“So this is all arranged?” Rob asked. “Social Services have agreed and everything?”

“Yes, on the condition that you confirm it’s what you want.” Josh assured him. “I guess roasting your first-born is not considered the red flag it used to be!” He winked at Samantha who giggled cheekily.

The next fifteen minutes or so were filled with tearful hugging giving way to excited chatter, Amelia just as involved and invested as anyone else. The siblings opened the envelope to find the relevant papers inside, papers which they happily signed, the final stage required to make everything official! After a little discussion, it was agreed that Josh would take them back to the home on the twenty sixth, after the sleepover, so that they could say goodbye to their friends and the staff there and pack up their things then they could have the rest of the Christmas holidays to get settled in their new home with Laura and himself before going back to school. They confirmed that they did not mind sharing what was currently Samantha’s bed for a week or so until their new parents could find a second on in the January sales.

Although her parents had been a little worried, Samantha did not feel at all upset at this news, nor did she feel as if she was being casually replaced. She was leaving a space in her parents’ lives, she knew that, and she was very happy that her friends who desperately deserved a family to love them would be filling that void. After a little while, Josh took Amelia into the kitchen for a private chat and quietly explained that, in these early stages of the adoption process, they would have to be on their best behaviour and be careful what kinds of behaviour they exposed their new charges to but, he assured her, he really wanted to keep seeing her and to keep helping her prepare for her big day in any way she needed so would be talking to her parents to make discrete arrangements. Delighted to hear this, Amelia flung her arms around her neck, pressed her naked young body against him and kissed him deeply.

“Hey!” Samantha exclaimed when they came back into the living room, holding hands. “Did you cook Emily’s thigh too? Can we see?”

“Of course!” Laura grinned and led them all back into the kitchen where a foil-wrapped package was sitting on a cooling rack. Tentatively, she pinched the edges of the foil with her finger-tips and, flinching slightly, letting go and re-gripping several times and they were still very hot, as was the sweet-smelling steam that escaped from within as she peeled them back, unwrapped the roasted meat. There were more gasps of the delight as the very well-fed children looked at the cooked ham, gleaming with the sweet honey glaze and with pineapple rings pinned to the top with cocktail sticks broken in half. “Do you approve?” Laura asked.

“Definitely!” Samantha grinned.

Deciding that dessert could wait for a while, everyone helped to clear the table then Samantha suggested a board game. After a short discussion, they settled on Monopoly and Samantha showed her new brother and sister the selection in the games cupboard, inviting them to pick. Deciding to keep things seasonal, they chose the edition based around the movie “Elf”, a choice that Samantha and Amelia were very happy with. It did seem a little funny to be sitting around the table playing a fun and wholesome game while half the players were naked but by that stage, nobody was really bothered and everyone was just keen to enjoy their last evening with Samantha.

“I like this!” Samantha mused after taking her turn and building a hotel on the Empire State Building square, looking at her two dear friends, one of whom was now her sister, in their Sidney outfits. “It’s the one downside of being cooked really,” she observed, “especially at a big party!”

“What do you mean?” Laura asked, intrigued to learn what her daughter apparently considered to be the single negative aspect of being roasted alive and having her body consumed.

“Well, you miss most of the party.” Samantha explained. “Which kinda sucks, but not really because cooking is still fun but, well, you know!”

“I think I do.” Laura nodded, putting a comforting hand on her bare shoulder. “That’s what we wanted to make tonight special for you too!”

“I think every meat-girl should do this!” Samantha grinned. “Every meat-girl who’s cooking at a family party at least. They should get their own mini-party a day or two before where everyone dresses up as Sidney!”

“That’s a very good idea!” Josh agreed. “And I can definitely see it catching on!” He thought of the hundreds of other dads out there, potentially forced to endure a house filled with excitable, naked pre-teen girls and could not help chuckling a little.

After the game, which Rob won after Amelia finally declared bankruptcy, Laura brought out the desserts – a lemon meringue pie, a chocolate gateaux and a sticky toffee cheesecake, Samantha’s three favourites! After these had all been demolished, inspired by the game, they decided to watch “Elf” and snuggled on the sofa as they had done for “Rosie The Christmas Turkey” then Laura sent the girls upstairs to put their pyjamas on and suggested Rob put his on in the kitchen for privacy while she made up his bed on the sofa. When everyone was gathered once more, the children now all in brand new matching red plaid Christmas pyjamas, larger sets of which were waiting upstairs for her and Josh, Laura gave out the stocking and told them all to be sure to put them near the bed for Santa Claus.

“One for me too?” Samantha looked surprised as one was handed to her. “But I don’t need presents this year! Surely Santa knows that?” she observed with a giggle. All of them were too old to be actual believers, of course, but there was still a nostalgic pleasure in the tradition and it was fun to play along.

“Santa brings presents to all the boys and girls who have been good!” Josh reminded her. “And I’m fairly sure giving yourself to your friends and family to enjoy as Christmas Dinner puts you right at the top of the Nice List!”


To be continued...