walking forward with the passing shadows - motherland (bbc) isekai fanfic

First day of school, I'm caught up waiting with the usual 3 for the gate to open.

"What did you do for your holidays, Liz?" Kevin asks.

"Lee took the kids for two weeks so I spent it with the Bransons on Necker Island," Liz recalls. "Sunbathing topless and sucking off billionaires."

"Really? Wow," I said plainly.

"I had to work the whole time," Julia commented. "The kids went into seven different sports clubs, which they absolutely hated. But on a positive, they're now county level at badminton."

Kevin added on, "Aw, I enjoyed every minute of the hols. I took the kids camping in Dorset. Magical. Great toilet blocks and sinks with taps. So more glamping, really. Manaria, what did you do?"

"Spent most of it at home to be honest, but I did take the kids out a few times to see a few museums and arcades and whatnot. They really enjoyed it all, surprisingly. Oh, I'm also officially Marie and Calliope's legal, adoptive parent," I smile.

Kevin looks pleasantly surprised, "Oh my goodness, congrats! Oh, and sorry to hear about your sister."

I shrug, "Just glad to get her- my kids away from her. They haven't been this happy in, like, 3 years."

Liz asked, "Didn't she kill her husband?"

"Yeah."

Liz's eyes widen slightly, but before she could say anything, Julia notices somebody.
"Who is that...?"

Amanda turns around to answer that, "That's Meg, Jade's mum. She's actually got two other kids of her own and two stepchildren but they're very close. She's a real high-flier. I believe she gave a talk at Davos last year."

Liz's eyes widened even more slightly, "Who's her favorite Spice Girl?"

Amanda went on, "She's friends with my friend, Sally. D'you know Sally Lawson?" I give her a blank stare. "She dated Marco Pierre White for a while."

"Oh, how is Sally?" Kevin tries to jump into the conversation.

"You don't know her, Kevin," Amanda turns to Julia. "Meg just bought the house opposite you, Julia. How d'you not know that?" Amanda continued talking, "We all know each other on my street. I suppose I'm very community minded."

Julia commented, "How does she have five kids? You can't be a high-flier and have five kids. I've got two children and a job I phone in and I... already have incredibly low self-esteem. Who does she think she is? Nicola Horlick?"

Kevin comments, "Oh, I love Horlicks. D'you remember Horlicks? Oh, d'you remember Bovril?"

Amanda answers him, "Well, Sally knows Nicola Horlick, so I think, yeah, Nicola could be a friend of Meg's, yeah."

Julia still struggles to comprehend Meg, "No, no, she can't... possibly have time for friends. I mean, that's just spin."

Amanda is surprised at Julia's words, "That's pretty unfeminist of you... Oh my God, I think you hate women."

Julia corrects her though, "Nope. I hate everybody." I guess that's respectable...

Anne sneaks up to us, "Hi, hiya."

Amanda is pleasantly surprised, "Oh! Hello, Anne! You're looking healthy!"

Anne smiles, "Oh, that's very nice of you to say. I feel like over the holidays I kinda filled out a bit, so..."

Amanda adds on, "Yeah, that's what I meant. No, you look great. It's our Sophie's choice, isn't it, when we get older. Face or arse... I dread to think which I'll have to choose- You're pressing against me a bit there, Anne."
"Sorry, sorry."