This Christmas

Elaine nodded at Maddie who came round the table and gently took Gemma into her arms. She rocked her gently and grinned at her baby sister. Elaine took the tissue from Janice's hand and wiped her self, then placed two new tissue caps over her nipples,discarding the used ones and pulled each cup back into place.

"There that's that for another four hours. I could do with that cup of tea now Janice, I'm fair parched."

"I'm not surprised Elaine, she drank a huge amount in the time she spent on you."

"Yeah, she's a real guzzler. I'm eating for two and not putting an ounce on. I'll have to be careful when she stops though or I'll end up like a balloon."

"Here, drink this, when do you plan to stop?"

"Fairly soon I think, she'll end up not getting enough milk and I'll have to start weaning her onto solids."

"True, now do you want to talk about Christmas or do you need a break first?"

"No let's do it, I'd like to get it sorted, then it's less of a worry later."

"OK, so here or your place?"

"Rob seems to think here is best, sorry is that OK?"

"No that's fine, as long as your happy with that?"

"Yes, but can I do some of the cooking though, I want to help as much as I can."

"Can I look after Gemma, please Elaine? please Mum?"

"Elaine, it's your call?"

"Yes you can, you already help when you come over, so you know what to do."

"Wow, I'm impressed, smelly nappies too?"

"Absolutely, first one she did, pretty awful, but Maddie's never not completed what she's started."

"Yes I know," Janice said grinning.

Maddie carried Gemma to the stroller and placed her in it, leaving the two women sat at the table. Maddie disappeared upstairs.

They talked though the arrangements and were discussing the last details when the doorbell chimed, after a pause it rang again then suddenly again then a long angry chime. They heard Maddie go to the door, then Robs voice, sharp and angry. He burst into the kitchen.

"Rob what's wro..."

"This is what's wrong!"

He thrust his phone at Janice, she grabbed it and stared at the screen. It was a selfie of Maddie, topless, in her bedroom. Janice moved her mouth but no words came out. She silently passed the phone to Elaine. Elaine taking it and seeing the picture gasped and her hand flew to her mouth.

"Rob, how.. I had no idea, I..."

"Shit, it's okay Jan I don't blame you, Maddie what is the meaning of this?"

Taking the phone from Elaine he passed it to Maddie. She looked in horror at the photo.

"Dad how did you get this picture?" she said quietly.

"We have a single contract with two phones, we share a photostream, so any picture each of us take the other see's." He said trying to contain his temper.

Elaine slipped past Maddie and went to retrieve Gemma, who was crying, awakened by the loud voices. Janice moved to Maddie and put an arm round her shoulder. She guided Maddie to a chair and sat her down, Maddie immediately started to cry. Rob came and knelt in front of her and put his hands either side of her waist.

"Maddie, I'm very angry at the moment, so if I shout forgive me, but I want to know why you're taking pictures of yourself half undressed?"

"It's a dare at school...We were talking and Siobhan said it would be funny to take pictures of ourselves naked and swap them."

Maddie took her phone out of her pocket, tapped the code in and gave it to Janice. Janice went to the picture files and gasped again.

"There are three more photo's Rob." Tears fell down her face.

Rob looked at his own screen and his eyes widened. The next one in the sequence showed Maddie naked from behind, glancing over her shoulder, the next two were very explicit shots of her, one on her back on the bed and one on her back and with her legs wide apart."

"Oh Baby, what have you done?" said Rob, as he too cried.

"Mum, Dad, it was only for a joke, no one else has seen them yet. I promise."

"Maddie, if anyone had seen these on my phone, do you know what would have happened. Do you realise how much trouble I would be in? The Police might not accept that I didn't know about them. They might say I'm forcing you to pose like this. I might have gone to prison, and then not be allowed to be alone with you ever again, do you understand?"

Maddie cried harder and buried her face in her hands. Rob stood and embraced Janice. They cried on each others shoulders. Elaine standing with Gemma cried too. Rob released Janice and bent and cuddled Maddie.

"Maddie this was a very silly thing to do. Your body is private and only for you to see. You shouldn't be sharing it with anyone else. Pretty girl you are very beautiful, but you don't need these pictures to show to people please understand that. "

Rob took both phones and deleted the pictures, then handed Maddie her phone. She nodded and stood to hug him, then Janice. Elaine tried to dry her tears, still holding Gemma. Janice walked to her took Gemma and put her on her hip and swung her arm round Elaine's shoulder. Elaine pressed her face to Janice's shoulder and wept. Rob sat and Maddie folded herself onto his lap.

"Maddie, has anyone else seen these pictures, or have you seen any of your friends like this?"

"Elise and Sukie have already taken their pictures, they showed everyone this morning."

"Who is everyone?"

"Me, Siobhan, Emma, Elise, Sukie and Ariadne."

"Ariadne, isn't she the girl who has err, learning difficulties?"

"Yeah, you know her, she's great but she isn't very smart."

"Maddie that's not nice, where on earth did she get the idea from?" he said absently.

"Her brother showed her pictures of him, you know naked and... you know."

"Oh God, no! Did Ariadne show you these pictures?"

"Yes, she had them on her phone. Siobhan said it would be funny if we did it and Ari could show him us taking the mickey out of him."

"Have the others sent their photo's to her yet?"

"No, Siobhan and I hadn't done ours so we were doing it tomorrow."

"Okay, I think we need to make some phone calls." Rob said, passing a hand through his hair.

The next few hours were taken up by a series of calls to the other girls families,where the reactions were exactly the same as Rob and Janice's. They could imagine the scenes of earlier repeated again and again. Ariadne's mother wept uncontrollably until her mother took the phone and thanked them for letting them know. Later they would learn that the brother had been a continuing source of trouble with a deep resentment of his younger sister, despite her problems.

Finally, late in the evening they sat having tea at the kitchen table, Maddie was in bed, asleep. Elaine had put Gemma in the stroller and she lay asleep in the hallway. Elaine held Janice's hand and Janice gripped it tightly.

"Rob, when did that photo appear?" Elaine asked.

"Just as I got here to pick you and Gemma up. I thought I heard a ping, which is usually a message or something. I got my phone out and saw no message, so I looked at photostream, as it usually updates when I get here."

"That means she had only just taken them then."

"Thank God she didn't have time to pass them on."

"Amen to that," said Janice, "Well thanks Rob, you nipped that in the bud nicely. I thought you restrained yourself pretty well too." she laid a hand on his.

"It wasn't easy, I was scared shitless when I saw it. I knew you weren't aware of them, you would never do anything to harm or hurt Maddie, I just had to hold my temper and try not to vent it all at you." He slipped her hand in his and squeezed.

"Thanks, I feel guilty that I didn't pick up something was going on, I usually know when Maddie's going to do something stupid."

"No one blames you Jan, it was just what it was. These girls don't seem to understand the harm they could do to themselves or others by this sort of stupid behavour."

"Maybe we have a different world view of our bodies than they do," said Elaine, "Not that I would condone this, but can you see what I mean?"

"I suppose they could, but in reality the world will suddenly become a much nastier place for them if these pictures got circulated around."

"Regrettably there are too many people out there who exploit the young and innocent. I mean really she's just a little girl in a young woman's body. They are so trusting and easily persuaded, it's frightening. If that boy had got the pictures and started sending them to his mates, God it doesn't bear thinking about."

"I think Maddie see's that now, but shit that was close."

"Hmm, are we still doing Christmas?" Elaine said looking at Janice and Rob.

"Hell yes, I think we should have a grand old time, don't you?" Janice said smiling.

"I wouldn't want it any other way, All my favourite women and my children under one roof."

"Shit! You're not thinking of moving back in permanently are you?" Janice said grinning.

"Jan, we've had our differences, but I still love you, as a friend and your the best mother for my darling daughter."

"And I love you too, in my own perverse way. You're not all bad Rob Evans. I also love your new wife. Elaine has become a real friend. So shall we bury the hatchet, not just for Christmas, but always?"

"Yes let's, now I think we should get Gemma home, she'll need feeding shortly, then bed."

"You're a real modern dad, aren't you?"

"I'm trying, and I learnt heavily from past mistakes."

Janice and Rob stood, embraced and held each other tightly. Elaine smiled and stood, suddenly she was grabbed and hauled into a three way embrace. She giggled and wrapped an arm around each of them.

Reluctantly they parted and Rob took the stroller out, to put Gemma into the car seat and the stroller in the boot.

"Night," said Janice as she embraced Elaine again, they kissed each others cheeks and held tightly.

"Thank you, for everything." said Elaine and she and Janice released each other.

Rob came back and hugged Janice again.

"I'm really sorry for all the hurt, but I'm glad we can be friends again."

"I love you Rob, and Elaine too, take care, see you soon."

They relaxed their grip and kissed on the lips, then Rob winked and pulled free.

Janice watched the car go and waved. Inside she tidied up and locking up went upstairs. in her bedroom she undressed slowly, pondering on the days events. As she finally stood nude, Maddie walked in, she stared at her mother and then ran to hug her. Janice held her precious little girl tightly. Suddenly she realised that Maddie was very much a young woman now.

"Maddie, when did you start to shave?" she asked firmly.

"Oh Mum, everyone does it now, well except you."

"Thanks for making me feel that little bit older, now let me put my PJ's on, it's bloody cold now the heating's off."

"Can I stay with you tonight, Please?"

"OK, get in, I'm just off to clean my teeth, go on."

She turned Maddie round and pushed her towards the double bed gently.

"Thanks Mum."

"Welcome, see you in a minute."

Later as Maddie slept, Janice stroked her daughters long hair. She suddenly felt a weight lift, realising that Rob and Elaine would be helping her from now on. She had two true friends to help her bring up her beautiful daughter, two people she felt very close to. Rob's role as father but not lover, friend but not partner was strange and intriguing. Elaine's, however, was no nonsense and open, maybe Janice had a lot to be grateful for.

Christmas Dinner was a long and fun affair, they wore paper hats, groaned at silly jokes from the crackers and relaxed into the afternoon. Elaine fed Gemma at the table as they ate dessert, then Maddie insisted on winding her and changing her nappy. Laying her in her crib, she sang lullabies til Gemma slept. Returning to the kitchen she rejoined the adults. The ladies went through to the lounge as Rob and Maddie loaded the dishwasher and cleaned the saucepans. Joining Janice and Elaine, they opened presents.

Rob groaning at the second set of socks he received. Janice beamed at her new top, courtesy of Rob, Elaine and Maddie. Elaine giggled at the pack of five large granny pants Janice and Maddie bought her and cried as she unwrapped a beautiful plain gold necklace from Rob, Maddie and Janice.

Janice then gave Elaine a small flat parcel, when Elaine opened it she sat with tears rolling down her face. It was a photo of Rob with Maddie and Gemma. Janice sat next to Elaine and put her arm round her, and they touched heads. Rob grinned and Maddie clapped her hands in joy.

Now it was Maddie's turn and they passed her two parcels. Maddie scrambled to tear the paper off the parcels. She stared in wonder at the pair of pixie boots Janice and Rob bought her, then nearly cried at the makeup Elaine and Janice had chosen for her. Finally all three passed a box to her, Maddie scrabbled to get the paper off, inside was a blouse and skinny legged pair of jeans. Maddie whirled around and hugged each of them tightly one after the other, screaming thank you's in to their ears and scooping up her clothes.

"They're for special occasions young lady." Janice said.

"Like Gemma's Christening," said Elaine.

"Or lunch with your Mum, Dad and Elaine." said Rob.

"Okay, can I wear them to the..."

"We'll see," said Rob and Janice together cutting across her, Elaine laughed.

"This is the best Christmas ever," said Maddie, tears in her eyes.

"It was a brilliant idea Maddie," said Janice.

"It was the best idea ever," said Rob.

"See I knew you'd all get on together," said Maddie grinning.