Doubles

You probably know that I have two step kids. If that's what you know then it's my fault that you're wrong because I have three step kids. I just don't mention Shelby all that much. I've hinted a few times that she's the one I get on best with because she's the one I don't share a roof with. Let's face it; it's hard enough living with other people without them being the children of others whilst still being children. That's perhaps a trifle unfair on Shelby, she's now 21 and legally an adult.

I've made enough of my own history with a stepfather. How and why should I expect my step kids to regard me as anything more than I did mine? Some old fart who happens to be married to their mother and who does such unreasonable things as expect them to clean up after themselves and to take some responsiblity for their actions!

Shelby did the usual teenage thing a few years ago and went off the rails but in the 4 years I've known her she's been doing her best to make up for lost time. She's a student at NAU (Northern Arizona University) and, whilst she enjoys the odd tequila, she seems to me to be very focussed indeed on getting back on track. I wish her younger sister were half as focussed!

Shelby's a good kid and I like her a lot. I also happen to like her fiance a lot. Nearly four years ago when I met him I was in a minority of one in liking Matt. He seemed to me, who had no emotional investment in Shelby, to be a smart likeable guy who worked hard, had a great sense of humour and enjoyed a drink. Indeed, when I was about to meet him my now wife (we weren't married then) took me aside to warn me about the facial jewellery. If she hadn't warned me I probably wouldn't even have noticed it! Such are the prejudices a mother has to overcome.

Matt is now in good odour and I do take part of the credit for that change to myself. But it's hard, I'd imagine, for even a real parent to watch the two of them together and not feel that they work together as a team.

So back in April when I was in Frankfurt Airport waiting for the flight back to the US I saw Shelby walk by. Amazement! I never knew Shelby could speak fluent German.

In June whilst I was in Singapore Airport waiting for a flight to Manila I saw her again. This time she sounded Australian. She's good but she's not THAT good.

In August whilst I killed an hour or two in Chicago waiting for the flight to France I saw her and Matt walk by. This time it was so real I walked up to them and the only thing that saved me from embarassing myself was the total lack of recognition as their gaze flicked over me.

So we now know that there's at least one person in the world who looks exactly like the Shelby that I know. That's not a bad thing; she's a pretty girl. It's the implications of that fact that worry me. If there's a duplicate of Shelby there's probably one of me! Double the ugliness? Say it's not so!!!!