Gail Populous was excelling in her work at the science lab – she’d even been promoted over her mother, and was now Bebe’s boss.  However, despite Bebe’s best efforts, her daughter was a firm boss and wouldn’t promote her before she was ready.

It was Ian’s birthday, and Bebe’s eldest children were all paying a visit to cheer their little brother on.

Things were going remarkably well for Bebe’s two eldest children.  Brad had reunited with his girlfriend Autumn, after their recent breakup, and Annalise had a surprise for Bebe…

…she and her boyfriend, Hassan Alto, were expecting their first child.  Bebe told Annalise she should spend more time with Katya to practise…

…and she couldn’t resist touching her daughter’s baby bump.  Bebe was thrilled – she was going to be a grandmother at last!  It was so good seeing her children beginning to start their own families and she hoped this would be the first grandchild of many…

Long after the party was over and Brad, Cameron, Declan and Gail had gone home, Annalise stayed around for a little while.  She looked at the fishtank where she and Cameron had seen their childhood dream fulfilled…

…and she sat and read one of Eddie’s books.  She missed living here sometimes.  She wondered how she would cope with motherhood, and whether she would enjoy it as much as her mother did.  She was excited about meeting her baby but she was also anxious about what parenting would be like.  Hassan refused to leave home and move in with her.  He’d asked her to move in with him, but she was afraid of his father.  His mother had perished not long ago, and his sister Holly had died in mysterious circumstances several years ago, and though Annalise knew it was irrational to suspect Nick Alto was involved in either death, she still didn’t want to place herself or her child in his home.

Asa came home from his shift at the supermarket late – but it was worth it – he’d been promoted to the top of his career.  He found Annalise sitting outside reading and asked her what was up.  Annalise smiled and said she was fine, she was just enjoying spending some time in the garden she’d lived much of her childhood in.  She told Asa the news and asked him if he would be the baby’s grandfather.  Cyclon3 had recently passed away and she wanted her child to have an older male to look up to – Nick Alto, she sensed, wouldn’t fit the bill.  Asa was thrilled and flattered at the idea.

Ian had enjoyed his birthday celebrations, and he realised that he knew what he wanted to dedicate his time to now he was older.  He loved chess and the way it kept his brain sharp – and he wanted his body to be in just as good a condition.

Bebe and Asa bought him a treadmill for his birthday and he set about his mission to achieve a perfect mind and body.

Having topped the supermarket career, Asa decided he fancied a change and so he took a job as a receptionist at the local spa.  On the way back from registering, he couldn’t resist visiting Jennifer.  When he got there, though, her husband Pablo greeted him and said he could come in for a bit, but they were both really tired because Wilson was keeping them up all night.

Asa wondered who Wilson was.  When Pablo proudly introduced Asa to his and Jennifer’s new son, Asa’s heart sank.  The boy’s skin was pale, like his.  He knew from what Bebe told him about genetics, that skintone wasn’t always inherited, and there could be genetic quirks, but Asa looked at this little boy and wondered…

Across town, another little boy was being born.  Annalise and Hassan were now the proud parents of baby Adam.  Bebe couldn’t wait to meet her grandson, and she told little Katya to be a good auntie and look out for Adam when they started school; after all, they were very close in age.

Katya was growing up fast, though, and she had inherited her father’s brown hair.  She looked a little like Mint facially as well, so Bebe was extra glad that her skintone didn’t reveal that she wasn’t Asa’s child – she looked little enough like Asa as it was.

If Asa suspected anything, though, he didn’t say so, and he was content to teach Katya to walk, as he had done with so many of the other children.

Now each of the other children living at home had decided what they wanted from life, the household was very busy, but very happy.  Julie was always writing and painting, asking her big brothers for tips on how to improve.  She was showing clear talent, although she hadn’t yet settled into her own style.

Ian was still working out a lot, and he still loved having his brothers and sisters over to beat them at chess.

Henry took to playing his guitar even more.  Asa was so proud of how his son was turning out – the boy had a real talent and was proving to be in a lot of demand in town.  He had now mastered the guitar skilling books he was given at school and Asa couldn’t wait to see his boy grow up and start playing concerts.

Eddie, meanwhile, had received feedback from the publisher on his most recent book – it was brilliant, they said, destined to become a bestseller.  Eddie felt like a weight was lifted from his shoulders – it was now time for him to move on.
Before he left, he shared with Fitzy the secret of the glowing fruit in the garden.  Fitzy seemed to be progressing as a writer faster than Eddie had done, but he could see his brother would struggle to gain financial independence before his birthday unless he had a little help.

The help Bebe had given Eddie had enabled him to fulfil his dream, and he was now able to step out into the world a fully-fledged, self-employed writer. Eddie had spent his teen years hiding away at home perfecting his painting and writing, but now he knew it was time to face the world, and he was ready. Eddie Populous was finally a man.

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27. Loving a daughter > >