Episode 2 - Getting to Know You

"Cooeee! Hello, anybody at home? I'm Joss, live next door. Thought you might want some help unpacking."
"Oh, er, I think we're nearly there, but come in." Ray put down his box of train magazines and opened the door. A middle aged woman with dark curly hair and a bright pink scarf around her neck pushed past him.
"So this is it," she said, gazing around. "The house."
"Yes it's... ours," Ray answered uncertainly. "Would you like a cup of -"
"How on earth did you manage it?" Joss began to poke around the kitchen. "Fully fitted. Nice."
"I'm Ray and this is my wife, Mary," Ray said, politely ignoring the fact that Joss was trying to open the kitchen drawers.
Mary stood up, one hand resting on her stomach. "A neighbour? How lovely. I feel like I've always known you, Joss."
Joss looked Mary up and down. "So that's why you got the house. Things are changing for you."
"Yes, I hope so," said Ray.
"I won't hold it against you." Joss gave Mary a hug. She stood back, surveying her. "I've just had the most fabulous idea! You must join our girl group. Well, lady group. We're all ladies of a certain age. We call ourselves Uterus."
"Er, I think that would be a bit difficult," Ray said quickly. "Mary's nearly due, you see, and -"
"That sounds absolutely delightful," said Mary.
"We rehearse every Wednesday evening at the school," Joss continued. "My sister Wendy is lead vocal and Trisha and I are backing singers. Trisha's leaving so there's a vacancy. We're taking part in Battle of the Bands next month. It's between us and Gore Hell Vandals but I think we capture the zeitgiest. Anyway, can't stop - I'll have that cup of tea another time, Ray!"
"Good," said Ray, who was having trouble opening the fridge.
Tom and Sara climbed down from the bedroom and stood shly looking at Joss.
"These must be yours," said Joss, as though she had just picked up something they had dropped. She looked critically at the children. "They'll fit perfectly into Plastic St."
Tom held a red plastic train close to his chest, while Sara cuddled her toy mouse.
"How old are they? I've got a nephew a little older than the boy," Joss said, eyeing the train.
"He must be..." Ray counted in his head. "Fifteen," he said finally. It didn't seem possible. The children had always been... well, just children. And Tom had always carried that train. It was almost part of him.
Joss was looking at Tom in disbelief.
"They're... slow developers," Ray said quickly. "Give me the train, Tom." He tried to wrench the toy out of Tom's hands.
"Waaaahh!" Tom burst into tears and ran to Mary.
"Well, I was going to suggest he might like to play drums for Gore Hell Vandals with Brandon, but perhaps not," said Joss, raising her eyebrows.

Episode 1 - Moving Day

"The house," Mary whispered, "is perfect."
Ray hoisted up his box of model train magazines. He looked up at the bright red plastic facade. "Yep, it's er..."
"It's home," breathed Mary.
Ray looked at Mary sceptically. The square house with its bright blue roof, matching door and unconvincing faux flowers did nothing for him, but then he wasn't pregnant. Mary was. In fact, she had always been pregnant, as long as he had known her. They had also always had two children, a boy, Tom, and a girl, Sara. It was just the way things were. Pretty odd, really, when he came to think about it.
"What's the matter?" asked Mary.
Ray pulled himself together. "Nothing. I'm just not used to change, that's all."
"Change? It feels like we've always lived here. Don't you feel it?" Mary gazed up at the house again with such adoration that Ray felt he had to do something. He pulled her to him but she looked down modestly and he could only manage to peck her on the cheek.
Ray sighed. He wondered how on earth he had got Mary pregnant in the first place. Oh well, at least he had his model train magazines. He would have a rummage through them later.
He watched Mary squeeze through the door (how many months was she? six? seven?) and dumped his box on the nearest chair. The only chair. God, this place was small.
"Oh, I'm exhausted," puffed Mary. "Do you mind if I...?"
Ray removed the box. "Of course. You are pregnant, after all." He bent down closer to her. "You are, aren't you? I mean, it's not my imagination or anything?"
Mary smiled benignly. "Are you worried about having this baby, hun?"
"Why, are you? Does that mean it's coming?"
"Of course I'm not worried! We have a beautiful life, two beautiful children, and now this beautiful house. What do I have to worry about?"
"But the baby..."
"Relax. Go and check on the kids."
"There's a hospital near here, I saw it on the way. We could take you for a scan, making sure you're really... I mean, make sure everything's all right."
Mary patted her stomach. It was straining through her dress like a ripe apple. "Everything's always all right, isn't it?" she said.
For once Ray couldn't answer. It was this place, it had unsettled him. He had always accepted everything as easily as Mary appeared to. But this move was different. It was change. Perhaps he was changing too. That would be odd, as he hadn't aged since... well, since he could remember.
"You're right. There's no point fretting about things. I'll check on the kids."
Mary nodded and turned on the television. It was the same newsflash he had seen all week. He shook his head to clear it and walked through to the back of the house. There was no back wall and he had to climb up the side to get upstairs.
"Kids?" he called, blinking at the brightness of the electric green bed and pink bedside chest assaulting his eyes. "Is this how you got upstairs, too?"
Tom and Sara walked out of the worryingly open-plan bathroom. "Of course, Dad. That's how we've always gone upstairs, remember?"
Ray gazed over the edge, feeling a sudden swoop of vertigo. "Right..."