“And… we’re fine,” Jamie said as she showed her husband the two test strips they had prepared twenty minutes earlier. “I’m not sure that my make-up is from how much sneezing I did after shoving that thing up my nose, though…”

“GIRL,” Stuart teased his wife, who giggled and stuck her tongue out at him before checking her make-up in the mirror one more time. “Though I’m not going to miss covid tests either, heh. Assuming we ever get to the point where missing them is an option. Hard to believe it’s already been a year since the first lockdown.”

“You said it,” Jamie replied, though as she touched up her lipstick one more time, it wasn’t the events of one year prior that occupied her mind, but those of ten years prior.

On the 28th of March 2011, Jamie-Lee Milton, to all intents and purposes, did not exist. In her 'place' was a short, scrawny 19-year-old boy named James Travis who had no job, no qualifications, who lived in a tiny bedsit, had no friends and effectively no family to call his own. Less than a week later, though, ‘James Travis’ was no more, and in his place was the rich, beautiful and popular model Jamie-Lee Burke. 'James' had never previously even thought of being a woman, but the more 'he' experienced femininity, the more 'she' embraced everything it had to offer. Over the following decade, Jamie would gain wealth, financial independence, the acceptance of her biological family, a family of her own, and more friends than she could count. And above all else, Jamie had one person above all other to thank for her continued success- her best friend, Charlotte.

To say that Jamie and Charlotte’s friendship was an odd one was an understatement- especially considering the circumstances of how they met. The unemployed loner and the millionaire’s daughter had initially had nothing in common other than a slight resemblance to each other, but they quickly came to not just like, but genuinely love each other as the one thing that neither had had growing up- sisters. And while they’d had their differences and their occasional fallings out, over the ten years they had been friends they had become not just best friends for life, but also one of the most recognisable duos in the country. Jamie owed her whole life to Charlotte, and she genuinely loved her more than anyone else in the world, excepting two people. One of those two was her husband, while the other was the tiny girl whose middle name was given in honour of Charlotte- and who entered the living room with a wide smile on her 4-year-old face.

“Mummy! Mummy!” Olivia squeaked excitedly as she all but ran toward Jamie. “Look, mummy! I put on my shoes all by myself!” Jamie giggled as her daughter showed off her little black shoes with dainty silver buckles- which, like the light blue dress and cardigan she was wearing, had been birthday presents from ‘Auntie Charlotte’ the previous month.

“Aww, that’s great, sweetie!” Jamie enthused as her daughter giggled proudly. “And you look SO pretty in that dress.”

“I hope I never get too big for it!” Olivia exclaimed as she playfully swished the dress around her legs.

“Well, if you do, we’ll just have to buy you an even better one, won’t we?” Jamie asked as she reached for her daughter’s hand, which the tiny girl eagerly accepted.

“Which I hope you’ll buy with your earnings, knowing which shops Charlotte usually buys from,” Stuart teased, bending down to give his daughter a gentle kiss on her forehead before taking her other hand and leading the family out to his car.

“With OUR earnings,” Jamie corrected her husband. “We’re Team Milton, aren’t we?”

“Yes!” Olivia cheered before Stuart had a chance to reply.

“…Of course,” Stuart chuckled as he secured his daughter in her car seat, before climbing into the driver’s seat. “I’m just saying, you know, with what we’ve been discussing lately…”

“…Yeah,” Jamie whispered. “But we’ve budgeted it out a hundred times, we have plenty of space at home, more than enough for you to keep your studio as well.”

“And will we have the time?” Stuart asked.

“We should do, with S-C-H-O-O-L starting in September,” Jamie replied.

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Stuart chuckled. “Still don’t think I’m ready for that, heh.”

“Me either,” Jamie confessed with a quiet laugh. “Not sure I’m ready for today, either…”

“Hey, today’s as much a celebration as it is a- well, you know, ‘commiseration’,” Stuart consoled his wife. “Well, maybe not ‘commiseration’, but- yeah. And let’s face it, we BOTH have experience with, well, ‘changes’.”

“That’s about as true as it gets,” Jamie chuckled as Stuart drove the young family toward the park where they and their friends had arranged to meet that morning.

When they arrived, before getting out of their car, the three Miltons donned their patterned facemasks, though even these couldn’t disguise the wide grins on their faces at the sight of many of their friends, gathered together for the first time in over a year.

“Hey guys!” Jamie squeaked excitedly as her husband and daughter walked behind her, hand-in-hand.

“Jamie!” Hannah squeaked, approaching the young woman but stopping before she got within two metres. “Ugh, even with this mask I keep forgetting, I SO wish we could just share ONE hug…”

“She literally did that with every single one of us when we arrived,” Viks teased, giggling as her best friend rolled her eyes.

“I’m seeing my family for the first time in over a year, sue me,” Hannah retorted. “Well, ‘family’ in inverted comments, but close enough, like.”

“So close it makes no difference,” Krystie said as she joined the discussion while maintaining a safe distance from the others. “Take it from someone with a BIG family.”

“Take it from someone with an even bigger family!” Mary teased her best friend as she joined the other four. “Stu- the guys and the other kids are just over by the pond. There’s plenty of space for you and Olivia.”

“Thanks, but I think someone will get fidgety if she doesn’t get to at least see her other auntie, heh,” Stuart chuckled. “Where is she, anyway?”

“Oh please, as if Charlotte’s ever on time for anything,” Mary chuckled. “Maybe the twins are embracing the last few weeks of the ‘terrible twos’, heh. We’ll call you over when she gets here.”

“I don’t even want to imagine what it’s like to juggle three kids and a career like ours,” Hannah mused. “Hell, I doubt I could even manage ONE kid, heh. It makes it all the more surprising that Charlotte didn’t- well, you know…”

“Like the three of us?” Mary asked as she gestured to herself, Krystie and Viks, sighing as Hannah blinked back a tear and nodded.

“I thought it was bad enough when Malaika went back to Kenya in November,” Hannah sniffled. “The best thing about this job- better even than the fame, the money- was that I got to work with my best friends all day.”

“We’re- we’re not going anywhere, you know?” Mary said firmly. “We’re still going to be right here, whenever you- any of you- need us.”

“Absolutely,” Viks said gently. “Even if we won’t technically be ‘Angels’ anymore.”

“And I’ve been saying for ages that with my studios about to re-open, I need to dedicate all of my time and effort to building the brand,” Krystie said. “Especially as I’ve had a lot of positive response to opening up new studios in Birmingham and Manchester.”

“Too much of your time that you can’t, you know, host private lessons, like, on a Wednesday morning?” Hannah asked teasingly.

“Spot the woman whose body hasn’t been through three pregnancies!” Mary teased. “And whose age still starts with a ‘2’.”

“Yes, yes, okay…” Hannah chuckled. “Heh, guess things have changed a bit since those early lessons when it was just the six of us, eh?”

“Things have changed a LOT,” Jamie mused, her friends agreeing with her. And god knows they’ve changed for me far more than anyone else, Jamie thought as she stared at the expensive, designer clothes, jewellery and make-up that her friends were wearing- and how her own smart blue dress and three-inch heels effortlessly blended in with the group. Life as a 29-year-old woman was certainly different than life as a 19-year-old girl, even discounting the extra responsibilities that Jamie had as a mother, and the companionship her husband provided when compared to life as a single girl. And yet, as Jamie mused, it was all part of the aging process. Spending her time pirouetting around a dance studio dressed in a leotard and a pair of tights certainly seemed less ‘appropriate’ for a 29-year-old woman than it did for a 19-year-old girl. Regardless of the situation caused by the pandemic, Jamie found herself missing coffee mornings with the girls- or rather, the women- much more than nights out clubbing, or even the famous parties Charlotte hosted every Saturday night. And that was to say nothing of the fact that life as a 29-year-old woman was infinitely different to life as a 19-year-old boy…

The more time passed, the more Jamie mused on the fact that she simply couldn’t imagine what her life would’ve been like if she hadn’t transitioned. She observed- from afar- the ‘brotherhood’ Stuart enjoyed with his friends, just like Jamie enjoyed the ‘sisterhood’ with the other Angels. But she could never envisage ‘James’ being part of either group, no matter how hard she tried. She- Jamie-Lee Burke- was the woman that she was always destined to be, and that was as irrefutable a fact as the Sun rising each morning.

Jamie’s thoughts were disrupted as she and the other Angels heard a car pull up at the entrance to the park- however, it wasn’t her best friend who emerged from it, but one of the other people to whom she owed her success- her life, even.

“My beautiful Angels!” The ebullient voice of Joshua Benedict boomed across the park as he approached the group, his wide grin visible even behind his mask.

“Hey boss!” Hannah beamed. “What brings you by today?”

“The five of you, of course!” Joshua exclaimed. “Well, the six of you, when the sixth Angel arrives!”

“Don’t tell me Nikki’s now got YOU running around after her as well?” Jamie teased, referring to the leader of the Angels’ team of personal assistants, who was also a fellow trans woman and one of Jamie’s closest friends.

“…Yes AND no,” Joshua replied. “I would have been here anyway, but Nikki called me this morning, it turns out that she and her wife have…” The Angels all frowned sadly as their boss mimed coughing into his elbow.

“Oh, you’re joking?” Krystie moaned. “Is it bad?”

“Mild, from what Nikki tells me,” Joshua replied. “They both have fevers and no energy, but are resting up and recovering.”

“Well, that’s something, at least,” Hannah sighed. “But you said you were coming today anyway?”

“I did, yes,” Joshua said in a much quieter voice than usual. “I should wait for Charlotte to arrive before telling you all.”

“You- are you- are you, like, okay?” Hannah asked, clearly concerned for her boss's health.

“I am fine, honestly,” Joshua replied. “Health-wise I am fitter than I have been in some time. I’ve lost weight, my heart is better than it has been in some time, I’ve had my first vaccine- honestly, you do not need to worry about me.”

“Good to hear!” The sixth and final original Angel said as she approached the group, earning wide grins and loud squeaks from her friends- none louder than those of her BFF.

“Charlie!” Jamie exclaimed as despite herself, she rushed forward to give her friend a hug, only to stop when she got within 2 metres. “Ugh, it’s been SO long since we last saw each other in the flesh…”

“One day feels like too long, especially right now,” Charlotte replied, before chuckling and rolling her eyes. “Ugh, sorry Joshua, I- I think I interrupted you, heh.”

“No, you go ahead, please,” Joshua said. “I have all the time in the world right now.”

“Well, then you’re clearly not raising 3 young children,” Charlotte retorted, earning a loud laugh from the tall man. “Jamie- little Jamie, of course- was being REALLY fussy, as soon as I got her outfit on, she insisted on changing it for something else.”

“Like mother AND namesake, like daughter then,” Krystie teased, giggling as her two friends rolled their eyes at her.

“And here they come now, heh,” Viks chuckled as Charlotte husband approached with the couple’s 5-year-old son and two 2-year-old daughters in tow.

“Hey everyone,” The tall young man said as he sidled up to his wife and wrapped an arm around her- though not before he and Jamie made fleeting eye contact.

As much as she adored her husband, Keith still held a special place in Jamie’s heart. Regardless of the circumstances behind their first meeting, he was the first man she’d ever kissed, the first man she’d ever been ‘intimate’ with and the first man with whom she'd had penetrative vaginal sex, and was- technically- the only friend of hers who she’d known for longer than Charlotte. Every time Jamie saw Keith, she still felt a pang of longing, but deep down, she knew that it was never meant to be. While Keith could satisfy her physical needs, Stuart understood her in a way that no other man ever could, and loved her more deeply than she thought was possible- and the feeling was more than mutual. And Jamie knew that Keith belonged with Charlotte and vice versa- and her feelings for her best friend, while strictly platonic, were stronger than her feelings for Keith ever could be.

“Hey Keith senior AND junior!” Jamie said, giggling as the five-year-old boy blushed.

“Hi Auntie Jamie,” Keith Junior bashfully replied.

“Hi Auntie Jamie!” The twin two-year-old girls who shared Jamie’s names yelled, clearly excited to see their favourite 'aunt'.

“Aww, hi girls!” Jamie said, grinning widely as she crouched down to look the toddlers in the eye. “Are you excited about your day out in the park!” Jamie giggled as the two girls eagerly nodded.

“The rest of the dads and kids are over by the pond,” Krystie said, chuckling as the tired-looking young father led his family (minus Charlotte) toward his friends. “And I know where we rank next to ‘Auntie Jamie’, heh.”

“Be fair, I had to physically restrain Natasha from jumping on you!” Mary chastised her best friend, who giggled and blushed in reply. “And she isn’t even named after you, heh. And you know that the girl who IS named after you would've jumped on you no matter how hard I tried to stop her, if she wasn't at school today."

"Quote-unquote 'proper' school, rather than my school," Krystie retorted. "Even if she does always try really hard in my video classes, heh."

"Which Destiny and Olivia also do," Viks said, gesturing to herself and Jamie. "And Natasha. And Maria, though that should go without saying, given that her mum's literally the teacher!"

"It's not even work, when I'm teaching my 'nieces'," Krystie chuckled. "I kinda feel like the luckiest 'auntie' in the world sometimes!"

“And those are the luckiest kids in the world, for having so many amazing aunts!” Joshua interjected, earning grins from the six masked women.

“And in some cases, a granddad who won’t stop spoiling them!” Viks teased her adoptive father-in-law, who laughed and nodded as he accepted his playful chastisement. “Seriously, it took Destiny all day to open all of her birthday presents, heh.”

“Exaggerating just a little bit?” Hannah teased her best friend, who chuckled and rolled her eyes.

“Compared to the amount of presents ‘Auntie Hannah’ bought her, maybe!” Viks retorted, triggering a loud giggling fit for both women as their friends watched on happily. “It’s- yeah. It’s not been easy, especially with the pandemic, heh. But I knew from day one of being a mum that I wouldn’t trade my kids for anything. Including, as it turns out, continued membership of the Angels.”

“You- WE will always, ALWAYS be ‘Angels’,” Charlotte insisted. “No matter what happens. It all started with the six of us, and by that I mean everything. All the groups around the world, the copycats- even Out of Heaven. It all started right here.”

“With friendship,” Jamie said, smiling as her eyes met her best friend’s.

“Unbreakable friendship,” Viks said, smiling as she gazed into her best friend’s eyes. “Hannah, you’ve been my best friend for almost seventeen years. You were my maid of honour, you’ll always be godmother to my children- current AND future- and you know I love you like you were family, because as far as I’m concerned, you ARE family. I don’t care how many times I have to repeat that.” The six women- and much to their surprise, their manager- all started to weep as Viks and Hannah simply smiled and nodded at each other, desperate to hold each other but forbidden due to covid restrictions.

“WE are all family,” Charlotte insisted. “And it’s decided, the second we can have a proper party again, even if it’s midweek, that will be the first song we play.”

“Sounds perfect,” Mary whispered. “And the second we can, even if it’s, like, 2am, we are totally going to have a proper group hug. ‘Cause even if the three of us aren’t going to be Angels anymore, we’ll still always be a part of each other’s lives.”

“Forever,” Krystie confirmed. “Like, we should always make time for each other, just the six of us? To meet up at least once a week, face to face- even if it’s just like this- and catch up.”

“At least once a week,” Viks confirmed. “Even if cameras aren’t present- sorry, Joshua!”

“Do not mind me at all!” The Angels’ manager chuckled. “I would have recommended that myself, even if you hadn’t suggested it. Just like I would recommend to myself visiting the Heavenly Talent office every once in a while.”

“Well, you’ll still be repress- wait, recommending to yourself?” Mary asked. “No- wait, I mean, surely-“

“Were you not paying attention when you threw me that Zoom party for my birthday two weeks ago?” Joshua asked with a quiet chuckle. “Where my screen- not to mention my living room- was littered with the number ‘sixty’ for the whole evening. I did say I came here for a reason today. And that reason is to announce that as my age does now begin with a ‘6’, the time has come for me to, well, not stop, but maybe ‘ease off the pedal’ a little.”

“You- you’re retiring?” Jamie asked, her mouth agape behind her mask.

“More like ‘semi-retiring’,” Joshua clarified. “I have worked hard my whole life, perhaps it is time I relax and make the most of the money I have earned. Judith and I have looked at apartments in the south of France, in Monaco…”

“You- you and your wife are still, you know, together?” Mary asked hesitantly.

“…Despite my ‘orientation’, I still love her a great deal,” Joshua said softly. “She is my best friend. And as the six of you have shown over the years, platonic love is just as valid, just as real as romantic love.”

“Definitely,” Charlotte whispered. “But it won’t be the same without you, you know? I mean, ‘Heavenly Talent’ literally used to be ‘Joshua Benedict Talent’.”

“But we grew,” Joshua retorted, before letting out another chuckle. “If you remember, we also operated out of a small office on a side road in Walthamstow. Now look where we are! And by ‘we’ I most definitely do mean ‘we’. As the six of you are responsible for the agency’s continued success. And so are Out of Heaven, and Abbey-Gayle, Kelly, Alice, Malaika- all of you.”

“All of US,” Jamie said, smiling warmly at her manager. “I mean, you’ve been my agent for, like, forever, it seems.”

“Ten years, as of next week,” Joshua said proudly.

“Well- huh, yeah, I guess it would be,” Jamie said, smiling as she exchanged a glance with her best friend. “Ten years.”

“Yep,” Charlotte said with a smile. “That- like, the significance of the anniversary hasn’t been lost on me, either.”

“Ten years,” Krystie chuckled. “Heh, come to think of it, it’s been about ten years since we met, isn’t it? Back when I was modelling for Steve. Heh, I’d only been out of school for about six months at that point.”

“Ten years ago I was still IN school,” Viks chuckled. “Finishing off my A-levels. God, you wouldn’t have thought that THIS much could have changed in such a short time, right? So many of us becoming wives, mothers…”

“…Women?” Jamie asked, smiling and biting her lip as her friends turned to her.

“Nuh-uh,” Krystie said, shaking her head. “As far as I’m concerned, you’ve always been Jamie. I never met ‘James’, therefore he never existed.”

“Same,” Mary insisted. “And I don’t care what any brain-dead internet trolls say. As far as I’m concerned, you’re as much a woman as any of the rest of us. End of story.”

“And even if I had met ‘James’ at some point in the past,” Viks said, “it wouldn’t matter. You are Jamie-Lee Burke. You have been for over ten years. Like Mary said, end of story.”

“…Technically, I’m actually Jamie-Lee Milton,” the famous trans woman retorted, earning giggles from her friends.

“Subtle husband brag,” Hannah teased her friend. “But that just proves the point. Stuart calls you ‘wife’. Olivia calls you ‘mummy’. Those facts aren’t any less real just because you weren’t born with lady parts.”

“True,” Jamie mused. “I do sometimes kinda wish that I could, you know, experience what it’s like to be pregnant…”

“Ah- no, let me stop you there, Jay,” Charlotte said with a giggle. “As amazing as the, like, ‘end product’ is, you’re better off the way you are, heh!”

“Totally,” Krystie confirmed with a knowing chuckle. “And if your little girl is still as dance mad as she was before lockdown, then I guarantee you’re raising her right!”

“Trust me, the second she can, she will be sprinting back into your class,” Jamie chuckled. “And- and thanks. Sometimes I don’t think I’ve shown enough gratitude to all of you for the last decade. Heh, god knows when I was Olivia’s age- or even, like, eleven years ago- I’d never have dreamed I’d have a life like this. Wife, mother, supermodel…”

“Well, as someone who did- very- briefly know ‘James’,” Charlotte interjected, “let me expertly say that I never for one minute doubted that you would become all of those things. And even though two pregnancies and three kids means that we don’t exactly look that much alike anymore, I am more than proud to call you my sister. I- I love you, Jay.”

“I love you too, Charlotte,” Jamie whispered, her eyes welling up with tears. “I- I love all of you, I really do. I wish- I really do wish that every girl ‘like me’ could experience what it’s like to be- heh. To be an ‘Angel’ regardless of the fame or fortune. But to have, like, an unlimited supply of the third ‘F’- friendship.”

“Or the other ‘third F’- family,” Charlotte said gently. “I mean, we’ve had our share of arguments over the years, the two of us, but- but you never stopped being my sister.”

“The fact that Olivia calls you ‘Auntie Charlotte’ and your kids call me ‘Auntie Jamie’ is kinda proof of that, heh,” Jamie chuckled.

“And that’s never changing,” Charlotte said confidently. “Unlike the line-up of the Angels…”

“All good things must come to an end eventually,” Joshua said quietly.

“It’s what’s starting afterwards that I’m not sure about,” Hannah mused. “Having a competition show to decide who joins the Angels next? Are you sure about this?”

“We have added new members before,” Joshua reminded the blonde supermodel.

“Yes, but I’d known Alice for years beforehand,” Hannah retorted. “Abbey-Gayle and Charlotte knew each other for ages through their fellas, Malaika had been with the agency for ages, and Kelly and Jamie became friends the instant they met each other- not that they wouldn’t have done if they were both cis, like, but- yeah.”

“It’s okay, I’m not too sure about this either,” Jamie concurred.

“You are literally the one who says ‘you can never have too many friends’,” Joshua chuckled as Jamie blushed. “And that is why you will be part of the process from start to finish. You will choose both the participants AND the eventual winner. Yes, the show is as much to entertain as it is to recruit new Angels. But I would never ask you to accept anyone into your ranks who you are not comfortable being friends with. However, as much as we sometimes wish they wouldn't, times change, and we must change with them.”

“I know, I know,” Jamie sighed. God knows I know better than anyone, the young woman thought to herself with a chuckle. “It’s just- a bit TOO big a step into the unknown, you know?” Though THAT’s something I have plenty of experience with, Jamie thought to herself, a quick glance at her best friend revealing that she was thinking the same thing.

“While I would never dare say that the format is getting stale,” Joshua said cautiously, “we are about to start making the eighth season of our show. Any TV show would struggle to keep things fresh after so long.”

“The fact that we have to record everything from our homes for the second year in a row isn’t enough?” Hannah asked with a snort of laughter.

“I think it’s more to do with the fact that when we started, I was 22, whereas in a few weeks’ time, I’ll be 30,” Charlotte sighed. “Which, I suppose, is unavoidable, heh.”

“Age played only a small factor in the decision,” Joshua retorted. “Your fans watch the show because of you, not your age.”

“My latest Instagram posts about Kristina-Leigh’s favourite hair clips probably aren’t getting much attention from our ‘core demographic’, though,” Mary chuckled.

“Though for what it’s worth, Maria all but demanded that I order them immediately when she saw them,” Krystie giggled. “Which I did, of course.”

“Thanks for the revenue,” Mary giggled, before sighing. “Though I suppose that just means it is time for ‘fresh blood’. But only in, like, a commercial sense.”

“The six of us will ALWAYS be- well, the six of us,” Charlotte said to the approval of the group. “And our fans will always know that it all started right here.”

“Absolutely,” Viks concurred. “With six gorgeous women, no matter their age or background.”

“Absolutely,” Jamie whispered, smiling as she bathed in the unconditional love and acceptance of her friends.

The six women spent the next hour catching up, never once pausing or running out of things to say to each other and never once getting disinterested with the topics of conversation. Eventually, though, the time came for the famous group to disperse and head back to their respective homes- however, two of the women took the opportunity that had been provided to have a private conversation.

“…Typical superstar, arriving fashionably late,” Jamie teased her best friend, who giggled and blushed.

“Typical MUM,” Charlotte retorted. “And typical Jamie, taking ages to settle on an outfit she liked. In this instance, I of course mean ‘my’ Jamie, but-“

“Yes, yes, okay,” Jamie giggled, before biting her lip and grinning. “…Can you believe it’s really been ten years? To the day, even?”

“It- the time has flown by, honestly,” Charlotte sighed. “And it also feels like we’ve been friends for forever.”

“I feel the same way,” Jamie whispered. “I mean, from where we started, and all…”

“You know, in a way- and I DON’T mean this as a boast, but- I kinda feel like I’ve changed as much as you, if not more,” Charlotte mused. “I mean, if you’d told 19-year-old me that when she was 30, she’d be a mum of 3, settled down and happy to spend evenings on the sofa instead of the dancefloor, then- yeah. I mean, sure, no one’s been clubbing in over a year thanks to you-know-what, but- I don’t miss it, you know? The only thing I’ve truly missed is- well, this.”

“Same,” Jamie chuckled. “Though I hope that doesn’t mean that you’re not hosting Saturday nights anymore?”

“Ah- no, trust me, those parties are NOT going anywhere!” Charlotte giggled. “Even if sometimes they may end earlier than previously, heh. But those parties were never about, like, partying, they were only ever about family.”

“And giving a safe space to those in our family who needed and continue to need it?” Jamie asked.

“Of course,” Charlotte whispered in reply. “You know, there- there are days when I wonder what my life would be like if I hadn’t, umm, ‘recruited’ you, you know?”

“I know,” Jamie replied. “And god knows I’ve thought about that myself a few times too.”

“Well THAT’s understandable,” Charlotte giggled. “What do you suppose 19-year-old ‘James’ would say if you told ‘him’ that when ‘he’ turned 30, ‘he’ would have a husband and a daughter?”

“If you told ‘James’ he’d be anything other than an unemployed loser, he’d have laughed in your face,” Jamie snorted.

“There are still some times, even after all this time, all the friends we’ve made, times when I still can’t believe you jumped at the offer I gave you that morning,” Charlotte mused.

“Honestly, it was like you opened a door in my mind that I didn’t even realise was there,” Jamie replied. “Life as a woman… I didn’t know just what I was missing until I went through that door. And honestly? I think sometimes more people would benefit from at least poking their head around that door to see if there’s anything they like on the other side.”

“Even if the clothes and shoes are sometimes uncomfortable?” Charlotte asked teasingly as she gestured to the stiletto heels on her best friend’s feet.

“Clothes are a reflection of who a person is, cis or trans,” Jamie replied with a shrug. “What makes me most comfortable is expressing the woman I truly am on the inside- which is something you well know.”

“Yes, yes,” Charlotte giggled. “But still, though. It’s safe to say that over the last ten years, my life has been so, so much better for having you in it.”

“Obviously I feel the same way,” Jamie said. “Heh, just wish we could, like, properly celebrate more. Reminds me of- I think- Laura’s Facebook post from last year, like, she turns 18, finally finishes school and can’t party or celebrate as the world’s locked down.”

“Well, we’ll just have to party all the harder when we’re actually allowed to, won’t we?” Charlotte asked.

“Even though you literally just said you’d prefer an evening curled up on the sofa?” Jamie teased.

“ONE party won’t kill me,” Charlotte said with the same devilish smirk she wore as a teenager. “Especially when it’s celebrating family.” Jamie mirrored her best friend’s smirk, but her smile widened when she saw her husband and daughter approach.

“Mummy!” Olivia squeaked, earning a happy squeal from her mother as she snatched her up for a cuddle.

“Hey sweetie!” Jamie giggled happily. “Were you a good girl for daddy?”

“Good as gold as always,” Stuart said, before giving his wife a long kiss. “Hey Charlotte.”

“Hi Stu,” Charlotte said with a polite wave to the man she considered to be her brother-in-law. “Hey Olivia!” The assembled adults all let out a collective chuckle as the 4-year-old girl let out an overdramatic gasp.

“Auntie Charlotte!” Olivia squeaked excitedly.

“Hi cutie!” Charlotte giggled. “Did you have fun today?”

“Me and daddy fed the ducks in the pond,” Olivia excitedly replied as the three adults all ‘aww’d.

“And don’t worry, Jamie and Lee were on their best behaviour as well,” Stuart reassured his friend.

“First time for everything,” Charlotte replied with a wink. “Are you heading off home now?”

“Yep, got to get SOMEONE their lunch,” Jamie chuckled. “And me and Olivia are hungry too.”

“GIRLS,” Stuart playfully admonished as his wife and her best friend stuck their tongues out at him. “But seriously, now that it’s starting to get warmer, I’ll see if we can set up the barbecue and have a socially distanced dinner party one of these weeks. As much as you Angels missed each other, I’ve got to admit I missed the rest of the guys too.”

“No shame in admitting that,” Charlotte said with a supportive smile. “And thanks, I know Keith- both Keiths will love that, heh.”

“When you’re not too busy playing at being Simon Cowell, anyway,” Stuart teased, smirking as looks of mock outrage spread across the women’s faces.

“And how long were you in the studio doing auditions for Out of Heaven in 2015?” Jamie asked.

“…The same amount you did, as you were also on the panel!” Stuart retorted.

“Just means I’ve got experience in the role then, doesn’t it?” Jamie replied, laughing along with her best friend and daughter as her husband rolled his eyes. “We’d better get going. And it had better not be another year before we see each other in the flesh again.”

“I have a feeling it won’t be,” Charlotte said with a confident grin. “And it had better be at least another ten years that we’re sisters.”

“Oh, at least,” Jamie replied. “And you sound almost eager to skip forward to 2031 and, what? Be about to turn forty with three teenagers under your roof?”

“Meh, I wouldn’t change my life for anything,” Charlotte replied with a shrug as Jamie mused about the previous ten years.

If ‘James’ had been offered the life that Jamie had, even despite the fame and fortune, ‘he’ might have found the price of becoming a woman to be too high. However, after taking the plunge, ‘Jamie’s life had been as perfect as she could imagine. She adored her husband. She doted over her daughter. She had the best friends she could ever hope to have. And regardless out of how she’d been born, she was unquestionably a beautiful, successful, feminine woman- an inspiration to thousands across the country and around the world. And all of it- her family, her work, the Angels, Out of Heaven- all began ten years earlier when two teenagers who had almost nothing in common, struck up a friendship that was stronger than diamond.

“…Me either,” Jamie said. “Here’s to the next decade- and the many, many more to come!”