Loving Family

Faye: Dreams of the bad kind

Heads up this part contains a flashback which contains a dream... and is longer than I intended.

After Benjamin's first day of school I was a little bit calmer. I'd been so nervous it was a relief. The second he'd told Evalynn and I he'd had a nice first day and started making friends it had made me a lot more relaxed. And Evalynn's first term of year 8 was going well too, she was still friends with Kathryn, even if they'd hardly seen each other over the summer, and she was forever telling me all about the things they got up to so I was happy for her as well. For a few weeks things were calm and wonderful and we found a routine. Most days I'd end up taking Benjamin to school, having seen Evalynn off to her bus, and Mick would go out to work, though about once a week Mick'd take Benjamin to school instead and I'd get a lie in. I then had to get Benjamin from school and we'd play games until Evalynn got home when she'd usually join in. It was the end of September things got a little more complicated. For the first time since Evalynn had moved home Mick had to go further away than London overnight for work and I was a little apprehensive. Not about looking after both the children alone, that I knew I would manage, but about him being in a different country. His boss had been kind and let him get away with not travelling when Evalynn had first moved home - I guess thinking she'd need care, consistency and attention like any other adopted child would - but ultimately we'd both known sooner or later he end up having to go to another country again. I just hadn't wanted that time to come. He'd been good about it just like he always had, explaining to Evalynn about it in as much detail as he thought was appropriate and telling Benjamin how long he was going to be away for like always. We'd made an agreement about that a long time ago. That if ever one of us needed to be away for work and leave the other in charge of Benjamin we had to show him on a map where we were going and tell him how long it'd be before we were back. And it did help a lot, it had just been complicated when I'd been on tour.

On the day he was due to go away it was a pleasant surprise to see Evalynn run and give him the biggest goodbye hug. Mick had been a little surprised at first, clearly not expecting such a enthusiastic goodbye cuddle, but had slipped his arms around her after a moment and given me a smile of "oh my gosh I can't believe this is happening I'm very happy right now". Unwilling to take my eyes off the scene to go find breakfast, I'd watched them hug with a proud and equally happy grin. Despite not being related except through me they did love each other a lot.
"I'll miss you." Evalynn told him when they pulled apart.
Mick sighed. "I know, I'll miss you too, but I'll see you on Friday."
Evalynn nodded, then ran to go find her water bottle.
"That was sweet." I told him quietly. I never liked to make a big thing out of seeing the two of them together, but I'm pretty sure they both knew how I felt.
"Yeah, and a little unexpected if you couldn't tell." He replied with a little laugh.
I smiled. "I've told you, she does love you. I think you're becoming like a dad to her."
"Are you two talking about me?" Evalynn asked as she ran back into the hallway, this time dropping her bag and running back upstairs to her room. She groaned at Benjamin who clearly got in her way, but as I peered up the stairs everything seemed fine. Benjamin picked his way carefully down the stairs as Evalynn ran back down past him, her pe bag slung over her one shoulder and grabbed her school bag before stopping to give me a hug and a very rushed kiss.
"I love you mamma." She told me.
"I love you too. What's wrong?"
She checked the time on her phone and groaned. "The clock in the kitchen..."
"Is a few minutes fast. Yep I know, it has been for ages, just haven't changed it back yet."
"Oh for..."
I cut her off before she could swear by gently congratulating her on being ready early. She sighed and sat down, not wanting to be stood out in the cold waiting for the bus too long I guessed, and I smiled at her before going to help Benjamin find breakfast and to eat something myself. With a last quick little goodbye to Evalynn, Mick went upstairs to sort himself out. Just before she needed to leave Evalynn said bye to Benjamin and I, called up the stairs her daily bye to Mick and then left.