Autumn to summer in Penny Lane

Christmas Eve with the Madvig's and the Firth's

It was a small victory for Coral when her Dad had told her that Caitlin would be going home to Belfast to spend Christmas. Part of her felt guilty as Coral could tell that her Dad wanted Caitlin to be there for a 'family,' Christmas. Instead it would be Christmas Eve at Nanny and Granddad Madvig's with the countdown to the big day itself!

Sniffing, Coral remembered how when she was younger and realised that her Mum and Dad were never going to get back together how much she wanted her Dad to find a girlfriend. Nobody seemed to be on the scene then suddenly there was Tanya briefly, Caitlin, Izzy (who Coral really thought was cool) and then Caitlin again! Of course there were a few more splits but as far as Coral was concerned Dad and Caitlin were always going to be together.

The way they looked at each other made Coral want to vomit especially when Caitlin had visited when her Dad was in New York. Even when they argued, Coral could tell that they were torn, even frustrated that their emotions betrayed them. In some ways Coral saw it with her Mum and Gavin but they were not as sickly as her Dad and Caitlin.

Sometimes Coral was glad her Dad lived in Liverpool as it was embarrassing to watch her Dad and Caitlin hold hands and look into each other's eyes when they thought Coral wasn't about.

'Oh my God,' Coral grimaced as Caitlin wearing her 'Sam Sparks,' glasses had a pen pushed through the back of her big hair. Why did Dad's girlfriend have to be so rough?

'Hiya Coral,' Caitlin smiled as she started to search through drawers. 'I can't seem to find my passport.'

Alarm bells rang in Coral's head. Suddenly she could see Caitlin having to cancel her flight and oh my God she would have to stay here and that meant no cool night at her Nana and Granddad's! That could not happen!

'Do you want me to help you look for it?'

'It's okay,' Caitlin replied. 'I normally put it in here.'

Carefully Coral ignored Caitlin as she started to search the drawer and then the cupboard. No joy. Thinking hard her Mum normally kept their passports in a cupboard upstairs. It was worth a punt.

Racing up the stairs, Calam looked on bemused as he saw his daughter rushing into his bedroom and looking to go through his drawers.

'What are you up to?'

Coral turned round and sighed as though she was speaking to a simpleton. 'I'm helping Caitlin look for her passport.'

'It's not up here. Caitlin keeps it downstairs.'

'What's this then?' Coral picked up a Spanish passport triumphantly.

'Not the right one,' Calam smiled.

'Wha?'

'Caitlin also has a Irish passport.'

Now Coral wrinkled her nose in confused. Why on earth would someone have two passports? After listening to her Dad explaining dual nationality there was the warm relief that Caitlin had found her Irish passport.

For Coral it was not before time as her Dad and Caitlin had been acting weird. This morning they had both gone missing when she found the bathroom door locked and heard Caitlin giggling.

'Do you know where Dad is?'

'Erm,' Came the Belfast drawl as she heard her Dad curse as he knocked something here. 'He's in here with me.'

'Wha? What are you doing?'

'I'm helping Caitlin look for something.'

'Can I help?'