“I’m leaving you, and you’ll never see the child again!” shouted Jane. “I want us to have a proper familyno outsiders!”
“Jane, calm down! There *are* no outsiders in our family!” Alexander tried to soothe his wife. “Emily is our daughter too!”
“Alex, lets just send Emily back to the orphanage!”
“Have you gone mad? ‘Send her back’? What kind of talk is that?” Alexander stared at her, baffled.
“Well, yes! Just like that!” Jane tossed her curls. “Were having our *own* child soonwhy do we need someone elses?”
“Jane! Maybe this *is* happening *because* we helped a little orphan find a home! *You* were the one who insisted on adopting her!”
“I never thought wed have our own babythats why I pushed for it. What kind of family doesnt have children?”
Five-year-old Emily stood outside her parents bedroom door, unable to believe what shed just heard. She wasnt *theirs*? They wanted to send her *back*?
Tears spilled down her cheeks. Shed been so excited about the new baby brother or sister and now, because of it, she was losing her family.
As if sensing something, Alex got up and walked to the doorwhere he found Emily, crying.
“Daddy am I not really yours?” Her huge, terrified eyes searched his face.
“Of course you are, sweetheart!” Alex scooped her up. “Absolutely ours!”
“But you said you wanted to send me back to the orphanage! That means Im not, doesnt it?” She wiped her tears stubbornly.
“Yes, we brought you home from there, but that doesnt make you any less ours! We love you so much! Mummys just hormonal because of the baby Come on, lets get you to bed.”
***
“Im leaving you, and youll never see the child again!” Jane shrieked. “I want a *proper* familyno outsiders!”
“Jane, *stop it*! There *are* no outsiders here!” Alex pleaded. “Emily *is* our daughter!”
“I didnt give birth to her! Shes *not* my child!” Jane only grew angrier. “Choose: her or me!”
Alex helped pack Emilys things.
“Youll stay with Gran for a while, just until Mummy calms down,” he told his daughter. “Once the babys here, shell come round, and well bring you home, alright?”
Emily nodded.
Shed agree to *anything* if it meant not going back to the orphanage. Besides, she loved Gran. Gran was kind and always had something sweet for her.
“Gran if Mummy really wants to send me away, can I just live with you instead?” Emily asked the moment they arrived.
Lydia Edwardovna shot her son a sharp look. He gave a sheepish smile.
“Janes hormones are all over the place!”
“Of *course* you can, my darling!” Gran helped Emily out of her coat. “But Mummy *wont* send you awayyoure *her* daughter! Shes just upset, thats all!”
***
Two months passed. Emily stayed with Gran. Her father visited less and less, torn between work and the hospital, where Jane was on bed rest.
One morning, while Gran made breakfast, Emily stared out the window. Spotting her fathers car, she gasped.
“Gran! Daddys here!”
“This early?” Gran frowned.
He never came before lunch. Something was wrong. She told Emily to stay put and went to meet him.
“Jane didnt make it. The labour started, and she couldnt pull through. The baby either.” Alex slumped onto the hallway bench, exhausted.
The three of them sat at the kitchen table, untouched tea cooling in front of them.
“Mum, Im taking Emily home. Its time.”
“If youd like, I can stay with you both for a while,” Gran offered gently.
“Thanks, Mum”
***
Emily eagerly examined her new hair ribbons. Soon, shed be a *proper* schoolgirl! Her smart uniform and bright backpack were already waiting.
The front door creaked open. *Daddy!*
“Daddy!” She rushed to greet himbut he wasnt alone. A petite, slender woman stood beside him.
“Sweetheart, this is Lizzie. Shes going to live with us!” Alex said with forced cheer.
“Hello, Emily!” Lizzie smiled warmly, holding out a bouquet. “These are for youfor your first day of school.”
“Hi,” Emily muttered, ignoring the flowers as she stomped to her room.
“Dont take it personally,” she heard Alex reassure Lizzie. “Shes really very sweet, deep down.”
“Oh, Im sure well be friends,” Lizzie replied.
*Yeah, right!* Emily thought, slamming her door.
Alex and Lizzie married quietly. Soon, he was offered a promotion, vanishing into work.
Lizzie took over Emilys carehelping with homework, attending parents evenings, taking her to the cinema. Slowly, the girl thawed.
But then, at the end of term, came another blow: Lizzie was pregnant. Emily locked herself in her room, sobbing.
Lizzie begged through the door. “Emily, please dont cry! I *love* you! Id *never* send you away! Youll always be my girl!”
“Really?” Emily emerged, tear-stained.
“Of *course*!” Lizzie hugged her tight. “Youre *my* childno ones taking you from me!”
Months later, Emily cradled her baby brother, marvelling at how tiny he was.
“Mum! Look how funny he is!” She hadnt even realised shed called Lizzie *Mum*.
Lizzie, blinking back happy tears, hugged her again.
Two years passed. Emily started Year Fourthen disaster struck. Alex died in a car crash. She and Lizzie moved through the days mechanically, caring for little Colin, avoiding words.
One evening, after Colin fell asleep, Lizzie sat beside Emily.
“Emily, this cant go on. We *have* to keep living. Daddys gone, but were still here. Lets try, alright?”
“Alright,” Emily agreed.
But trouble never comes alone. Just as they found their footing, a knock came.
A stern woman from social services demanded Emily pack for the childrens homeshe had no legal guardian now.
“What? *Im* here!” Lizzie protested.
“Show me the adoption papers,” the woman snapped. There *were* none. “Exactly. The grandmothers too old, and *youre* no one to her. Come along, Emily.”
Unlike Lizzie, Emily didnt cry. She didnt *care* anymore. Her worst fear had happenedshe was alone.
“I *will* get you back!” Lizzie called after her. But Emily didnt believe her.
*Who wants an orphan?* she thought bitterly. *When Daddy was alive, they loved me. Now? Im nothing.*
Lizzie visited often, but Emily refused to see her. Eventually, the visits stopped.
*There. Shes done playing mother.*
Two months later
“Emily! The headmistress wants you!” yelled Tommy, the resident troublemaker.
*What now? I havent done anything.*
“Emily, congratulationsyouve been placed with a family!” the headmistress announced. “Well, not quite a *full* family, but still!”
“I dont *want* a family,” Emily muttered. “I dont have luck with them.”
“Luck or not, youre going. Pack your things!”
Emily obeyed, numb. Outside, standing by the gates, was *Lizzie.*
“What are *you* doing here?”
“Ive come for you.”
“Ive already been adopted.”
“By *me*.”
“*You?*” Emilys voice cracked.
“Yes! I *told* youyoure *my* child, and Im *never* letting you go! Single mums dont get adoption approval easily, but I fought. And, well bribes *do* still exist. So now were a *proper* family! Come onColins missed you.”
“Alright Mum.”
