As we neared closer to where we were meeting Tracy, nerves started to build up in my stomach, from now on I would be responsible for Rosie, not like I didn't take care of her like a mum since she had been at Arsenal anyways. As I turned the corner into the car park where only one other car was parked, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves as I parked.
Beth got out first, with me following not long after. As we got out the woman in the other car got out. As she got out I could see her matted hair pulled back into a messy bun, her dirty baggy clothes hanging off her body and a distinctive smell of cigarettes wafted in our direction. I gathered the courage to walk up to the woman, presuming it was Tracy.
I was right, the guilt started to build up inside of me. If Rosie's mum smelt this much of cigarettes and alcohol I wonder what the house smelled like. Her only escape was football, it was all she had to get away from the stench and the neglect she was obviously receiving from her mother.
I brought up the courage to speak first.
"Hi, I'm Leah you must be Tracy" The woman turned around and looked me up and down in disgust.
"That's me, here's the key, it's number 6, where are the papers?" She was obviously in a rush somewhere.
"Oh there just here, you just need to sign here, and here please" I say handing her the sheets of paper I had in my hand, along with a pen I had bought in the shop when we got our breakfast. I handed Beth the key as she went to go and find the unit whilst I waited for Tracy to sign the papers.
"Right it's there now, tell her never to contact me again."
"OH- okay I will" I said shocked at her tone and the way she addressed Rosie "Thank you" She just grunted got back in her car and sped off leaving me standing there in the middle of the car park. I was brought out of my daze when Beth put her hand on my shoulder.
"Leah, I've found it, come on" She said, taking the papers out of my hand and placing them in the back of my seat in the car grabbing half of the boxes I had out in my car leaving me the rest of them to carry.
We spent a few hours packing up boxes of stuff, whilst looking through a bag of Rosie's baby photos, she always had a ball at her feet. There were a few pictures of when she was around seven, probably just before her dad died, she had a massive cheesy grin on her face as she had the ball underneath her foot and a trophy in her hand.
Once we had finished packing up all the boxes and fitting them into the car it was pretty dark outside and we realised that we had been there for six and a half hours. We decided on just getting a Dominoes for tea and taking it back to the hotel room which Beth had gone and checked into earlier in the day. We went and picked up our order and then made our way back to the hotel.
We had just booked a room with one bed as we both didn't mind sharing with each other. We sat on the bed in silence and ate our pizza's the Tv on in the background.
"I'm going to go and get into my pyjamas" I said to Beth, standing up from the bed and grabbing the pyjamas I packed in my bag. When I had walked out of the bathroom Beth was already in her pyjamas and under the covers looking for something to watch on the TV.
I climbed into bed as Beth picked something out on the TV for us. We just led there in silence as we watched whatever she had put on. As I was thinking about my interaction with Tracy, tears started rolling down my face. After a few minutes Beth looked to her side and saw me crying. She immediately brought me in for a hug without saying anything, just letting me cry.
"What's wrong Le?" She said after my sobs had softened and there were only a few tears rolling down my cheeks.
"I was just thinking about how horrible Ro's mum was today, and I was led there thinking if that's how she treated us, then how much was Ro neglected because I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be much better to her than she was to us"
"Oh Leah," Beth said pulling me back in for another hug, "She's ok now though, we got her out of there. We didn't even know her when she lived with her mum."
"I know I just keep thinking about it, but i'm glad we got her out of there"
"Yeah now all that's left is to wait a bit for you to ask her and then she will be yours, officially, she doesn't have to go back there anymore"
"I know, i'm glad"
"Yeah I know you are, we all are, how about we get some sleep and you can ring her in the morning."
"Yeah, I will before we set off back home"
"Ok, well i'm going to sleep now, but if you need me just wake me up"
"Ok thanks" I said.
She turned the TV off and then turned to her side to get some sleep. Whilst I picked my phone up and just sent Rosie a simple message.
Leah: I love you Rosie never forget that xx
Knowing that she was probably asleep put my mind at ease, and soon enough I fell asleep dreaming of the day I'm going to ask Rosie if she would be my daughter, for the rest of her life.
Chapter twenty-four
Start from the beginning
