CHAPTER 40
I had a stream of visitors over the next few days, including Alice-in-drag, and Pat and Janet. That got me thinking, as it seemed to me that I had never seen one without the other since New Year except at school.

CHAPTER 39
Alice had sat quietly through the discussion up to then. She drew in a long breath.

“That settles it, then. If she is off on that little journey, there is nothing we can do that will change her mind. In which case, I will start thinking about a day to come out.

CHAPTER 38
Work ticked along almost as normal after the holidays, Alice fretting a little as she was forced to dress down each day.

CHAPTER 37
I finally got the last of the crowd off to their respective homes at about two thirty. Jim had been allowed to stay up to see and hear the Big Ben Bongs, and he was already asleep as Tony carried him upstairs. No story that night.

CHAPTER 34
I keep saying it, but, oh shit.

“Hello Andy, happy Christmas to you too”

CHAPTER 31
We followed the congregation into the church hall, where I laid out the fruits of my visit to the supermarket, the traditional mix of mince pies, sausage rolls and blueberry muffins for Jim. Anne spotted us, and came over, all smiles and sharp-dressing.

CHAPTER 29
Tuesday came along on time, as it does each week, but it nearly caught me out. It was Anne who reminded me, and I was a little quick down the A2 on the bike...

CHAPTER 18
It smelled green, so logically it tasted green when I was sick, and said vomit was green as well, as my empty stomach dredged deep for something to chuck up.

CHAPTER 28
There was no way I was going to go down to the church.

CHAPTER 27
About a week later, just as we finished tea ,there was a knock at the door. Alice, who was unusually in drag as Alan, leapt up to answer it. I heard a muffled conversation, but could just pick out a couple of ‘Alans’

CHAPTER 16
Pete was off for a fortnight in the summer break to the rehab centre at Headley Court near Leatherhead. For the first time in the best part of a year I was sleeping alone for an extended period, and it felt odd.

Ryan stood in his sister's room alone. His body ached...like he had been hit by a truck. The amount of stress his body must have been under had to have been tremendous. His head, however, was clear now as was his eyesight. He was unconcious for so long! He looked in the full length mirror.

CHAPTER 15
The next morning, I made a valiant effort to outdo my mother’s breakfasts, but even with Dad’s present of ’decent’ black pudding, I was doomed to failure.

CHAPTER 13
That was effectively the end of Abi’s crusade against me.

CHAPTER 12
Mum was first up on Sunday morning, and brought me and Pete a cuppa as we lay snoring and tangled up, as she described it. As I sat up, she smiled.

CHAPTER 11
That was a hard job, but once again my soldier was there, solid as a rock.

CHAPTER 10
The staff rooms were my next hurdle, but that was helped along by the presence of Dave, who gave me a kiss on the cheek when I arrived.