying my long blonde hair back into a ponytail (and fending off the usual barrage of kisses to my neck that this prompts from my fiancé), I grab a designer coat and a designer handbag and head downstairs, where my BFF is waiting with a wide grin on her face.

“Here comes the bride…” Charlotte teases, making me roll my eyes- though when I see a TV camera in the entrance hall, my frustration quickly turns into a playful giggle.

“Hush you,” I retort, making Charlotte giggle. “Eilish here yet?”

“She got here just before the cameras,” Charlotte says with a sympathetic smile.

I’ve not made a secret of how I would’ve preferred it if Eilish had become one of the new Angels, along with other we already know, such as Nikki or Krystie’s friend Zoe, but with those women already having full-time careers and only limited (or, in Eilish’s case, no) modelling experience, that was never going to happen. Never mind the fact that the same could’ve been said of Viks at the time the Angels were formed, and now she’s one of the most successful models of us all…

Naturally, more cameras are waiting for us when we arrive at the posh bridal boutique on Mayfair, and Charlotte and I have wide grins on our faces as we greet our ‘crew’ for the day, which includes Mary, Hannah, Alice (obviously) and Abbey-Gayle. My grin grows wider and more genuine, though, when I see that Nikki is also here. Even though she’s not an ‘Angel’- and as such won’t get the TV exposure that the rest of us will- she’s still one of my bridesmaids and has every right to be here.

“Hey, deputy maid of honour!” I giggle as I give the nineteen year old transwoman a tight hug. “How are you enjoying your two weeks off?”

“Hey, bride-to-be!” Nikki giggles. “REALLY enjoying the chance to relax, though I know when Out of Heaven get off their tour they are going to HAMMER me with work, hehe!”

“Ah, I remember ‘relaxing’,” Alice playfully giggles. “Can’t remember the last time I had a lie-in…”

“You’re like an energiser bunny, I’m amazed you sleep at all!” Hannah teases the red-haired girl. “And speaking of bunnies, Miss Simpson, I MAY have got in touch with a costume manufacturer about a certain someone’s nineteenth birthday in April…”

“Eee!” Abbey-Gayle squeaks excitedly. “So cool!” I smile at the young woman’s enthusiasm, yet I can’t help but wince at the forced smiles on Charlotte’s & Mary’s faces.

“I’m guessing this’ll have to be an 18 plus only party, then,” Mary says. “Abbey-Gayle, don’t you have friends who are still seventeen?”

“Meh, they’ll be alright,” the dark-skinned girl shrugs. “They can just come to my twentieth!” I wince again as Charlotte’s forced smile gives way for a frown, and she opens her mouth to prepare to retort to Abbey-Gayle…

“Where’s Kelly today?” I ask, interrupting my BFF before she can speak. “She’s only been on one shopping trip, hoped she’d make another one before her SRS…”

“Doing her Infemme promo today,” Alice answers almost immediately. “She is SO nervous about her operation…”

“Been there, done that,” I giggle as I gesture to myself and Nikki.

“Yeah, I remember when I had my wisdom teeth out,” Alice says, making me and Nikki bite our lips. “I was out of it for WEEKS!” I open my mouth to retort to Alice’s insensitive comment, but before I can say a word, I’m interrupted.

“I’m not sure about Infemme,” Charlotte says, returning my earlier ‘favour’. “It’s a bit too soapy for my tastes.”

“Well I think it’s GREAT,” Alice says with a sickeningly sweet smile that’s directed straight at the nearest camera. Product placement, even today… I think to myself.

“Yeah,” Abbey-Gayle says with an equally sweet smile for the cameras. “Definitely going on my dresser!”

“Where’s Malaika today?” Mary asks, clearly as fed up as I am with the product placement.

“I dunno,” Hannah replies. “I texted her, she didn’t reply… Probably at work too.” Any further conversation is, thankfully, stopped when the sales assistant- a stern-faced woman in her late thirties who’s clearly uncomfortable in front of the cameras.

“Greetings, ladies,” the woman says, adding an odd stress to the word ‘ladies’. “My name is Amanda, and I’ll be assisting you today. Who is the bride to be, please?”

“That’d be me!” I giggle with a wide grin as, despite myself, I do a little pose for the benefit of the cameras. “I’m Jamie, Jamie-Lee Burke.”

“Yes, I know who you are,” Amanda says stoically. “Please follow me, MISS Burke.”

“Umm… Okay,” I say, taken aback by the woman’s odd demeanour. Clearly this place is more upmarket than I thought…

The seven of us are led into a private area where gorgeous, pristine white gowns of all shapes, styles and sizes hang on racks all around us, and a large changing room at the end of the room is framed by an arch that’s been filled with red, pink and white flowers. At the side of the room, a tray full of tiny cupcakes with baby pink icing have been left for us to snack on, as has a large pitcher of pink lemonade and several champagne-style glasses. All of us gasp in awe at the sight- it is easily the most beautiful and feminine place I have ever been, and I’m clearly not the only one who feels this way.

“Oh. My. God!” Alice squeaks as she sees the room. “Aww, I SO want to get married now…”

“Find yourself a man, first!” Hannah teases the red-haired girl.

“You can talk!” Mary teases Hannah as Amanda picks out a dress for me to try on.

“This is one of our most elegant dresses,” Amanda announces as she displays the dress. “Loosely based on the Duchess of Cambridge’s dress, it has long lace sleeves and a high neckline. The bodice is slender but not figure-hugging and the skirt is long and detailed.”

“It’s beautiful,” I whisper as I gently stroke the delicate lace of the sleeves. “I’m a bit worried about being too hot though, we ARE getting married in the summer… Do you have any strapless designs?”

“…Well we’ll put this back on the rack for later,” Amanda says, clearly offended by my ‘snub’. “This is a popular strapless design. It has a laced-in bodice and a full skirt so it will hide any… Imperfections in the wearer’s figure.”

“Okay…” I say, growing ever confused by the sales assistant’s unusual demeanour. “Can I try this on?”

“Of course,” Amanda says in a clipped voice as I take the dress and Charlotte excitedly follows me into the plush changing room.

“Maid of honour duties coming up!” Charlotte squeaks as she helps me out of my skirt, shoes and top before holding out the dress for me to step into.

“Thanks,” I giggle, straightening the front of the dress over my breasts as Charlotte laces up the back. “It’s probably over-girly of me but I want a dress that will take a whole ARMY to get into!”

“No such thing as ‘over-girly’,” Charlotte giggles. “And I assume that this dress that takes an army to get on will also be able to be removed by just one, say, 5’ 7” man?”

“You assume right,” I say smugly as Charlotte finishes lacing me in and I tease the transparent white veil to my hair, before posing for my maid of honour. “Well?”

“Hell, I’D marry you!” Charlotte laughs, before we share a quick hug and head out to the other girls, all of whom cheer excitedly at the sight of me in my dress.

“Obviously, we’re going to be trying on a LOT more,” Charlotte giggles as I do a twirl, laughing happily at the feel of the voluminous skirt swishing around my legs.

“This one is DEFINITELY a contender, though!” I giggle. “Do you have any matching shoes and lingerie?”

“Of course,” Amanda says in a curt voice, before pulling another dress off the rack. “This one is a similar design to the one you’re wearing now, only with a heavier, well, skirt, and a longer train.”

“Okay,” I say, taking the dress to examine it. “I notice that it’s another straight neckline, do you have any dresses with a sweetheart neckline?”

“…I really think that would suit your ‘form’ better,” Amanda insists.

“I dunno,” Charlotte says, leaping immediately to my defence. “Jamie has a LOT of little black dresses with sweetheart necklines and she fits them REALLY well. We’ve seen a couple of bespoke designers who think it’d suit her as well.”

“God…” I moan as I start to blush. “Sorry, sorry, I know I must sound like ‘Bridezilla’, but I really want this dress to be PERFECT.”

“What woman wouldn’t?” Alice asks, making me smile.

“I’ll tell you what,” I say to Amanda with a soft smile. “I’ll try on the Kate Middleton dress, then this one, then, if you have one, can I try on a sweetheart neckline dress?”

“Of course,” Amanda says in a clipped voice as she hands me the lace-sleeved dress from before, and Charlotte- as a dutiful maid of honour- follows me back into the changing room.

“Do you think she doesn’t like me?” I ask as I step out of the strapless dress and allow Charlotte to button me into the very expensive-feeling lace gown.

“I think she’s just playing up the ‘posh’ card,” Charlotte mumbles. “I’ve been around women like her my whole life. My mum… Gah. As much as I love her, she WAS very ‘upper middle class’. Would be pleased that I’m in a shop like this, but, you know, girls like Abbey-Gayle and Alice, with her accent… Hannah and Mary too, they’ve got very working-class backgrounds.”

“And, of course, yours truly,” I mumble.

“You’re from a well-off, middle class family,” Charlotte shrugs. “And YOU. ARE. A. GIRL. Those things hanging off your chest should be proof enough of that!”

“Assuming I ever get that sweetheart neckline so I can show them off!” I giggle as Charlotte finishes sealing me into the elaborate dress.

Naturally, the second dress gets just as excited a response as the first one, especially as Amanda has left the room (presumably to get more dresses for me to try on). Sadly, our phones were confiscated when we entered the boutique (so as not to give away any of the shop’s trade secrets) so instead, the girls all rush around me to gently stroke the delicate lace on my sleeves.

“Oh my god!” Alice gasps in her thick north-eastern accent. “Why can’t people, like, wear dresses like this all the time?”

“You took the words right out my mouth,” I say as I pull the veil in front of my face and do a twirl as the other six women all sigh happily. “Mary, you’ve still got your wedding dress, right?”

“Sure, of course!” Mary laughs. “I’d have it framed and displayed in our front room if I thought Dan’d let me!”

“You could probably show a bit more skin than you’re doing, though,” Nikki comments. “You’ve waited your whole life to get that amazing body, why not show it off?”

“Oh believe me, I intend to!” I giggle. “Kate Middleton can keep this one. I am getting my arms and shoulders OUT at my wedding!”

“Atta girl!” Hannah cheers as Amanda returns with another rack of garments.

“I do kinda like this one,” I say to the middle-aged sales assistant. “It really WILL be a bit too hot in summer, though.”

“I see,” Amanda says. “I have another outfit here that you might like to try on.” I giggle excitedly as Amanda retrieves another garment from the rack she just brought in, but my smile quickly vanishes when I see the outfit being held out for me.

“…A trouser suit?” Charlotte sneers.

“Why- why would I want to wear a trouser suit at my own wedding?” I ask.

“We want to give you options for your wedding that are APPROPRIATE,” Amanda says, and my frown quickly turns into a look of pure fury.

“Oh, I see,” I growl. “And why, exactly, would a trouser suit be appropriate? Say it so everyone can hear!”

“Because you used to be a man,” Amanda spits, bringing tears to my eyes as I clench my fists into tight balls.

“…I think we’re done here,” Charlotte says, sensing my frustration and leading me back to the changing room, where I change back into my street clothes into silence.

When we emerge, the area that had been cordoned off for us is completely empty- no Amanda, no dresses, no camera crew, not even any Angels. Unable to control my emotions any further, I break down in a flood of tears, weeping into Charlotte’s shoulder as she gives me a long, comforting hug.

“SIX YEARS!” I shriek into Charlotte’s shoulder. “SIX. FUCKING. YEARS!”

“I know, I know,” Charlotte whispers.

“What is wrong with these people?” I howl. “Did they just invite me here to insult me? Try to make me feel like a piece of shit on what should be the happiest day of my life!? Who the fuck even recommended this place anyway!?”

“I don’t know,” Charlotte mumbles. “I’ll ask Jonathan when we get home. And listen to me, Jamie. You are gorgeous. You are feminine. You are as much a woman as I am and a hundred times more than that snooty old bag. And if you don’t believe me, then believe the million people who subscribe to your Instagram. Okay?”

“O-okay,” I say, taking several deep breaths.

“I’ll call Stuart, get him to pick us up,” Charlotte whispers. “God, Jamie… I- I don’t want to pretend I know what you’re going through. You know, whenever something like this happens to you, I actually feel guilty, I mean, if you weren’t Jamie-Lee, you wouldn’t have to go through-“ I silence my BFF with a long, tight hug that hopefully conveys just how much I love and appreciate her.

“You have nothing to feel guilty about,” I say, actually managing to crack a smile. “For everything you’ve given me the last few years… There are WAY more positives than negatives. As much as the negatives hurt…”

“People need to learn to get over themselves,” Charlotte says as we leave the bridal boutique without even acknowledging any of the staff as we go. “And you’re absolutely 100% right. It’s been six years, but even if it was six weeks I bet they wouldn’t have kicked up a fuss if they hadn’t known before that you were transgendered. God, how insecure do some people have to be…”

“I actually feel worse for Nikki than I do for me,” I mumble. “Everything that was said to me was said to her, too. And she's getting married in what, eighteen months' time? Thank god she's got a friend to design her dress for her..."

"...Actually, that's a very good point," Charlotte says, a devilish grin spreading across her face as she gets her phone out of her handbag. Mere seconds later, I watch in confusion as Charlotte takes a selfie in front of the shop, with her lips curled into a frowning pout.

"Umm... Charlie?" I ask.

"Just thought I'd take a picture for Instagram," Charlotte says smugly as she hastily types a caption to her photo. "2.2 million people around the world have just found out that this boutique is transphobic and NOT somewhere to shop."

"With all due respect to your followers," I mumble, "it's not like any of those 2.2 million people were likely to shop here anyway."

"You never know," my BFF shrugs. "And besides, that's a LOT of bad publicity that's about to head their way. 2.2 million followers means you can get things to go viral REALLY fast."

"I guess," I muse as we're interrupted by the arrival of my fiancé, who greets me with a long, tight hug.

"Oh god, Jamie..." Stuart moans. "Are you okay?"

"I've been better," I sigh. "I'll be okay. Really. I just- I just want to get home and forget all about this."

"When we get home, Stuart's going to run you a nice, long bath, aren't you, Stuart?" Charlotte says, making my fiancé roll his eyes (and as a consequence, making me giggle).

"Yep," Stuart says. "Filled with bubbles and all the scented aromatherapy shit you girls like. And with a glass of wine on the side, and a big, fluffy towel, and your iPod in its dock playing any music you want."

"Sounds perfect," I whisper, thanking Stuart with a long, soft kiss on his cheek.

"You'd have thought after six years, people would get used to the idea," Charlotte snorts as we drive away from the boutique.

"Trust me, for some people it never does," Stuart sighs. "I've been transitioning for eleven years and when some people find out, it's like I'm something they scraped off their shoe. Never mind the deep voice, body hair and- oh yes- the cock. I've got two X chromosomes, so wearing anything other than a dress, long hair and make-up makes me a freak. I know some people who treat tomboys like that even if they don't transition."

"Well then those idiots can continue living in the nineteenth century and leave the twenty-first to us," Charlotte scoffs. "Do- do you ever, you know, regret it? Either of you?"

"Never," Stuart says confidently as I briefly pause. If Charlotte hadn't taken me from my old life I'd probably never even have considered pulling on a dress, let alone having the surgeries- with its pain and its long recovery time- or even taking the hormones, with all the stress and emotions they bring, or even trying to find the man of my dreams...

"No regrets," I say with a confident grin. "Not a single one."

"Anyone would be lucky to have friends like you," Charlotte sighs happily as we head back to her vast home.

Naturally, once we get back, Stuart runs me my promised bath, where I relax until my skin prunes. For the rest of the evening, Stuart treats me like a princess, leaping to fulfil my every whim, no matter how minor it is. Naturally, at the end of the day, after we're both in bed, I return the favour by treating Stuart- specifically, his penis- like a king, suckling it and kissing it until I eventually stiffen it and we end the day making love as man and woman- which is precisely who and what we are.

"Mmm," I dreamily moan as my alarm wakes me and I find myself wrapped in the arms of my gorgeous fiancé. "Morning, stud!"

"Morning, sexy," Stuart says, lazily kissing my neck and making me giggle. "Feeling better today?"

"Much better," I sigh. "All thanks to you. Still SO angry about that fucking shop, though..."

"'Angry' is better than 'miserable', I guess," Stuart sighs. "You at the office today?"

"Yeah," I sigh as I unwrap myself from Stuart's embrace and pad toward the shower. "Gonna find out who recommended that shop and shove an iPad up their arse."

"It wasn't Jon, was it?" Stuart asks. "If a shop's willing to be THAT transphobic, I wouldn't put it past them to be racist too..."

"They didn't seem to like Abbey-Gayle yesterday," I muse. "Then again, they didn't seem to like anyone. Ugh, I- I just want to move past this, okay?"

"More than okay with me," Stuart says. "I just- I just wish there was more I could do."

"Just be you," I say with a grin. "That's more than enough for me."

After showering, I have a smile on my face as I apply my make-up for the day, before dressing in a smart white long-sleeved thong bodysuit, a pair of dark hold-up stockings and one of my favourite dark grey suits with a short, tight skirt and a fitted jacket that shows off my figure beautifully. After yesterday, I'm determined to be as feminine as possible, so I repaint my nails a deep scarlet colour, before putting on a pair of dainty earrings, fastening a slim gold chain around my wrist and another around my neck, and spraying a cloud of perfume over myself that almost makes Stuart's eyes water. One of my highest pairs of stiletto heels goes on my feet, further frustrating my fiancé as they elevate my head to three inches above his. I finish by tying my hair into an office-appropriate French braid that, with my outfit, helps to elongate my slender, feminine neck (which Stuart then spends an age kissing- when he's not sniffing my hair, anyway).

"Sexy mama!" Charlotte giggles as I head down the stairs, taking extra care in my ludicrous heels.

"Thanks," I giggle as I do a twirl in my suit.

"I do hope you're feeling better after yesterday," Charlotte says with a sad sigh.

"Ugh, why is EVERYONE asking that?" I moan.

"Because everyone's concerned about you," Charlotte says. "Because everyone loves you and we hate to see you upset."

"...Thanks," I sigh as I give my BFF a quick hug. "And yes, yes I am feeling better. That 'place' is going to be a very small footnote in the otherwise awesome life of Miss Jamie-Lee Burke!"

"Mrs Jamie-Lee Milton," Stuart coughs, earning snickers of laughter from myself and Charlotte. "When you get a dress, anyway. Pity Nikki's friends are too busy with uni work."

"You two will just have to renew your vows after they've graduated," Charlotte says with a smug grin, before rolling her eyes as she hears a familiar crying sound come from the living room. "A mother's work is never done... You two have fun today."

"We'll try," I laugh as I follow Stuart out to his car.

A short while later, I smile at the attention I get as I stroll confidently into the offices of Heavenly Talent. At least here, I know I'm amongst friends and admirers. No one in this office would ever insult me, or sneer at me for being who I am- the people in charge simply wouldn't allow it. And as I stare at the office at the top of the stairs, my heart warms at the sight of the two very tall, very dark-skinned men- the aforementioned people in charge- regarding me with sympathetic smiles.

"MISS Jamie-Lee Burke!" Joshua booms. "Bring your beautiful, feminine brain up to this office!"

"Yes, sir!" I playfully salute, making the agency owner roar with laughter as I gingerly climb the stairs in my stilettos.

Ever since his heart attack five months ago, Joshua hasn't been quite the same. Sure, he's still got the bombastic, commanding presence he had before, but he seems somehow restrained, like he's worried about being TOO bombastic in case it causes his health to deteriorate. I miss the old Joshua... But that doesn't mean I don't love the new Joshua any less, especially as his nephew is very quickly growing into 'Joshua junior'.

"We heard about what happened yesterday," Jonathan says as I sit down and cross one leg tightly over the other. "At the boutique--- Jamie, I am so, so sorry, I-"

"YOU don't need to apologise," I say, before a frown creeps across my face. "Jon... Did- did you, you know, send me to the shop? I mean, did you recommend-"

"It was Amazon," Joshua says in a dark voice as he loosens his tie (despite only working two days a week, Joshua always insists on a strict dress code, which we always adhere to. Whenever Joshua's in the office, anyway).

"...It wasn't ALL of Amazon," Jonathan sighs as I bite my lip to keep from crying. "Just one of the executives in charge of producing the show, thought that some conflict would make for good television. Jamie, you-"

"Fu- gah!" I growl in frustration. "After all the damned work we've done for them the last few months!"

"Jamie," Jonathan says firmly. "I've already received an apology from them, they've assured me they won't try to create conflict like this again."

"And we have assured them that they won't," Joshua says in a dark voice I rarely hear him use, a voice that's making even Jonathan wince. "Because if they do, they will find another modelling agency to do their work for them."

"...Can we REALLY afford that, though?" I ask, making Joshua sigh.

"Probably not," the middle-aged African gentleman concedes. "Nor can we afford to be pushed around. I sell you on your smile, not your tears. NEVER your tears."

"And never my genitals, either?" I ask, making the two men grimace.

"Unless you're telling us that you want to do nudes-" Jonathan asks, making me grimace.

"HELL no," I laugh, smiling as the two men also chuckle.

"That is good," Joshua says. "As long as you are willing to put it behind you and move on."

"Yeah," I sigh. "Though I did kinda hope I'd get an apology from them... Might be a bit much to hope for, though."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure," Jonathan says with a smug grin. "Have you seen some of your fellow Angels' Instagrams recently? As in, like, today?"

"Umm, no, haven't checked them out," I say. "Why?" I stare on in confusion as Jonathan grins, before turning his computer monitor around to face me. On it is the photo Charlotte took yesterday, or her frowning whilst in front of the boutique... And to the side are a whole string of supportive messages, each one intended for me.

"Two hundred and thirty thousand likes!" Joshua booms with a smug grin of his own. "Your fans will not allow you to be upset, Jamie."

"230k from Charlotte," Jonathan says, before clicking into another photo- an exact recreation of Charlotte's, only with Hannah stood in front of the agency giving a thumbs-down. "185k from Hannah." Another photo, this time of Mary. "85k from Mary." My jaw drops as another photo opens on Jonathan's screen- and stood in front of the boutique is Abbey-Gayle, giving a very angry pout to the camera. "30k from Abbey-Gayle." Tears actually start to well in my eyes as Jonathan opens another photo, and the familiar red-haired image of Alice appears on the screen, giving her own thumbs-down just like Hannah. "45k from Alice. There are also photos from Nikki, from the uni girls, from a couple of the Sky Angels... Viks would've gone down there herself if she wasn't so far along, and Krys has said she'll pop down there when she gets time. Even though she wanted to get her own dress from there!"

"Your sisters have come through for you, Jamie," Joshua says softly as I wipe a tear from my eye. "We were going to wait for the shop to contact us, but if you want us to contact them first, we will."

"Why would they contact us?" I ask, making Jonathan giggle despite himself.

"Because of the 500-plus other photos that were taken outside that shop," the young man says. "You've gone viral, Jamie, and the bad publicity they're getting is KILLING them."

"A fan has even taken the train down from Leicester to take a selfie in front of that shop!" Joshua laughs. "It is not just your sisters who love you!"

"Oh my god," I whisper. "I am SO meeting up with that fan from Leicester."

"That will be arranged!" Joshua booms.

"Thank you, both of you, so much," I sigh happily.

"No need to thank us!" Joshua laughs. "Not when there is work to do!" I smile as Jonathan removes the Instagram pages from his computer, and the three of us spend the next two and a half hours reviewing portfolios from prospective models.

Following the Angels' renewal on Amazon Prime, Heavenly Talent has once again surged in popularity and it seems like every young woman in the UK is determined to become one of us in the same way that the four new girls have. Of course, not everyone can be an Angel, but that doesn't stop us from seriously considering every portfolio that comes through the office. In the past, it would be Joshua alone who reviewed the portfolios, but following his health scare- and my graduation from university with a degree in business administration- Joshua's delegated a lot of the work to myself and to Jonathan (who's effectively managing the office now). Work I'm happy to do, of course- in addition to the extra money, it feels kinda nice to be officially recognised as a 'big sister' to some of the new faces.

...One of whom surprises me by arriving at the agency just as I'm about to leave, instantly greeting me with air kisses even as she tugs down her short smart skirt.

"Hey Jamie!" Kelly excitedly squeaks before removing her sunglasses to reveal her delicate oriental features.

"Hey Kelly!" I giggle at my fellow transwoman. "What are you doing here, anyway? Thought you'd be at home, getting ready for your big day on Friday?"

"Ugh, if I spend one more hour staring at the walls of mouse I will go MAD," Kelly snorts. "Got plenty of that ahead of me next month..."

"It will go fast," I say in a hopefully sympathetic voice. "And a year from now, you'll have forgotten what it was like to NOT have a vagina, I promise you."

"I'll... Take your word for it," Kelly giggles. "Is Joshua in his office?"

"Yep!" I reply. "Kelly... I know that you've got all your family, your siblings, your counsellors and your doctors, but if you ever, EVER need a chat, you know I'm there for you, right?"

"Of course!" Kelly says with a grin. "And the same goes for you, Jamie. I may have just come from a bridal boutique on Mayfair... Wanted to add my 'thumbs-down' to everyone else's, heh!" I giggle as I exchange another gentle hug with the black-haired girl, before allowing her to ascend the stairs to where our managers are waiting for her.

And naturally, once I arrive home, I make sure to give my BFF a long, tight hug before even taking off my shoes.

"Umm... Okay, then!" Charlotte laughs as she returns my hug. "Why, exactly?"

"For always being my sister," I reply. "You and the other Angels. ALL of them."

"Yeah, I saw their photos too, hehe!" Charlotte says as we sit down on the sofa whilst Keith junior plays in his playpen. "Don't think I've seen one from Viks or Malaika yet but the amount of fans who are taking selfies..."

"I know!" I giggle, even as Malaika's absence from Instagram causes me to momentarily frown.

"And speaking of sisters- well, siblings," Charlotte says, "You and I have no fewer than THREE parties to plan for over the next few weeks. Your fiancé’s birthday, your protégé’s birthday, Kelly's 'welcome home' party..."

"Stuart's said he doesn't want any fuss," I retort. "Sarah's insisted on handling Nikki's party, and Kelly will be off her feet so won't be able to party unless we do it by Skype like we did for Nikki!"

"And all of those are just excuses," Charlotte says with a smug grin. "Thanks to this new Amazon deal my finances are FINALLY back in check and I want to treat my family! Because god knows I have no 'real' family to look after..."

"Aww, Charlie," I sigh as I give the young woman- whose ability to switch emotions at the drop of a hat has always baffled me- a long, tight hug. "You're a mother. Can't get any more 'family' than that, surely?"

"Well- of course not," Charlotte sighs. "And I plan on spoiling the hell out of him for every single birthday he has. But- our family has just grown, you know? And I don't mean Viks's kid. We've got four new sisters, Jamie. I want to embrace them like they've obviously embraced you. And a wise woman once said 'you can never have too many friends'."

"...Very true," I laugh as I finally slip off my stilettos and try to relax on the sofa. "So then, what theme are we going with for Nikki? She's 20 this year, but we already did 'twenties' for Sarah in November..."

I spend the rest of the evening in the living room with Charlotte (and later Keith and Stuart, following their return from work and family respectively), thinking up party ideas and successfully forgetting all about yesterday's stresses- especially as Kelly and Krystie's 'thumbs down' photos appear on their Instagrams. Naturally, I end the night in Stuart's arms (and he, of course, ends it in my vagina), though when my alarm goes off the following morning, I'm eager to get out of bed and get to meet my 'sisters'- not least because today is Thursday, and the 'uniform' for the meeting consists of a pair of baby pink tights, a stretchy black leotard and a pair of pointe shoes!

"God, can't believe I've been dancing en pointe for five years now," I muse as I tie my hair back into a severe ballerina's bun before making sure that my make-up for the day is flawless.

"And yet you still moan about it after every lesson," Stuart retorts, earning a very stern stare from me.

"Says the MAN who cries every time he stubs his toe!" I snap. "I'm supporting my entire body weight on the tips of my toes. That's not exactly comfortable!"

"You weight about three stone," Stuart says, making me giggle.

"...Okay, you're forgiven," I giggle as I skip back to my bed to give my fiancé a gentle kiss- an act which he takes as an invitation to run his hands all over my lycra-clad body!

"You're DEFINITELY feeling better today, then," Stuart says. "And that wasn't a question, it's obvious, you just look so much happier."

"It's like you said," I say as I cover my body with a soft cardigan and a flimsy dance skirt. "The discrimination, the prejudice will never go away. But we can choose to rise above it, and I choose to surround myself only with people I love. You, my parents, my sisters... Didn't a famous musician once say that the love you take is equal to the love you make?"

"That does ring a bell, yeah," my fiancé laughs.

"The same goes for happiness, positive vibes," I say. "If I focus on the misery, then all I will be is miserable. I choose to focus on the positives in my life. And there are hundreds and hundreds of bridal boutiques who'd give their right arm to make a dress for a celebrity like me!"

"Damn right," Stuart laughs, wrapping his arm around my tiny waist as he leads me down to his car.

Naturally, just over two hours later, my feet ache as I release them from the prisons that are my pointe shoes, but I still have a smile on my face despite my fiancé regarding me with a smug grin at my discomfort, despite the fact that Alice and Abbey-Gayle are two extremely talented dancers who danced rings around me this lesson, and despite the fact that Malaika is still keeping to herself- though that, at least, is something that I can be proactive about. My sisters have shown me unconditional support over the last couple of days... It's time I did the same.

"Hey," I say to the young African woman, who looks almost startled as I sit down next to her.

"Hey," Malaika replies in a soft, quiet voice. "Umm, sorry I haven't been able to take a selfie at that shop yet... I've, umm..."

"Don't worry about it," I say with a sympathetic smile. "Seriously, don't."

"Okay..." Malaika mumbles. "Umm... Do- do you want something?"

"Only for us to be friends," I say, making the dark-skinned girl smile. "Malaika... I've noticed that you've been kinda... Kinda quiet, kinda shy. I want- no, I NEED to know if there's something I can do."

"I... I dunno," Malaika mumbles. "It's just, you know..."

"Do- do you want me to go?" I whisper.

"No," Malaika sighs. "I- I kinda feel like I don't belong here, you know? You girls are all so famous, and I'm just a nobody..."

"Aww," I sigh, giving the quiet girl a gentle hug that seems to startle her even more. "You are NOT a nobody! You are an Angel, end of story. You've got the t-shirt to prove it!"

"Yeah," Malaika laughs. "But, you know, to me... There's- there's a difference between a job and this, you know? I mean, I want to be an Angel, but- but I feel like I just don't fit in.... Sorry if I'm not making any sense."

"It's okay," I say sympathetically. "And trust me, I know all about 'not fitting in'!"

"I- I'm sorry..." Malaika mumbles.

"No, do NOT be sorry!" I say, giving Malaika another hug- one that is reciprocated. "Malaika, you are gorgeous and friendly, and I'm proud to call you my friend. Do you know why?" I smile as the young, confused woman shakes her head. "Because you're my sister." I smile at Malaika for another two seconds, before we both break down into a fit of laughter. "Goddd..." I moan as I start to blush with embarrassment.

"...Think we're both having trouble wording things today," Malaika says, making me giggle even more and attract the attention of some of the nearby girls.

"A bit, yeah!" I giggle. "So don't ever be afraid to speak up, or say the 'wrong thing'. And don't hide who you are, Malaika. Be proud of it. Sometimes I wish I'd learned that lesson a little earlier. And speaking of..." I grin as I see the extremely swollen belly of Viks walk through the front door of the agency, accompanied by her husband.

"Hey everyone!" Viks says with a wide, confident grin that lights up the room.

"Hey Viks!" Everyone replies as I approach the dark-haired woman and give her a gentle hug.

"Hey, mummy!" I giggle as I mime shooting 'girl rays' into Viks's belly.

"Hey, Jamie!" Viks says with a smile. "Umm... Something I can do for you?"

"Yes, actually," I say, taking Viks by the hand and leading her to where Malaika is still sat. "Viks, please tell Malaika how long you've been an Angel."

"Umm... Three and a half years," Viks replies. "Why, exactly, is this important?"

"And during the first six months of your 'Angelship', how many words do you think you said to the other five of us? Well, apart from Hannah, anyway?"

"...About ten," Viks says, her cheeks flushing as she giggles loudly.

"So if someone is quiet," I ask, "and feels like they don't fit in, does it make them any less an Angel? Any less a sister?"

"HELL no!" Viks laughs as she senses the reason for my questions.

"I think you two have a lot to talk about," I whisper as I leave Viks and Malaika to their conversation. I'm not the only person who needs the support of her sisters, after all.

"Hey, Jamie," Jonathan says, interrupting me before I even have the chance to gather my thoughts.

"Hey Jon," I say with a grin. "Not at the office today, then?"

"Nah, just on our way to an antenatal class," Jonathan says with a nervous laugh. "Uncle Joshua basically threw me out the office, heh. Thought we'd drop in to say hi... Also, Uncle Joshua kinda wants to see you. Anytime today you're free, that'll be fine."

"Did he say what it was about?" I ask.

"Something to do with what we were talking about yesterday," Jonathan shrugs. "He didn't say any more, not to me, anyway."

"Huh, okay," I reply. "Well, good luck at your antenatal class!"

"Thanks," the dark-skinned man replies. "God, it's hard to believe that this time next month I'll be a dad. I mean, I'm barely an adult, for god's sake!"

"...You're 27," I retort.

"You know what I mean," Jonathan sighs. "I've got to learn, like, everything from scratch. First diaper change I'll probably have a heart attack, heh."

"You DO know you're not alone in this, right?" I ask.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, it's a partnership," Jonathan laughs. "Thank god Viks has got her head screwed on a bit tighter than me!"

"Yeah, you've got Viks's support," I say. "And the support of literally everyone else in this room. That little girl of yours is going to have SO many aunts and uncles. Don't ever forget that, Jon."

"...Thanks," Jonathan laughs nervously.

"I'll let you get to your class," I say softly. "Got to get changed, see what the boss wants!"

"See you," Jonathan laughs as I climb into a waiting taxi and head home.

After changing into one of my favourite skirt suits (with matching stilettos, of course), I head over to the office where, much to my surprise, Joshua is waiting for me in the entrance lobby, alongside an older gentleman I don't immediately recognise.

"Jamie!" Joshua booms. "May I introduce David Fowler, owner of La Mariee. He has a few words he would like to say to you.”

“Miss Burke,” the middle-aged man says in a voice barely louder than a mumble. “On behalf of La Mariee, I wish to apologise for the actions of my employee during your visit on Tuesday. If we made you feel at all uncomfortable-“

“-Or upset,” I interrupt, wincing as I earn a glare from Joshua.

“-Or upset, yes,” Mr Fowler continues, “then we apologise in the strongest possible way.” I bite my lip as the business owner extends his hand for me to shake- he’s clearly only contrite because of the negative publicity his shop has been getting. I so want to throw his apology back in his face- but what kind of example would that set for my ‘younger sisters’? Or goddaughter? Or maybe even children of my own…

“…Apology accepted,” I say, limply shaking the man’s hand.

“As a token of our esteem,” Mr Fowler continues, “we would like to invite you and your wedding party back to La Mariee next week, and we would like to offer you a 50% discount on any dress that you choose to buy.” My eyebrows raise at this offer- the dresses I was browsing on Tuesday were VERY expensive, so this discount could potentially save thousands of pounds… But a quick glance over Mr Fowler’s shoulder at a familiar face in the crowd brings a devilish grin to my face.

“Throw in bridesmaids’ dresses and you have a deal,” I say, making the older man wince and forcing Joshua to suppress a chuckle. I wonder just how much money this bad publicity has cost the boutique…

“Deal,” Mr Fowler mumbles as we pose for the cameras- though once we’ve finished shaking hands, he wastes no time in getting in his car and driving as far away from the agency as possible!

“Very shrewd!” Joshua congratulates me with a laugh and a fatherly pat on my shoulder. “Clearly that business degree was worth the time and money!”

“…I’d have taken his offer anyway, to be honest,” I say, before smiling as the face that inspired my ‘negotiation’ approaches us.

“I’m not sure I’d have been so forgiving,” Nikki says with a sigh. “If that woman had offered me the trouser suit I’d probably have clawed her eyes out…”

“You are young, you will learn,” Joshua says, giving a fatherly pat to Nikki’s shoulder as well. “And you have a good role model to learn from!”

“Everyone deserves a second chance,” I say. “God knows I learned THAT lesson this September just gone.”

“Think we all did,” Nikki mumbles. “I should get going- I’m here to do some new headshots, with Out of Heaven out on tour then taking a break Joshua wants to get me back in front of the camera. Especially now I’m ‘good’ to do underwear and swimwear shoots, heh!”

“Speaking of,” I say, “I take it you’ll be at the hospital tomorrow? To see Kelly off?”

“To see Kelly ‘off’? Interesting choice of words…” Nikki retorts, making me grimace and blush. “But yes, of course I’ll be there. Are we not sisters?”

“Sisters forever!” I giggle, giving my protégé a quick hug before letting her go to her photoshoot.

As promised, Nikki showed up the following day to wish Kelly well as she went into hospital, as did all of the other Angels- all nine of them. We were all there eight days later when Kelly emerged from hospital with a vagina between her legs, and we- a very wobbly Kelly included- were there four days after that when Viks emerged from hospital with a beautiful brown-skinned baby girl in her arms. And even though she isn’t a ‘proper’ Angel, we were all there two days after that for Nikki in her time of loss…

Whether they’re making the effort because they genuinely want to be part of a ‘family’, or because they simply want to be famous, what’s important is that Kelly, Abbey-Gayle, Alice and Malaika ARE making the effort. When I needed them, they were there for me without me even having to ask. When Kelly needed them, when Viks or Nikki needed them, they were there. Six years ago, I had nothing. No fame, no fortune, no friends, no family, no fiancé… No femininity. When I woke up on that cold morning, I thought that becoming Charlotte was the start of a nightmare. Little did I know then that it would be the start of a dream come true.

‘James’ was never as loved as ‘Jamie-Lee’, and I don’t just mean in terms of fame. My ‘family’ love me as much as I love them, and just because someone’s new to the family, doesn’t mean they have to ‘earn’ my love. Of course, not everyone will be as willing as my ‘family’ to show me unconditional love, as my visit to the bridal boutique proved- but that just shows that I need to cherish those who do love me, and support those who aren’t as lucky as I am. When the Angels leapt to my defence, they didn’t just defend me, they defended every transgendered person in the UK, as did every fan who mimicked Charlotte’s selfie. If I can encourage this level of support and love from people all around the country, it’s almost worth the heartache. And with a new little ‘niece’ in the family, our lives are filled with more love than ever.

“Destiny is SO cute,” Stuart laughs as he strips naked and climbs underneath our warm bedsheets.

“Dunno why they called her ‘Destiny’, though,” I muse as I remove my make-up and my jewellery. “Isn’t that the name of that stupid game you and the guys play a lot?”

“One of the ‘stupid’ games, yes,” Stuart retorts, making me roll my eyes. “But I think it was actually Viks who chose the name, Jon chose her middle name.”

“Joy,” I whisper. “Couldn’t be a more appropriate name for a child, really.”

“I’m glad you said that,” Stuart says. “Because earlier today, after seeing you hold Destiny… I may- I may have booked us both an interview at the adoption agency we both agreed on. I- I assumed you wouldn’t mind-“ I have a wide grin on my face as I silence Stuart with a long, soft kiss on his lips.

“You assumed right,” I giggle as I peel my stretchy thong bodysuit off of my body and slide underneath the sheets with my fiancé. “Any child would be lucky to be a part of this family. And I don’t just mean you and me, or our parents, I mean the whole family.”

“That’s what I thought too,” Stuart whispers.

“Though just because we’re going to adopt,” I say with a wicked grin, “it doesn’t mean we can’t, you know, ‘try’ anyway…”

“Umm…” Stuart muses. “We’re both, umm, kind-of, you know, sterile…”

“I know,” I say, giving the man I love a longer, deeper kiss as we end the night locked in a passionate, loving embrace...