Gail Populous had one desire in life – to be a scientist like her mummy and work out a way to breed robots and animals to make super-creatures.  She had wanted to be a scientist for a while, because she knew that scientists looked at the skies and the stars, which was her favourite hobby.  However, watching the science channel one night, she saw a programme about mechanical limbs being implanted into animals and she knew that the coolest thing ever would be to go one step further and breed machines with animals to create new hybrid creatures.

Knowing that science was all she wanted to do with her life, Gail knuckled down to her school work, and when she wasn’t working on school projects, she would search the skies with her telescope or draw plans for the creatures she’d create in the future.  Sometimes her brothers would try and catch a glimpse of what she was drawing, and once she heard Fitzy giggle at one of her pictures.  But they were stupid boys, what did they know about anything?

Gail looked up to her mother Bebe, who was heading back to work after maternity leave.  Bebe worked with plant genetics and Gail loved hearing the stories about how Bebe and her colleagues were experimenting on plant DNA to make better food and better medicine.

Bebe was good at her job, as well, and was soon promoted to looking after the carnivorous plants the lab held in a special secure zone.  It was a risky job, but Bebe’s skill with gardening and her expert knowledge of plants ensured she was by far the best and safest person for the job.

While Bebe was at work, Asa invited his friend Morgana over to play chess.  He wanted to ask her what she meant about him being the kind of guy women in the town were talking about.  Morgana regarded the young man with curiosity – did he really not understand?  But then his naivety was part of his charm.  She told him how an attractive and talented man such as him could garner the attentions and affections of any woman he chose.  Asa was puzzled – he was a married man.  Morgana smiled at him – this fellow really was a strange one, so innocent, yet so adorable.  She told him that being married didn’t mean he couldn’t befriend other women, or have fun with them.  After all, she thought, your wife certainly seems to have a lot of fun herself.  She almost said this to him but realised that he probably didn’t even know – and who was she to tell this poor, naive, sweet man him where exactly his wife was at this moment?

Wide eyed, Asa asked Morgana if it was really OK to fall in love with more than one person at once.  Morgana was about to laugh at his joke about falling in love, but then she realised he was serious; he geniuinely had a romantic soul.  She smiled at him – yes, you could fall in love with many people, if that’s what was important to you.  Asa contemplated Morgana’s words – could he really be loved more than once?  To have found love at all was a miracle – to find it in several places would be greater than anything he could dream of.

Whilst Morgana was being entertained by Asa, her husband Thornton gave Bebe a call and invited her over.  They had been friends ever since Bebe moved to the Valley, but she had never visited him at home – and as she approached the mansion, she gasped at its incredible size and the cutting edge design of the architecture.

Bebe and Thornton greeted each other, each having one clear goal in mind.

Although they were both pretty single-minded in their pursuit of each other, of pleasure, and in Bebe’s case, of another child, there was a real tenderness to their encounter.  They were old, dear friends, and they had both wanted this for a long time.

After they had united, Bebe and Thornton held each other’s hands for a little while.  This was the only time they would ever be together, it had been a long time coming and it was worth the wait.  They were two people used to getting what, and who, they wanted, but here and now they had a chance to be quiet and enjoy the moment – and they were grateful.

When Bebe arrived home, there was a moment’s awkardness as she and Asa encountered one another.  Neither wanted to tell the other where they had been, and neither wanted to admit that for an afternoon, they had felt more special than they had in quite some time…

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