Resequencing DNA

It wasn’t long before all of the guests were present. The last to arrive was Elijah’s brother, William, who had been picked up and dropped off by James.  James stood silently by the door, quietly observing the chatter amongst the family that was gathered within the hall. Even since the revelation that James was indeed Alistair’s son, there still appeared to be a divide, with James still choosing to be nothing more than the family’s chauffeur.

As he readied to leave once more, preparing himself to return to the solitude of the limousine to wait for Vivian, Alistair and William,  Ashleigh felt an urge swell within her. The past murmured in her ears like a haunting refrain.

“Oh James,” Ashleigh called out, her voice steady despite the turmoil within. James turned and looked at her, The ache in his expression mirrored her own regrets, fueling a pang of longing. Did he still care? Did he still wonder what might have been, had fate’s cruel hand not pushed them apart? However, she wasn’t to know, all those months ago, that she would still be Ashleigh at this point. At that point in her life, she was still hell-bent on returning to her life as Aaron. She wasn’t to know that she would fall in love with both Elijah and her new life as a woman, which has since grown into her becoming a mother, soon to be a mother of twins. Yet as her heart swelled with love for Elijah, the thought of abandoning her first love stirred a nostalgia that felt heavy.

“Yes, Miss Ashleigh,” he replied, his voice completely monotone and emotionless, as though he was simply awaiting instruction.

"It's been a while," said Ashleigh as she searched his gaze, hoping to glimpse the warmth that once resided there. Instead, she found only a cool, distant familiarity.

“Indeed Miss,” James murmured in reply avoiding her eyes, the distance between them now palpable.

“I was wondering, why are you simply standing by the door?” she asked, forcing a lightness in her tone. “You look like you are ready to leave.”

James looked at her and yet she could tell his gaze was directed past her,

“I’m just doing my job, Miss,” he said finally, his tone flat, stripped of the vibrancy she once cherished. “I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“James,” said Ashleigh, her voice lowering, searching for some thread of connection. “You know you’re family, right? We all want you here, no matter what.”

He studied her for a moment, and her heart raced with a blend of hope and fear,

“Family,” he echoed, his expression a blend of sorrow and longing. “Family is complicated, isn’t it? Especially a family like mine.”

Ashleigh nodded in agreement,

“Indeed…I guess…I guess it is,” she said warmly, “But…I would really like it if you stayed. Elijah and I have an announcement for the family…that means the entire family. I know Elijah feels the same way, we very much want you to be a part of our family…as it should be.”

A moment of silence hung in the air, thick with unspoken words. James’s mouth twitched slightly as if he were wrestling with a million emotions. There was a flicker of something—perhaps vulnerability—behind his otherwise placid demeanour.

“I’ll stay then, for a while,” he said, a hint of warmth creeping into his voice, “but I can’t promise anything beyond that.”                                            

“You, shall stay and enjoy a nice time amongst family,” said Ashleigh with a smile, “I have no idea exactly what is planned, but Mrs Henry planned it so I imagine it will be amazing,” she added with a giggle.

At this, a smile forced its way onto James’s face, a first glimpse of the man she had once known,

“Thank you, Miss Ashleigh,”  he said, his tone softening, just a little.

“Please…it’s just Ashleigh to family,” stated Ashleigh with a smile.

“Ladies and Gentleman,” announced Mrs Henry, her voice cutting through the atmosphere with grace, “if you would like to enter the dining room, dinner shall be served promptly.”

The guests began to filter into the dining room, just as the front door to the house opened with a gentle creak, and in walked Elijah.

“Elijah!” Ashleigh exclaimed, her heart swelling as she hurried to greet her fiancé.

“Ashleigh,” replied Elijah, throwing his arms tightly around the onrushing pregnant woman. The warmth of his embrace enveloped her.

“I was worried,” said Ashleigh, her voice beginning to crack as she spoke. Sensing the weight of her anxiety, Elijah pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, his eyes filled with reassurance.

“Everything went fine, my darling,” said Elijah, his voice soft but steady, as if he were bolstering her with his strength.

“Ashleigh,” whispered Grace.

Ashleigh peered behind Elijah to see her mother standing there with a huge smile on her face.

“Mum,” cried Ashleigh, pushing past Elijah and embracing her mother tightly, “are you okay,” she whispered softly as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Grace held her daughter firmly,

“I’m okay, sweetheart,” Grace murmured, her voice a soothing balm against Ashleigh’s fraught memories and lingering fears. “It’s all gone Ashleigh, it worked, I’m cancer-free.”

Ashleigh tightened her grip on her mother’s shoulders, her heart racing with relief.

“I was so scared,” muttered Ashleigh, “I played over every fucking scenario, what if you were caught, what if it didn’t work, what if—”

“Shhh,” Grace interjected softly, her thumb brushing away the tears collecting at the corners of Ashleigh's eyes. “You have enough to worry about. Everything went perfectly fine.”

Ashleigh wiped away the remnants of her tears before giving her mother a rather curious look, gently tilting her head to the side before taking a small step back and looking her mother up and down.

“It looks like it worked a little too fine,” said Ashleigh as she took in the sight of her mother. Grace's once frail frame now stood straighter, her cheeks flush with renewed vitality. It was almost as if she’d undergone a transformation that mirrored Ashleigh's own. She looked slightly…younger.

“I have no idea what you mean,” chuckled Grace, rolling her eyes as she smirked in Elijah’s direction.

Ashleigh studied her mother’s appearance hard,

“Mother…you look at least 10 years younger,” exclaimed Ashleigh with a mix of awe and disbelief. “Now you look like you had me when you were like…15 or something…you look about 35…tops.”

Grace laughed lightly, the sound filled with relief and happiness.

“Oh come now, dear. What’s good for the goose and all that,” she replied, the glimmer of mischief in her eyes hinting at an unspoken truth. “And biologically…I’m now 38…so yes you’re right…I guess that would make me 15 when I had you…but none of that matters,” she joked.

“I…I think I shall go and speak to our guests,” Elijah muttered, making a hasty escape to the gathering in the dining room, leaving the two women wrapped in a nest of shared revelations.

Ashleigh scowled as Elijah quickly made his retreat to the dining room. However, this raised her suspicions even further, there was something else which Ashleigh couldn’t quite figure out as she returned her gaze to her mother.

“Elijah is right sweetheart, we should go be with your guests,” stated Grace with a smile, but Ashleigh was having none of it, instead shaking her head.

“You look different…somehow…other than looking younger…you’ve done something,” Ashleigh pressed, her brow furrowing as she crossed her arms.

 Grace began to make a hasty retreat, just as Elijah had done, but then Ashleigh clicked,

“Mother!” she exclaimed in disbelief.

“Erm…yes…sweetheart,” mumbled Grace, sounding like a child who had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Her face bearing an expression she had witnessed many times from Sofia when she was up to mischief.

“You…I don’t believe you,” stated Ashleigh, her eyes widened in shock.

“What?” asked Grace, sounding rather coy.

“Your…your…” muttered Ashleigh, her cheeks beginning to flush, “I can’t believe I’m going to say this…your boobs,” she finally blurted out, her hands flying to her face, shielding her shock.

Grace shrugged playfully, an impish glimmer in her eyes that Ashleigh rarely saw.

“What do you think?” she asked, her tone flirtatious yet innocent. “Nice, huh? I just thought I’d go up a size or two… you know, can’t have my daughter being the only one who got that benefit, can I?”

Ashleigh shook her head, a bemused smile creeping onto her lips despite the absurdity of the situation. The difference between them, once so pronounced, began to dissolve in laughter.

“Mother, honestly,” giggled Ashleigh.

“Well, I thought why the hell not,” Grace jokingly replied, “I mean, they look perkier, now I’m slightly younger, so why not add a bit of size. Besides, not all of us are engaged to be married and having children, you know,” she added rather tongue in cheek.

“Oh gee, thanks, Mum…” Ashleigh retorted a hint of exasperation mingled with affection.

“Have you seen what having children does to ‘the girls’?” Grace asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Have you even decided yet if you’re breastfeeding? Besides, now that I’m better, I might want to put myself back on the market,” she joked.

“Great, I’ll be the busy one with those night feeds while you’re swiping left and right, on Tinder,” laughed Ashleigh.  “I actually think I’m gonna be sick,” she joked before imitating the sound of retching and bursting into laughter.

“Oh Ashleigh, you can’t expect me to be on my own just because it didn’t work out with your father,”  stated Grace.

“I’m joking, Mum…honestly, you deserve to be happy,” replied Ashleigh, “what I can’t get my head around though, is how openly you’re talking to me about your boobs,” she added, pretending to shudder dramatically.

“Oh Ashleigh, such a naive child,” joked Grace, “Honestly it’s a woman thing, you’ll get used to it. No need to be shy, we all have the same parts,” she added with a chuckle.

Just then, Mrs Henry appeared at the doorway to the dining room,

“Miss Ashleigh, Miss Grace, we’re only waiting for the two of you,” she announced, her tone jovial yet carrying the subtle sternness that Ashleigh recognised well. One thing Mrs Henry hated was unpunctuality.

The two women entered the dining room continuing to laugh and joke with one another. Seeing Grace enter the room, Sofia wriggled from her seat,

“Grandma!” she exclaimed as she darted towards her.

 Grace knelt to catch her granddaughter, enveloping her in a warm embrace. The room seemed to expand with joy as Sofia's laughter echoed off the walls, cascading through the grandeur of Ashleigh’s home.

Ashleigh took her seat, beside Elijah, who was seated at the head of the table, watching the unfolding scene with a soft smile.

Finally, Grace managed to return Sofia to her seat before claiming her place at the table, just in time for dinner to be served. The dining room, illuminated by the golden glow of chandeliers, felt both grand and intimate, the polished mahogany table set with twinkling crystal glasses and plates artfully arranged with colourful dishes.

As they ate, the room was filled with light-hearted conversation and laughter. As expected the mood appeared to be rather bubbly, buoyed by the aromas of a sumptuous meal and the warmth of rekindled relationships. Wine was served to all of those sitting at the table, with the exception of Ashleigh, Pippa and of course, Sofia, who was beaming from ear to ear at the fact both her mother and Aunt Pippa were drinking the same fruit juice as she was.

After the guests had all finished eating their main course, Elijah tapped his glass, gaining the attention of those gathered around the table.

“I would just like to say a few words,” he began, his voice deep and steady.

“You mean, WE, would like to say a few words, darling,” stated Ashleigh as she too got to her feet and stood proudly beside Elijah.

Elijah smiled as he clasped her hand in his,

“Yes…I meant we would like to say a few things of course,” he said with a smile. “It’s not often that Ashleigh and I call you all together like this and I’m sure you’re wondering why. Well…we have news for you all,” he started.

The room fell silent, listening intently, Ashleigh felt a rush of excitement, her heart fluttering at the thought of what they were about to share. She could feel the familiar tightness in her stomach, reminding her of the impending arrival of their twins.

Elijah looked down at Ashleigh fondly,

“My love…where would you like to begin?” asked Elijah with a smile as Ashleigh continued to look out over the family assembled at the table.

“Well…” she began, picking up her glass from the table, “First of all…I want to raise a toast, to my Mother, who is cancer-free and doing fine,” she said raising her glass.

“To Grace,” exclaimed Elijah, holding his glass aloft and prompting the others to join in.

“To Grace!” they echoed in unison, their voices mingling with the gentle tinkling of crystal glasses.

Ashleigh gently squeezed Elijah’s hand,

“You can give the next one,” she whispered softly, a playful smile dancing on her lips.

Elijah looked at her proudly before nodding,

“I am…quite frankly a little emotional over the next bit of news,”  he began, pausing for effect. Then, with a flourish, he scooped up Sofia, cradling her in one arm as if she were the most precious gift in the world. With a conspiratorial whisper in her ear, Sofia’s eyes widened, and a beautiful grin broke across her face, illuminating the room.

“My…my mummy is having two babies,” exclaimed Sofia excitedly, her small fingers thrust high into the air, her exuberance contagious.

Ashleigh’s cheeks flushed, both from her daughter's jubilant announcement and from the warmth of Elijah’s family accepting her journey so wholeheartedly. Applauses and cheers erupted around them, filling the space with pure joy.

Ashleigh watched as Elijah kissed Sofia gently on the forehead before placing her back down on her own two feet.

As Elijah went to sit back in his seat, Ashleigh interrupted once more,

“One more thing,” she stated with a smile, “Elijah, you make me the happiest I have ever been in my life. You look after me, Sofia and even my Mum when needs to be. Ever since I met you…I’ve fallen in love with you, more and more each day,” Ashleigh added, pausing briefly as her voice cracked with raw emotion, the depth of her feelings pouring out into the space around them.

Elijah's gaze softened, his own heart swelling as he took her hand, entwining their fingers, a silent promise sealing their love.

Ashleigh waved her hand, signalling she wasn’t finished before she took a deep breath, trying to compose herself.

“What…what everything has taught me…recently…is life…it’s short, you never know what is going to happen,” she continued, briefly glancing down at her mother before returning her gaze to Elijah. “So…what I’m trying to say is…I’ve been thinking, I know we’re engaged…and it’s been a little rough recently…but, I want to marry you, as soon as the twins are born, I want to marry you.”

Elijah blinked in stunned silence, processing the weight of her words,

“I…I agree,” he finally managed to utter in response, “I would marry you tomorrow, Ashleigh Grace Pritchard.”

The guests erupted into cheers, their voices rising in joyful harmony as Elijah pulled Ashleigh close, enveloping her in warmth. He kissed her tenderly, marking the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.

“I love you,” Ashleigh whispered as they leaned in, forehead to forehead.

“I love you too,” Elijah replied softly, a smile forming on his lips once again.

“I guess that settles it, we have a wedding to plan,” exclaimed Grace, clapping her hands, “Are you with me ladies?” she asked as she looked to both Pippa and Vivian who both nodded, sharing in Grace’s enthusiasm.