Cheryl hastily pulled herself out of Simon grasp and wander upstairs to her daughter's bedroom. She looked around and sighed when she noticed Lola wasn't painted on the door and no children's drawings were stuck up, it made her heart ache and she wanted to go back to their real home in France. She wanted Lola to have her familiar surroundings, to have her friends around her and for everything to become less complicated than how she felt it was becoming. She knocked on the door softly, "Lola?" she rolled her eyes when there was no response, "Lollipop? Sweetie? Can I come in?"
Cheryl smiled when she heard a muffled yes and she cautiously opened the door. Her heart dropped when she saw her daughter huddled up on her bed with quilt wrapped around her and her bear tucked tightly under her chin. Cheryl sat on the floor next to Lola's bed and stroked her head softly, "what's up pet?"
She watched as the little girl rolled over and opened her big chocolate eyes so she was staring into Cheryl's own. She gripped the bear under her chin tighter before she bit the edge of her lip and shook her head, "Lollipop do I need to tickle you?" Cheryl threatened with a slight giggle as she raised her hands up so Lola could see them etching forward. A small smile formed on her face and she wriggled her body under the quilt in an attempt to move away from Cheryl's hands that she knew would tickle her the second they reached her. Her eyes fixed upon the manicured nails that were heading her way and she couldn't help but chuckle as Cheryl waggled her fingers at her daughter.
"Mam no!" she squealed, "I'll tell, I'll tell!"
Cheryl smiled at her and then laughed softly; she observed as Lola sat up in bed and then cheekily patted the space besides her letting her mother know she could sit on her stripy bed sheet. The two girls held hands as Lola began to explain her behaviour towards her already knowing mother, "I miss France. I miss home. I miss school. I miss my friends" she grumbled.
"Well baby you're not missing school cos its Christmas holidays remember, so even if we were at home you wouldn't be there and that means you wouldn't be seeing all your friends. Just Tatiana and Valencina and I promise you can see them the day we go back" Cheryl explained all the while rubbing her fingers in soft circular patterns across her child's hand.
"When do we get to go home?" Lola asked noticing that was the only one of her worries Cheryl hadn't answered.
"When Mam's finished her work. It'll be after Christmas though sweetie, but think you'll get to have your first Christmas in the snow with all your family. Nana Joan can come, and all your uncles and aunts too. It'll be a proper family Christmas like how Mam used to have them when she was little"
"Will Simon be there?" she stammered quietly.
"I expect so, he'll want to have Christmas with his baby girl" Cheryl answered quickly although even she was unsure of what Simon would actually be doing for the day. She guessed after his persistence to put Lola to bed that he wouldn't want to miss the festivities for the first time with his child.
"I want Christmas at home, just me and you. Like always" Lola began to cry, "I wish you never found my daddy. I don't like having one, I like it just me and you"
Cheryl pulled her daughter onto her knee and hugged her like there was no tomorrow. She didn't shout at her or scream, she knew it took a lot to adjust to a new parent. When her own dad had gotten remarried it took awhile for Cheryl to get used to the new figure in her life so she knew Lola was finding it difficult and on top of that they were in a different country to the one she was used to, despite her being born in Newcastle and having English roots through and through. Lola began to cry in her mother's arms, she had always wanted her proper father but now she desperately wanted things to go back to how they were.
There was a knock at the door and Cheryl turned round slowly, still keeping Lola wrapped in her arms. She was met with a distraught Simon, he had clearly heard everything Lola had said. "Shit" she whispered as he backed away from the door.
"Kimberley's downstairs" he mouthed to her and she nodded her thanks in return with a sorry look on her face that she knew he would be able to read.
"Lola, Kimble's come round to see you" Cheryl told her little girl in an effort to make her feel better and knowing that she would have to speak to Simon alone.
* * *
Simon sat in the front room, on the couch he had spent the night lying on with Cheryl. Where he had thought everything in his life was looking positive again. He should have known things were going too well to last, nothing that ever went right for him stayed. In fact he should have known that if it was anything regarding Cheryl then it was bound to end as soon as it had begun.
The door creaked open and Cheryl cautiously made her way over to him, Simon watched as she studied his eyes. She had this way of reading people through their expressions; much like the whole world did with hers. He could tell she knew he wasn't angry with their daughter, he was just upset and truthfully he was as confused as Lola was about the new situation they had found themselves in.
"How much did you hear?" Cheryl asked as she sat down next to him, wary of revealing something to him which he hadn't heard and that could send him over the edge.
"Enough" he stated, "It's okay though. I get it, it's ridiculously stupid to expect a seven year old little girl who has only had her mother in her life to welcome her father with open arms after just one day"
Simon watched as Cheryl's eyes widened to a size he had never thought possible, she obviously wasn't expecting that response from him. "I know when my dad died we couldn't get used to it. It took time and I suppose losing a parent is similar to gaining one. It's a massive change but I hope you'll still let me see her, try to have a relationship with her. I know you said everything goes on what's best for Lola and right now..."
He was interrupted by Cheryl's lips crashing down on to his own, "Simon, shut up. She loves you. She just doesn't realise that's what's wrong with her yet. She misses her house, her friends and what she's used too. If I hadn't run away this wouldn't have happened, it's me own fault and you shouldn't have to suffer for the mistakes I made"
Simon smiled at her feistiness, it was clear that now she had the opportunity to build her child the family network she had never experienced there wasn't a chance in hell that Cheryl would let it pass by her.
"Don't even think I'm not gonna let you see her. You're not getting out of parenthood after one measly day" she winked as she continued to kiss him softly.
