Life Swap

Church Surprise

"Good morning, everyone...it's a cold one, again, isn't it?" Sheila Blackstone called out to us, walking up to the car as Caroline reached in to unbuckle my safety harness. Charles was on the other side, freeing the twins, which would then allow Felicity to get out of the back. It was quite busy all around us, but she must have been looking out for us, I suppose, no doubt eager to reclaim her daughter.

"Good morning, Sheila...how was your rugby tournament?" Caroline asked, standing up to kiss her friend on the cheek, whilst firmly taking my hand to help me out, because it was quite a squeeze clambering over the seats. I clung onto her, feeling awkward in my shiny black shoes with the little heels.

"Damp, freezing and muddy...so, Joshua had a great time...I had to almost scrape the mud off him before we put him in the car and the bath looked like a mud pool when I had finished scrubbing him...and that only happened after an accident on the motorway, two hours or more of crawling traffic...how are you feeling, Olivia dear?"

"Okay, Auntie Sheila...thank you." I replied, politely but shyly, standing close to Caroline.

"She is wiped out...probably due to all the medication, last week... but she is being so good for me...and she and Felicity are as thick as thieves, all of a sudden...they cuddled each other all night last night, Sheila...and they are quite inseparable." Caroline said happily, giving my hand a squeeze. "Have you got a hug for Auntie Sheila, pickle?"

"Well...thank you, Olivia...and if this is part of your fresh start, I must say that I like it very much, little one?" Sheila said, clearly pleased as I wrapped my arms around her, and she patted my back.

"Olivia is being brilliant, Mummy," Felicity added, clambering out beside me and giving her mother a hug of her own, just as the girls raced around the car to say hello as well, smothering her in even more cuddles. "So good...and we all had such a great day yesterday?"

"Can Felicity come and stay with us again, Auntie Sheila?" I asked, looking up at her as she was engulfed by all four of us. "Please, Auntie Sheila?"

"Yes, please...can she, Auntie Sheila?" Chloe grinned, copying me.

"As you can see, they all had fun yesterday...and Felicity seems keen on the idea?" Caroline commented, as she shared a meaningful look with her friend. The real Olivia had never called Sheila 'Auntie' before. But even if we had got off to a rocky start in London, I wanted to spend more time with Felicity, and her phone, in particular, and the best way to do that seemed to be to make her mum like me.

"I'd really like to, Mummy?" Felicity chimed in, piling on the pressure.

"She is helping Olivia so much, and we love having her, Auntie Sheila?" Grace suggested as Charles locked the car. "She is like our big sister?"

"Good grief, Sheila...you are being ganged up on!" He said, standing next to Caroline.

"Well, yes...of course...and I was actually going to ask you over to lunch today? I know it is all a bit last minute, Caroline, but my brother and his family were coming until their boys came down with Chicken Pox yesterday." Sheila explained, as Felicity and I shared delighted glances, almost jumping up and down in our glee. "I have a humongous shoulder of lamb and it will go to waste otherwise...the Carter-Rogers and their daughter are coming too...because David is old friends with my brother...but if these girls are so desperate to be together...?"

"Can we, Mummy? Please?" I said, with echoes from the twins.

"I don't see why not...our chicken will cook just as well tomorrow?" Caroline laughed, and it was decided, which was another positive for me. It meant, I hoped, that Felicity would get to check her phone whilst I was there. But before that, I had to get through the church service and the first priority, driven by Caroline, was to take me to the loo beforehand, to try to avoid any accidents. She took me off to the left, when we all went in through the main doors, down a little corridor, to the nearest toilet. "Good girl, Olivia...Auntie Sheila can help you a lot at school if you let her...and although she may seem strict at school, she is really sweet when you get to know her...and Felicity is lovely...isn't she?"