I have 5 kids and the oldest is 9, im 17.

chapter 7

I looked at her again, yes it was her!, I screamed and ran at her, she looked taken aback. Matt pulled me off her and Tom sideled up beside us. "I would like you to leave," he said quietly "darling, i dont think you understand, I'm back for good" she said with a smirk on her face. "Get out" i screamed at her. " What is wrong with you kids, i'm here for my husbands funeral, to be here for my kids all  six off you,", "SEVEN .. there is SEVEN off us how could you get that wrong, You lost that privelage when you walked out on us! I was 10, the eldest girl, you left me in charge of 2  7 week old babies, and a 2 year old.. how dare you?" "Oh la di dah! Do i care? Well now i am taking my babies with me, to live in turin!" "You can't do that! You cant just take away my children, I AM their MAMMY!! Not you ME!" 

She ran up to see my babies, i tried to stop her! She looked at the kids, and turned to glare at me; "YOU WHORE" The whole church turned to look at her! I stood there stunned, " how dare you call my girlfriend a whore," screamed Matt, i looked at him stunned. "The baby i left here was a boy, not a girl! he was 6 hours old! I never even got to change him or feed him, Now where is he?" She roughly picked up Gabby, "you are a horrible baby" and she went to drop her, suddenly the baby had been swooped from her arms and she was lying on the ground, the man who had accompanied her ws soon by her side! She quickly turned around to glare at Tom and Benny. "To think i was only going to take home the boys, not ah chance now." "Get out of here, we never want to see you again!" yelled Tom. 

She qucikly rose and left the building, i looked out the door of the church to make sure she was gone when i saw a little girl of about 5 chasing after their car, she was screaming DADDY..DADDY...! I ran to her and asked her what was wrong ? she told me her daddy and his new wife had left her here! I picked her up and hugged her she winced and cried in pain, i looked to the back of her legs and neck and saw that she was covered in burns and bruises. faded and new. I asked her who done it to her and she replied "Daddy and his new wife," that made me sick to the stomach my own mother had abused a child. 

All of a sudden i heard the church bell signal, oh crap my daddy's mass was about to start.

I picked up this tiny balck haired child and looked into her brown eyes, i made a promise to myself that i would protect her, as though she was my own.I asked her what her name was and she timidly replied "Scarlotte".  I ran inside and sat down with this little one beside me. The priest came came out and began the mass with a prayer.. I could hardly listen to the priest as he read on, i had many flashbacks of my father and the 17 years i spent with him. I remember one time we had just come home from school and mammy was running a man out the back door, I remember Daddy looked very sad. She had screamed at him all night and when Daddy tucked me into bed i promised him that i will marry him when i was older so i didn't have to live without him, I must of been 5 or 6. I came back to reality when i realised Tom had stood up and was ushering Benny, Cáitlin and Sheila to read the prayers of the faithful along with Dads sister Betty, everyone clapped and smiled at the kids and i could see how proud they were of each other as they walked down infront of the coffin and beamed. Eventually it was time to say goodbye and i walked up to the coffin with Gabby and Aaron on my hip and the twins infront of me, Tom was already up their with Benny. we all said goodbye to our Dad and we each made him promises, I promised that i would care for all these children, I believe that he had something to do with me becoming a mother to another child, even if it was indirect and from heaven. I smiled and sat down. As we sat down, I heard Benny whispering something to a giggling Shiela, who passed it on to Cáitlin who shreiked. I asked her what was so funny and she replied that the old lady behind them kept on making rude noises, Tom heard and so did Scarlotte,we all started to laugh hysterically and I looked around and saw the whole congregation in shock at us! This made me laugh harder soon joined in by Betty and Aaron and even Gabby giggled happily. The laughter seemed infectious and the whole church seemed to laugh!

After the service, we walked the short walk in the cold to the graveyard. The childrens eyes had lit up since the incident in the church and they looked happy for the first time since last friday. We walked into the graveyard and all 8 of us including Scarlotte stood around the grave. Tom shoveled in the first piece of dirt and i threw in the second, then Betty threw in some as did Benny and. Then each of us threw in a rose. after the graveyard service, we stood around for a while talking, whilst the kids ran around playing with Bettys kids, Jason was my age and he was playing with the kids, Mary was 11 and Catrióna was 6. the children played together happily for half an hour, before the funeral party followed us down to our house. The house was cold so Tom and Benny set the fires in the kitchen, dining room and sittingroom before lighting the two upstairs ones. The house began to heat up and was nice and toasty by the time our visitors arrived. We spent many hours remembering our Dad with various guests. It was half 12 before the final visitors left, and we were all knackered, the twins had fallen asleep on the sofa beside each other in the sitting room and Aaron and Scarlotte had fallen asleep on the carpet beside the dying fire, Gabby was asleep in her moses basket since half 7. I walked into the sittingroom and i was looking at my children when Matt came up behind me and hugged my waist. I looked up and smiled at him. We sneakily crept up the stairs and into my room, we kissed passionately and lay in the bed together side by side, I fit perfectly into the curve of his body and together we just lay and slept until late the next morning.