Disclaimer: This story is based on the BBC television series Keeping Up Appearances written by Roy Clarke, which as far as I know, is the property of the BBC. No infringement is intended. I also want to add that much of this story was inspired by the movie For the Love of My Child: The Anissa Ayala Story, written by Anna Sandor.

Chapter 1: Happy Graduation Day

As Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World began playing in the background, Elizabeth Warden couldn't help but agree with the lyrics as she listened to the words and smiled. Today, it really was a wonderful world. The fifty-three-year-old housewife's life usually revolved around the typical household chores, as well as continually working to pacify the unending list of social demands placed on her by her painfully overbearing next-door neighbor, Hyacinth Bucket. But thankfully, today, things were quite different. Today, she got to take a well-deserved break from it all, let her hair down, and really enjoy herself, which was something that, thanks to Hyacinth, she didn't get to do very often.

Someone then tapped Elizabeth on the shoulder and asked, "Young lady, may I have this dance?"

Elizabeth turned around, and her smile grew even brighter when she saw that it was her brother Emmet asking her to dance.

"I'd love to," she answered, and then the sister and brother began to dance.

"I must say, Liz, it's been quite a while since I've seen you so relaxed."

"Yes, that's true. One could say the same about you as well. You're looking a lot better now, and I'm not just talking about being more relaxed now that you're away from Hyacinth for the day. I'm relieved to see you've gained some weight back."

"Hyacinth took such a toll on my nervous system that for a while, it was difficult to eat, but you were right when you kept telling me that I had to stop letting her get to me so much. And as far as today is concerned, yes, it's quite easy for a person to relax knowing that an encounter with Hyacinth isn't anywhere on the horizon for a while. I must say, sister dear, bravo to you for keeping Gail's graduation party a secret from Hyacinth."

"I wish I could take the credit, but you know as well as I do that we have Aunt Maggie to thank for all of this more than anyone else," Elizabeth admitted.

Margaret Fields, now age seventy-eight, was the older sister of Jane Hawksworth, Elizabeth's and Emmet's mother. Both of Elizabeth's and Emmet's parents had been killed suddenly in a car wreck eight years ago, and ever since then, they'd grown closer to their aunt than ever before. Maggie and her late husband had never been able to have any children of their own, so she had very much been like a second mother to them over the years as they'd grown up, and it had been especially important to her to be a kind of mother to them and grandmother to Elizabeth's daughter Gail after the terrible car accident had happened.

So naturally, when Gail's live-in boyfriend Harold broke up with her and moved out of the flat they had shared in London together, her Great-Aunt Maggie, who also lived in London, didn't hesitate to take her in so she would still have a place to live that was near her college campus. Without Harold there to pay his half of the rent and other living expenses, it had been impossible for Gail to stay in her flat and Maggie had come to the rescue. And although Gail had completed her bachelor's degree, she still had a long road ahead of her on her way to becoming an attorney. She'd just gotten accepted into law school, and while still working as a law student full-time, she also had a part-time job working under a team of experienced attorneys at a London law firm, so her living situation with her Aunt Maggie was quite ideal for the time being.

And in addition to providing a roof over her daughter's head when she needed one, Elizabeth's Aunt Maggie also proved herself to be an excellent source of protection against Hyacinth. Elizabeth and Maggie had always been close, particularly after the untimely passing of Elizabeth's mother several years ago, and Liz talked to her aunt about practically everything – and that included her dreadful next-door neighbor. Over the years, Maggie had heard all the horror stories about how this monster named Hyacinth Bucket (who claimed her last name "Bucket" was properly pronounced "Bouquet") managed to become a thorn in the side of an entire town, not to mention her poor niece and nephew. She'd heard all about how domineering and condescending Hyacinth was, and how she could make all the people around her constantly feel as though they had to walk on eggshells. Maggie also knew from all of her niece's horror stories just how nosey and intruding Hyacinth could be. Obviously, they knew all too well that if Hyacinth were to find out about Gail's big graduation party at Maggie's house that Saturday afternoon, she would undoubtedly find a way to butt in where she didn't belong, completely take over what was supposed to be a family event, and make it all about her. Mercifully, Elizabeth, Emmet, and Maggie had the foresight to plan ahead, and they agreed that Elizabeth and Emmet would get out on the road and start the long drive to Maggie's house late that Friday night – preferably after Hyacinth had gone to bed – so that she couldn't catch them leaving, demand any explanations, and force her way into the situation. More often than not, Hyacinth did manage to force her way into Elizabeth's and Emmet's affairs, but thankfully this time, they successfully sneaked off into the night and away from Hyacinth. By the time Hyacinth discovered they were gone the next morning, they were already in London with their Aunt Maggie and Gail, and it was far too late for their impossible next-door neighbor to interfere.

"Well yes, I agree that Aunt Maggie played a big role in our escape from Hyacinth, but let's not forget that it was you who drove the getaway car," Emmet teased, and Elizabeth responded with a relaxed laugh.

"I can't believe it, Emmet," Liz said with a sigh. "I can't believe that that precious little baby girl I first held in my arms twenty-one years ago has actually graduated from college and gotten accepted into law school. I feel like it was only yesterday that the doctor first told me I was pregnant with Gail. Now she's so grown-up."

"Indeed," Emmet agreed. "You're so right, Liz. It seems like it was only moments ago that Gail was this cute, sweet, adorable little girl in pigtails and braces. Now, she's a woman. It's astounding how fast time flies."

"They grow up before you know it."

"I hate to bring up a sore subject on such a happy occasion, but I still can't get over that big, bald buffoon you're married to. I know Frank has missed countless wedding anniversaries and birthdays and recitals and things over the years, but missing his own daughter's college graduation?"

"Years ago, I would have been too furious at him to see straight," Elizabeth admitted. "Now, things like this don't even faze me anymore. I've gotten used to it, and sadly, I suspect Gail has, too. Frank has always been a workaholic. Even back before he accepted that big promotion and moved to Saudi Arabia nine years ago, he was always far more married to his career in the oil business than he was to me. And when he left for Saudi Arabia, I won't lie. It hurt. It made me feel rejected, abandoned, and angry, but I eventually learned to cope. What really got to me was the way it hurt Gail, having to grow up without a father all these years. He may have provided for her financially, but he was never there. He was never present in his daughter's life when she needed him as she was growing up. I could understand Frank losing interest in me and leaving for Saudi Arabia to lead his own life, but leaving his own child? Frank always claims he does it so he can provide a more comfortable life for us, but we were doing just fine financially before he took that job abroad."

Emmet shook his head and told his sister, "No, Frank took that promotion and moved to Saudi Arabia for Frank and for no other reason. The man's so entrenched by the idea of climbing one step higher on that endless corporate ladder that he can't see anything else beyond it, not even his own wife and child. He knew perfectly well that with the archaic way women are still treated in Saudi Arabia, moving there with him and raising your daughter in that kind of environment was never an option. And I just want to state for the record that Frank – or any man on this planet for that matter – who loses interest in a woman as lovely and wonderful as you is clearly out of his mind."

Elizabeth laughed a bit and responded, "You're just prejudiced because I'm your big sister."

"Alright, perhaps I am a little prejudiced, but it happens to be true," Emmet insisted as he turned Elizabeth on the dance floor.

The next moment, after Elizabeth was back in her brother's arms resuming their dance, she said, "Well, thank you, brother, dear. I'll take a compliment wherever I can get it. And anyway, as I said, if this had happened years ago, I would have been furious at Frank for not taking some of the vacation time he's got saved up and coming to be here for our daughter's college graduation, but I think Gail and I have gotten used to this sort of thing by now. We both have had to learn to do a lot of things on our own without Frank, and we did. Gail and I got through book reports and term papers and algebra tests and colds and the flu and teenage hormones and first crushes and first dates and old boyfriends and new boyfriends and four years of college without Frank. Getting through a college graduation without him? Piece of cake."

"That-a-girl, Liz," Emmet said kindly as he kissed her on the forehead. "Chin up."

"And besides, let's not forget that we get to spend the whole day with Gail and Aunt Maggie and all our other friends here at the party today, completely Hyacinth-free. Now if that isn't a cause for celebration, I don't know what is!" Elizabeth said aloud with a chuckle.

Before Emmet could respond, Maggie turned off the music and started tapping her champagne glass with her knife, getting the crowd's attention.

"Excuse me," her strong voice rang out through her lounge. She had a very lovely two-bedroom house, and almost all of the walls, including those of the lounge, were a simple eggshell white, filled with pictures of her with her husband, as well as pictures of the rest of her family. There were also numerous paintings on the walls throughout her house that were very exquisite and would have made Hyacinth quite jealous, and most of the floors throughout her house were a deep mahogany, and they were also adorned with incredibly lovely rugs. Ordinarily, there was a light blue settee and matching blue living chairs and other furniture in Maggie's lounge, but today, almost all of it had been moved out of the lounge so that all the guests would have plenty of room to dance. "Excuse me," her voice called out again. "Attention, everyone. Today is obviously a very special day. Today, our little Gail has graduated from college – and made me feel very old," she joked, and everyone responded with a laugh. "I can remember when this girl was only a baby. Heck, I can remember when her mother was only a baby! I watched Elizabeth and Emmet grow up, and then I watched our little Gail grow up as well. And now, our little Gail isn't so little anymore. Now, she's a college graduate and she's about to begin law school. Law school. Ladies and gentlemen, we have to face facts. Our little Gail is now an adult. Gail, when did you grow up?" Maggie teased her, and Gail laughed along with everybody else. "Liz, Emmet, when did you two grow up for that matter?"

"Well I did. Emmet still hasn't yet!" Elizabeth kidded, and again, everyone laughed, especially Maggie.

"Oh, Gail," Maggie finally continued, "I guess what I'm trying to say is…I'm proud of you. You've done your mother, your Uncle Emmet and me so proud. You've graduated from college with honors. You've grown up into not just a very beautiful, but also a very intelligent young lady who expects the highest standards from herself. I admire that. We all do. You're going to make a very fine attorney someday, and you are already a very fine young woman. Again, we're all so proud of you, and we love you. Happy Graduation Day, sweetheart," Maggie said as she held up her glass, which was about halfway filled with champagne, and in the next second the room filled with applause.

Gail immediately responded by walking up to Maggie and kissing her cheek. After a big hug, Maggie said, "I think it's time we heard a few words from our college graduate."

The young girl with long brunette hair and her mother's lovely blue eyes was hesitant at first, and she shook her head.

"Oh go on, Gail," Liz urged her on. "You'll be giving plenty of speeches in courtrooms in the future, anyway. Just think of this as practice. Go ahead."

Everyone there responded by further encouraging Gail with their applause, until finally, the young graduate was left with no choice but to speak up.

"Thank you," she began softly, and everybody began quieting down. "Thank you, everybody. Well, I knew when I was fifteen years-old and I first decided that I wanted to be an attorney that I'd have a long road ahead of me – four years of college, then four more years of law school – but I knew in the end that it would all be worth it. I've officially reached the half-way point of the journey today, and I know I never could have done it without all your love and support," Gail said.

The crowd answered with a big, "Aw."

"I especially want to thank my mum and my Aunt Maggie. Mum, you were always there for me every step of the way, believing in me every single day. You helped me to have confidence in myself. And Aunt Maggie, just like my mother and my Uncle Emmet, you've always been there for me every time I needed you. It was thanks to your generosity that I was and still am able to have a roof over my head while I continue my education here in London. I can't thank you guys enough for everything you did for me."

Applause filled the room once more, and Liz didn't hesitate to throw her arms around her only child and give her a big hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, Gail, I can't tell you how proud of you I am," Elizabeth beamed.

"And I'm equally proud," Emmet added, and then he too kissed his niece on the cheek. "You've done an exemplary job."

"I'll say! Not every mother can say that her daughter graduated from university with honors and got accepted into law school," Elizabeth bragged.

"I guess it's a good thing I have a better head for the classroom than I have for romance. My choices in love haven't exactly been wise," Gail kidded with a roll of her eyes.

"Well you'll gain more wisdom as you get older, dear. Don't you worry about that," Maggie suddenly chimed in, and they all greeted her with kind smiles.

"Yes, love, Aunt Maggie's right," Emmet agreed. "With age comes wisdom. And anyway, it's much better that you found out what an idiot Harold is now, not ten years and two kids later."

"You're right, Uncle Emmet," Gail agreed. "It wasn't exactly fun walking into our flat four months ago and discovering him with that blonde bimbo, but like you said, Emmet, it's much better that I found out now and not after ten years of marriage and two kids. Maybe this whole idea of 'finding your true love' is overrated. I'm probably better off just focusing on my career."

"Yes, well, call me old-school and naïve, but I still believe in true love," said Liz. "I still believe there's someone out there for everyone. You'll find your Mr. Right one of these days, Gail. But I think Aunt Maggie and Emmet are right. I think perhaps it is better to wait until you're a little older first before you get that serious about anybody again."

Elizabeth didn't want to say it out loud in that moment, and certainly not where so many other people could overhear her, but the truth was, she had never been very happy about Gail's previous living arrangement with Harold. She would have preferred for Gail to have waited until she was a little older and more mature – and married – before she moved in with a man. Liz wasn't some kind of prudish killjoy, of course, but because of her Christian faith, she believed premarital sex was wrong, and she did have old-fashioned values. But while she had let Gail know how she felt about it when she decided to move in with her then boyfriend, Liz was never condescending or judgmental about it like Hyacinth had been, and in the end, the mother and daughter decided to agree to disagree on the whole subject and move on. And when Harold suddenly ended things with Gail a few months ago and broke her heart, Liz was hurt right along with her daughter, but she knew in the long run that it was probably for the best. Gail had only been nineteen years-old when she'd moved in with Harold, and Liz felt that that was still much too young for her to be getting in such a serious relationship.

"And there's another bright side to all of this as well," said Maggie. "Had you not seen that two-timing Harold for who he really was, you would probably still be living with him in his flat over the next four years while you finish law school. Now, I'll have my favorite great-niece here, living with me."

Gail was really touched by her great-aunt's kind words, and after kissing her cheek, she told her, "Aunt Maggie, you're so sweet."

"Just telling the truth, my dear."

"Gail's right, Aunt Maggie. You're the sweetest, most thoughtful aunt anybody could hope for. And speaking as a mother, it means the world to me to know that my Gail is going to be here with you as she goes to law school – and not with Harold," Elizabeth said pointedly.

"Hear, hear," Emmet agreed.

Moments later, the discussion turned to other topics. They got to talking about Gail's classes in law school and what her plans were for her future career, and Elizabeth scolded Gail for not getting enough sleep because she could clearly see it in her daughter's eyes that she was tired. Gail, however, dismissed her mother's concerns, blaming her fatigue on all the preparing she had to do for her finals and then for her graduation day. Then the subject changed again, and they got to talking about Emmet's latest project with the local amateur operatic society that he was in charge of. Overall, it was a calm, contented, easy day for Elizabeth and Emmet. No hassles. No headaches. No Hyacinth. Just family, friends, good food, good music, dancing, and pleasant conversation. That was how Liz and Emmet spent the day at Gail's graduation party in London, and it was an immense blessing they greatly appreciated. Little did they know that their happy day together, their brief reprieve from Hyacinth, was just the calm before the storm. After the storm hit, they would never again be the people they were now on Gail's special day.