Annalise Populous wasn’t the kind of girl who complained about her lot.  Some people in her position would kick up a fuss about sleeping on the lawn, or having to help care for four younger brothers, but Annalise wasn’t one of them.  She loved her mother and brothers and was more than happy to help where she was needed.  She was always given time to pursue her own love of fishing, and she knew she was loved.  However, sometimes the strain got to her, and she was worried about one thing in particular – she had set her heart on something but was afraid to ask her mother about it.  She knew her mother would probably want to grant her request, yet she was certain that despite that desire, Bebe would say it was impossible.

Still, Annalise desired this so much that she plucked up the courage to ask.  Her school was running a trip to China and Annalise was desperate to go.  She’d heard that there were rare types of fish there and she wanted to get some for her private aquarium.  It was her dream that her little anchovy, Erinsborough, would soon be joined by a whole host of different species – though she wanted perfect specimens, nothing else would do.  This trip could be the perfect opportunity to build a wonderful collection.

Bebe was anxious as she heard her daughter’s request.  She would dearly love for Annalise to go to China, as she would dearly love for all her children to fulfil their dreams – but she was saving money for something very special, very important and this would take a huge chunk out of those savings.  Still, her eldest had been such a huge help around the house, and they were looking for parent volunteers to help with the catering.  With Asa now at home to help look after the boys and Brad old enough to help with their care, this would be a good time for her to go and serve her daughter and the school.

Annalise couldn’t believe her mother had agreed to the trip.  She held Bebe tightly as they arrived.  There was so much to take in, and she was overjoyed.

While Annalise went off to fish and to sightsee with the rest of the school party, Bebe spent her days in the kitchen preparing meals for the group.  She was content to help and it was a good opportunity for her to brush up on her cooking skills.

Annalise had asked her mother one thing – not to flirt with any men they met there.  Bebe was a little shocked by this – she hadn’t considered that her behaviour would be embarrassing to her children.  Of course, all teens are ashamed of their parents, Bebe knew this, but she was concerned that she might be upsetting Annalise and the boys.  She hoped in time they’d understand… if not, maybe she needed to be more discreet about her encounters.  It was hard, living in a bedsit, but one day she hoped she’d be able to afford to build more rooms and give herself and the children more privacy.

However, she couldn’t resist trying to get to know one of her fellow volunteers a little more – but when she asked him if he fancied a game of tiggy, he accused her of being  immature and that was that – she had no truck for people who would insult her.

Bebe decided it wasn’t fair on Annalise to pursue potential romances any further, and so she carried on with her cooking.  She actually really enjoyed the time to herself, and was really beginning to enjoy cooking new and different meals.  She didn’t need to be on the hunt for men here, however much they might offer… after all, she WAS a newly married woman.

Annalise enjoyed the trip immensely and brought back several specimens of unusual fish, including some she deemed perfect enough to keep in her tanks.

Upon return, she couldn’t wait to tell her brothers about the trip.  Cameron was particularly excited – his big sister was his hero and they loved fishing together.  He vowed that he would help her build her perfect aquarium – that his sister’s life dream was also his.

Brad, meanwhile took to helping Bebe out in the garden.  She hadn’t asked him to, but he found it somewhat therapeutic.  He was taking a real interest in food and drink, and gardening gave him a new perspective on what made good produce.

He still loved to experiment in the kitchen – though he made sure to always clear up and leave room for his mother and her own cooking experiments.  Since returning from China she’d become very enthusiastic about cooking and now they had been ab;e to afford to subscribe to cable again, the two of them often sat in front of the cooking channel and compared their thoughts on different recipes.

Cameron, like Annalise and Brad, was also very good around the house – with the three of them, Asa and Bebe to clean, garden, cook and mend broken things, the household was running more smoothly than it ever had, and Declan and Eddie got plenty of attention.

Asa was settling in well into the family – after all, he’d been part of the furniture since he was a child.  Bebe encouraged him to think about what his dreams were, and to follow them.  Asa had only two dreams – to be a wonderful musician, and for people to like him.  She bought him a guitar to help encourage this dream, and he took a job at the local theatre.  In his free time, he liked to go to the park and play for the locals.

Asa was a pretty troubled young man.  A difficult childhood had scarred him for life, and he didn’t always know how to behave appropriately.  As a child, he had been incredibly lonely.  Bebe was the first person to ever really show him any attention, and she and Annalise were his first real friends.  As a result, he’d developed a habit of talking to himself a lot.  But Bebe was encouraging him to get out and meet new people.  She told him the town was a friendly place and they would welcome him and accept him just as she did.  Asa was nervous, and hadn’t yet plucked up the courage to talk to the people he met in the park, but his colleagues at work seemed nice, and when he played guitar in public, people stopped and listened, even though he was still a beginner.  Maybe his life was getting better.  Maybe he could fulfil his dreams.

As for Bebe’s own dreams, when she was in China, what she realised she wanted in life at that moment was to have a child with her husband – and Asa wanted that too. They hadn’t yet consummated their marriage – Bebe had been travelling, and the two youngest boys demanding night feeds and changing had been a bit of a passion killer. Bebe had also been a little nervous about this – he was the kid that used to deliver her papers after all, and she was still adjusting to seeing him as a man. Finally they had a quiet night, and despite a little nervousness, they both knew it was time, and they were both excited. Asa was inexperienced and afraid, but Bebe reassured him that it would be OK.

Their marriage was now cemented, and from that union, new life was created…

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