Chapter 7: Decisions and Celebrations

In the hallway, Grandpa Watson stopped everyone. "I'd like to thank you for agreeing to this, Dale, Roger. What do we do now?"

"First, we take Melanie home and let her pick out some clothes for the next couple of days. She's not enrolled in Bell Elementary just yet, so she'll need some clothes until we transfer her over."

"Thank goodness tomorrow's Friday," sighed Emma's mother. "It gives us time to THINK."

"We still have practical day-to-day issues to address. Felicity's place will be unoccupied for months, we'll have to work with the neighbours and a lawn-mowing service so that the place gets checked every day, looks lived-in, the mail gets collected, lights on a variable timer, that sort of thing." Grandpa Watson looked a little overwhelmed.

"If we're not yet exhausted, we can go over to our place, I'll throw some steaks on the barbecue, the kids can get in a swim while we get a schedule together," offered Emma's father.

"If it's OK with you, I think the two of us need to go home. We don't have a car, so it'll be hard for us to help there," explained Felicity's father.

"I'll drive you back," their son offered. "I've got tomorrow off, so I'll pick them up in time for the 11:00 visitors' hours. I don't have to head back to university until Sunday. I'll sleep at Felicity's and get my laundry done there, keep it looking lived-in for this weekend at least." He turned to Emma's parents. "Roger, I'll head over to your place after I drop off Mom and Dad."

"Aunt Dale, can I get into my birthday suit now?"

Emma's mother grinned at Melanie. "Let's wait until we're all out of earshot of your mother. She really doesn't need to hear that right now."

Melanie couldn't wait to try out the new fashion, so they stopped in a washroom near the Admitting entrance. Nude kids was such a common sight in the city by this time that the sight of two naked 11-year-olds didn't raise the slightest eyebrow. She sat nude in the back of the car as they drove to her apartment, where she picked out a pair of outfits for school and some toys and books to see her through the weekend.

At Emma's, the two nude preteens chucked their footwear and raced into the pool. Emma's mother made a phone call to a neighbour, Diane York. Diane had pull in the school system.

The family meeting, Part II, was held on the pool deck while the kids splashed away happily nude. Emma's parents were now in their natural element, and to Emma's surprise all the other adults had likewise divested themselves of all things constrictive.

"I've called a friend of mine, who has contacts within the school system. She's advised us of how to get this expedited. We should be able to have Melanie in Emma's class by Monday," Dale reported. "They have an emergency procedure for just this eventuality, although this is the first time they've had to do this at Bell El this year."

The rest of the family meeting consisted of scheduling who would come by and when. The apartment manager had already been notified and was going to take her mail in every day. As her apartment wasn't too far off Roger's route to work, they decided that Emma's dad was the logical person to check every evening on his way home.