The One Where The Lines Get Kinda Blurry

The One With Parental Responsibilities

'Don't worry your car's safe, I'm just running late sorry. Dad needed my help with couple of things. Leaving now. Can't wait to PDA with you xx'

"Who's putting that look on your face?" asked Amanda, grinning at Molly as they both stood helping Jen put out some snacks for the kids and had watched her eyes light up when her phone pinged with a message. "I've not seen that flash of mischief in your smile for a very long time."

"You'll see soon enough" she laughed, "patience is a virtue... and I should know" she added, laughing even more at her own joke.

"Ooooooh secrets. We like juicy little secrets" giggled Molly.

"Yeah, well this is a secret okay, no telling if you don't mind."

"Jen, you know better than that by now. What happens here, stays here, same for any of us. So, you really aren't going to give us any hints?"

"Let's just say I have a friend dropping by to say hello" she said with a huge smile.

It was around thirty minutes later when Molly shouted to Jen that someone was at the gate. "Oh it's opened, never mind" she added as the panel stopped buzzing. Jen ran up the garden steps two at a time, leaving Jason and Jimmy throwing balls for the dogs, and into the kitchen area where her two friends were stood chatting and cleaning up the knee of one of the kids who had been tripped over by a very excited Lord Chesterfield.

"It must be TJ" said Molly, "is he bringing your friend?"

"Not quite" Jen grinned, hardly able to contain her excitement for their reactions as her surprise arrived. She didn't have long to wait as less than a minute later, the side door swung open and in walked a slightly shy Cleo and her dad.

"Schwimmer!" exclaimed Amanda at the same time as Molly shouted "David!"

"Hey!" he replied, suddenly feeling a little anxious himself as they shuffled into the room, David carrying Cleo's overnight bag and awkwardly closing the door behind them. They'd all met previously as individuals but never under Jen's roof and never under these kind of circumstances. It had always been at a studio and for some kind of appearance or show and always on his own. His dad instincts suddenly kicked in, replacing his own nervousness and wanting to make sure his daughter was ok. He needn't have worried as Jen immediately took charge of making sure she absolutely was.

"Cleo sweetheart!" Jen cried, holding out her arms for a hug as she moved closer to where they stood. The short haired girl suddenly forgot all her inhibitions too and rushed into a giant embrace with her new close friend and mentor, being carefully observed by the two women who were not entirely sure what was playing out in front of their eyes. As Jen freed Cleo from her embrace, she protectively kept her arm around her shoulder as she began to point out and introduce her to everyone. "So Cleo honey, these are my friends and their children I was telling you about. So that's Amanda and that's Molly. This here with a cut on her knee thanks to Chesterfield is Jane. Out on the terrace there is Franny and Maple, they've got the candy so I suggest we go and say hi to them, and then somewhere down in the garden on ball patrol is Billy."

Jen led Cleo outside, along with a newly patched up Jane, to introduce her properly to the other two girls and their dads, leaving David making small talk with the two women. He could see their minds whirring with a hundred questions they daren't ask, well at least not just yet anyway.

Jen returned within a few minutes, minus Cleo but with Jimmy and Jason now in tow.

"Hey buddy, it's great to see you" said Jimmy, pulling David in for a man hug and patting him on the back. He then got a very similar greeting from Jason, all the while Jen stood watching, her eyes sparkling as she planned her next move.