“Spoiled?" Mum cuts her off with a laugh. "Nonsense! There's nothing wrong with Minnie, is there, my precious? She knows her own mind!" She strokes Minnie's hair fondly, then looks up again. "Becky, love, you were exactly the same at her age. Exactly the same.”

“Becky! Love!" Mum has pushed her way through her dancing guests to reach me. "What's wrong? Has labor started?"Honestly. My family has no idea about contemporary urban street dance trends.”

“She believes in love and romance. She believes her life is one day going to be transformedinto something wonderful and exciting. She has hopes and fears and worries, just like anyone.Sometimes she feels frightened.' He pauses, and adds in a softer voice, 'Sometimes she feelsunloved. Sometimes she feels she will never gain approval from those people who are mostimportant to her.'As I stare at Jack's warm, serious face on the screen, I feel my eyes stinging slightly.'But she's brave and goodhearted and faces her life head on …' He shakes his head dazedlyand smiles at the interviewer. 'I'm … I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened there. I guess Igot a little carried away. Could we—' His voice is abruptly cut off by the interviewer.”

“Luke!...We have to be able to do cool dancing so we don't embarrass our child!""I'm a very cool dancer," replies Luke. "Very cool indeed,""No you're not!""I had dance lessons in my teens, you know," he retorts. "I can waltz like Fred Astire.""Waltz?" I echo derisively. "That's not cool! We need to know all the street moves. Watch me."I do a couple funky head-wriggle body-pop maneuvers, like they do on rap videos. When I look up, Luke is gaping at me."Sweetheart," he says. "What are you doing?""It's hip-hop!" I say. "It's street!""Becky! Love!" Mum has pushed her way through her dancing guests to reach me. "What's wrong? Has labour started?"Honestly. My family has no idea about contemporary urban steet dance trends.”

“Jennifer Aniston and Her New Man'" I read the words aloud uncertainly. "What new man? Why would she need a new man?""Oh yes." Nicole follows my gaze, unconcerned. "You know she split up from Brad Pitt?""Jennifer and Brad split?" I stare up at her, aghast. "You can't be serious! They can't have done!""He went off with Angelina Jolie. They've got a daughter.""No!" I wail. "But Jen and Brad were so perfect together! They looked so good and they had that lovely wedding picture and everything....""They're divorced now." Nicole shrugs, like it's no big deal.I can't get over this. Jennifer and Brad divorced. The world is a different place.”

“Lover? I don't know. I don't know if she loves me. I don't know if I love her. All I can say is, she's the one I think about. All the time. She's the voice I want to hear. She's the face I hope to see.”

“She believes in love and romance. She believes her life is one day going to be transformed into something wonderful and exciting. She has hopes and fears and worries, just like anyone. Sometimes she feels frightened. Sometimes she feels unloved. Sometimes she feels she will never gain approval from those people who are most important to her. But she’s brave and good-hearted and faces her life head-on.”