Maggie was sitting in the café, having lunch and watching the world go by; one of her favourite pastimes. She suddenly saw a familiar face walking past. She instantly jumped up and threw the café door open.

“Sadie Bell, get your butt in here!”, she shouted. The girl flinched but carried on walking.

“Don’t make me ask you again, young lady!”, Maggie said.

Sheepishly, Sadie stopped, turned and walked into the café, past Maggie, who was holding the door open.

Shutting the door, Maggie pointed to a chair. “Park your butt. I’ll deal with you in a minute.”

“But…”

“Park. Your. Butt!”

Sadie sat.

“I thought we were meeting up later…”, Sadie said. “Why are you hassling me now?”

“Less of your lip”, Maggie said. “You’re supposed to be in Uni.”

“It’s an incept day for the new intake”, said Sadie. “I was bored out of my tiny…”

At the same time, Sadie started rubbing her foot up and down Maggie’s leg.

“I’m sure you can think of something more interesting for us to do…”, she said.

At this point, the woman behind the counter in the café started taking an interest. She knew Sadie. She also knew Maggie wasn’t her mother…

“Two choices, young lady”, said Maggie, still annoyed. “Home, or Uni. Choose.”

“How about yours?”, asked Sadie, hopefully.

“Carry on like this”, Maggie said, pushing Sadie’s leg away, “and that option will be off the table for a long time…!”

Sadie started sulking.

“You’re no fun anymore…!”, she said.

“Life isn’t supposed to be fun”, Maggie said, still cross with Sadie.

Sadie then did something that made the café owners mouth drop open. She came round the table, plonked herself in Maggie’s lap, wrapped her arms around her and kissed her.

“Come on”, she said. “You know you love me, really.”

“Of course I do”, Maggie replied. “That doesn’t stop you from doing the right thing, though.”

The café owner was now getting really concerned; she went straight on the phone to Sadie’s mother.

“Mrs. Bell?”, she said, quietly. “Sadie’s in the café, and she’s not alone. She’s with some woman, and they are being way too familiar…!”

“What!?”, came the voice at the other end. “Keep them there, somehow; I’ll be right down!”

Sadie was back on her own side of the table when her mum, Doreen, stormed in.

“Sadie Bell! What the hell…?”

“Told you you’d be in trouble”, said Maggie.

“Oh hi, Mags.”, Doreen said. “I take it it was you that spotted this little ruffian, was it? S’alright. Debbie behind the counter thought you were a child molester.”

Maggie, indignantly, got up and stared at Debbie. “Really…!”

“Debbie, it’s alright”, Doreen said. “Maggie’s family.”

Maggie was, but not in the way that most people would think…

Maggie had been working overseas when she met Doreen and Sadie for the first time, in a country that was still allowing child marriages. Problem was, they were allowing same sex ones as well, and Sadie and Maggie had walked into the wrong room at the wrong time…

Before they knew it, they were married. Doreen had been ‘less than enthusiastic’ about the arrangement when she had found out but, at the same time, she couldn’t do anything about it without offending the locals. They were also supposed to be out there for five years…

When it became time to return to the UK, Maggie and Sadie had got really close. Just like a ‘real’ married couple…

When the trio returned to the UK, Maggie and Sadie decided to keep their marriage ‘under the rug’, as it would definitely be illegal. At the same time, they couldn’t do without each other. By this time, Doreen had really got close to Maggie as well…

The solution was obvious.

Doreen married Maggie, and they all moved in together.

Maggie also kept her flat, and Sadie would sometimes go there with her.

Only problem was Sadie felt she could wrap Maggie around her finger and get anything she wanted. She knew how much Maggie loved her.

She was only just beginning to realise the true meaning of the phrase, ‘cruel to be kind’…!

Doreen marched Sadie out of the door. “You’re going back to Uni!”, she said.

“As you can now tell, we all know each other”, said Maggie. “Perhaps next time I can enjoy my lunch in peace…!”

Sadie was told off when she got back to Uni. She had missed an important class which she had forgotten completely about. As hard as that hurt, however, it really hurt when Maggie ignored her completely when she got home…!