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Jennifer stood waiting in line at the supermarket check-out. Penina and Mia had come with her. As Jennifer pushed her cart towards the counter, she looked over and saw the nearby 'wines and spirits' section. Her eyes flicker. 'No big deal' she thought 'It was just a passing glance. Now look away.' She turned away from the wines and spirits just in time to hear Penina asked "What kind of sex do men crave most?"

Jennifer looked back, shocked. Penina had picked up a 'Cosmpolition' and was reading the headings aloud to Mia "Put that back." Jennifer snapped "Don't look at them!" Jennifer took the magazine from her and put it back. She noticed that there were loads more magazines like that at kids-eye level 'Orgasms UNLIMITED' and 'Thrill EVERY INCH OF HIM'. Jennifer sighed and started putting groceries on the conveyer.

"How to hit your G-spot everytime." Penina said outloud when Jennifer turned away.

Jennifer whirled back round. Penina had picked up the same magazine. Jennifer angrily snatched it away, put it back and then grabbed Penina's arm and pulled her closer to her "Stay where I can see you!" Jennifer hissed.

The cashier and a couple of customers turn around to look at them. Jennifer ignored them all but Penina can't help giving them a little smile.



The family were eating dinner. Penina pulled a face after eating all of the vegetables off of her plate and pushed it away, half-finished "May I be excused?"

"At least eat your chicken." Jennifer said.

"I'm not going to eat something that I don't like just to make you happy." Penina replied "That's ridiculous."

"Penina, stop it." Gerard looked at her "Eat your chicken and then you may be excused."

"Yes Daddy." Penina pulled back the plate and started eating her chicken. Jennifer gave Gerard an exasperated look.



The doorbell rang and Penina ran to answer it. It was Sister Abigail carrying a clipboard "Hello Sister Abigail."

"Hello Penina. Might I come in?"

Penina let her inside and into the living room "Want me to give you a tour of the house?" Jennifer and Gerard looked up from the sofa and walked over to them.

"That would be lovely." Sister Abigail smiled.

So Sister Abigail, Gerard and Jennifer followed Penina up the stairs "I mainly came to remind you that we need an updated version of her medical and dental records for my supervision report."

"That's no problem. We've got an appointment with the dentist next week." Jennifer replied.

Penina lead them all into her bedroom and turned to Sister Abigail "Isn't it lovely? Look at my portraits. I've done a portrait for everyone in the family." She showed Sister Abigail all the portraits pinned to the wall. There was also a painting of all of the family together.

"That's one good-looking family you've got." Sister Abigail said politely.

"I know." Penina smiled "Aren't they perfect?"

Sister Abigail gave Gerard and Jennifer an amused look. They invited her back down into the kitchen for some coffee while Penina ran off to find Eva and Mia "I swear we didn't bribe her to say that." Gerard laughed Jennifer handed them a cup of coffee each.

"No explanation necassary." Sister Abigail smiled "I don't think there's anything that girl could say that would surprise me."

"She dropped the 'f-bomb' on me a few weeks ago." Jennifer said.

Sister Abigail raised her eye-brows in a comic, exaggerated "Well I'm glad to hear she's finally coming out of her shell."

"She's just testing us." Gerard told her, glancing at Jennifer "It's been no where near as bad as we thought it would be."

"What kind of things is she doing?"

"Talking back to me. Purposelly disobeying." Jennifer told her "She took Mia and Eva to the park without permission the other day. That was the biggie. A girl that they were playing with got hurt."

Sister Abigail is suddenly apprehensive but she tried hard to cover it "Really? Is the girl all right?"

"She broke her arm and had to have something like eleven stitches. She got away lucky."

"She doesn't sound too lucky."

"She's lucky she didn't break her neck."

Sister Abigail seemed troubled by this. She said goodbye to the Way family then left to go back to the orphanage. She walked to her car, still concerned. She didn't see Penina spying on her from the upstairs window, just staring down at her with that strange, blank look.



The next day it was Saturday so Gerard said he'd take the kids out for a bike ride. Jude said he had better things to do and Mia didn't know how to ride a bike yet so he just took Eva and Penina. Gerard rode his bike at the front then Eva and Penina rode behind him. Penina sped up, leaving Eva behind, so that she could talk to Gerard "I'm Daddys little girl, aren't I?"

"Of course. You both are." Gerard smiled.

As they head home, they notice a blonde woman with dark roots and oversized boobs jogging towards them. It was one of Gerard's old friends Joyce. Gerard stopped his bike so the girls had to stop theirs as well. Joyce stopped jogging in front of them and smiled "Look at these three cuties!"

"How're you doing?" Gerard asked, blushing a little at the fact she'd called him cute.

"Hanging in there. Hey... I've got a chair I need moving upstairs. You think you could come over and give me a hand?"

Gerard glanced towards the house. Jennifer was waving goodbye to the college student that she'd been teaching how to play the piano. She looked over and saw Gerard talking to Joyce. An unreadable expression appeared on her face and she went back into the house "Uh, yeah." Gerard replied "Maybe Jennifer and I could help you out."

"Okay, I'll call you." Joyce smirked at him.

Gerard and Eva continued riding back down towards the house. Penina stayed where she was and looked Joyce up and down "You have a lovely body." She told her.

"Come on Penina, let's go." Gerard called over to her. Penina reluctantly left. Joyce eyed her dubiously.

When they got back to the house they all went into the kitchen. Jennifer had juice boxes for the girls. A look passed between Gerard and Jennifer that Penina noticed "How was the ride?" Jennifer asked "Did you have fun?" Eva nodded and left the room but Penina hung back, eavesdropping "Didn't waste anytime turning that divorce settlement into a tit job, did she...?"

"I didn't notice." Gerard replied.

"Yeah, right." Jennifer was teasing but there was something biting underneath it. Penina walked away, sipping on her juice box.