Not the only one (formally Chloe)

Part 14

"Hey, Chloe."
"Hi, mum"
Chloe had agreed to meet her mum for lunch in pulses. "So I've spoken to your Gran. And she'd love to come down for Christmas. I haven't seen the rota yet but I recon I can sweet talk Mr Griffin to get Christmas Day off."
"I doubt I'll be able to get the whole day off." Chloe mused "but I'll try and get half a day off so I can eat dinner with you and Gran."
Ange smiled at her daughter "Chloe, I'm so glad you're talking to me again. I truly love you."
Chloe smiled but didn't answer
"So what's going on in your life?" Her mother asked.
"Urm well I think I'm going to move in with Evan. The girls I live with are all moving on."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"Ange said.
"Mum, Evan is my boyfriend. Seriously. What's your problem with him. I'm an adult and..."
"Chloe. I'm sorry." Ange interrupted. "You're my daughter and I don't want to see you get hurt."
"Mum. Evan would never hurt me. He's been amazing these last few months while I've been trying to process...everything"
"Look Chloe, I know I've made some mistakes but I never ment to hurt you. I know that it has and whenever you're ready to start to forgive me and have a serious talk with me, and Dom, if you want. I'm here and ready."
"Not yet okay. I'm not ready. Not yet. Baby steps." Chloe smiled and touched her mums hand. Ange smiled baby steps had always been something she'd said to Chloe as a child and teen. That everything would be fine so long as she kept moving forward even if she was taking baby steps. "Baby steps." Ange agreed.
"How's your sandwich?" Chloe asked and Ange knew the vulnerable moment had passed. She'd never lied to Chloe before. At least nothing more serious than Father Christmas and the tooth fairy. She had told Chloe about her father as soon as she was old enough to understand. Or perhaps even before. She still regretted telling her in the way she did. But how do you tell a teenager she's the product or rape but that she is still so loved and wanted. There's no instructions on that. They carried on an amicable conversation, all surface level though. The weather, their respective wards and how Chloe's project was going. But it was all small talk.
Chloe hadn't actually spoken to Evan about moving in with him. She was anxious. Irrational she knew. She was on Darwin and spotted Evan up for a consult. "Do you have a minute?" She asked. "Yes. Is everything okay Chloe?"
"Yes yes, I was wondering. I've been spending so much time at yours and I've been thinking, maybe I should move in. I know it's rude of me to ask, but the girls are moving out. And I don't see the point of flat hunting and paying rent when I spend so much time at yours. I'll pay half the rent and stuff." She tailed off.
"Chloe, that sounds like a wonderful idea. You're always a lot better with me than the girls. So long as you don't make me paint the walls pink." He smiled down at her and she smiled back. Although She still felt uneasy but put it down to being a big change. So many girls move in with their partners far quicker than her and Evan. It had been almost a year!

"Chloe fancy drinks tonight with me and Cam." Nicky asked later as their shifts finished and Evan came to pick her up. "Sure." Chloe smiled. "I was planning to take you out to celebrate?" Evan said.
"Celebrate what?" Nicky asked.
"Chloe's moving in with me." Evan smiled.
"Maybe another time hey Nic." Chloe smiled apologetically.
"Ok, we'll miss you Chlo."
"Where are you taking me then?" Chloe asked Evan cheekily. Hoping he'd let her choose. "I was thinking sushi. I know you enjoy it and it's low calorie and full of omega 3."
"Fab." Chloe smiled. She wasn't so fussed about the calorific content of sushi, she just liked the way it tasted. If he had asked she would have chosen sushi or pizza anyway. And Evan was right, sushi was much healthier.

He took her to a restaurant she'd never been to before, far more expensive, and authentic looking than her usual chain sushi restaurant. "Oh this is fancy!" Chloe smiled
"Anything for my beautiful girlfriend." He smiled kindly. "So. How was your day Chloe?"
"Good. I was in theatre this morning, then had lunch with mum."
"You never told me you were talking to her again." Evan said.
"Oh yeah sorry. I realised the other day that my Gran would be all alone this Christmas in Scotland. And you know how close I am with Gran. So I texted mum to see if she'd thought about that. So she's invited Gran to hers for Christmas, I'm so excited to spend Christmas with Gran like the good old days."
"Oh." Evan said.
"What?" Chloe asked.
"I thought we'd spend Christmas together." Evan asked puzzled.
"Christmas is a time for family. Aren't you spending it with your mum and Phoebe and the boys? I bet Zach and Jasper are already excited for Father Christmas."
"They are." Evan smiled as he often did when he spoke of his nephews. "Zach wants some games console I've never heard of, and Jasper wants a proper bike, now he can go the length of the garden without stabilisers." He looked at Chloe. "I'll just have to hope my mum hadn't bought the food or planned anything. Since I told her I wouldn't be there."
Evan said. "I'm sorry," Chloe replied "but we never discussed it and I've agreed with my mum and Gran now."
"No,it's  fine" Evan said "you must spend Christmas with you family if that's what you want." Evan Looked at her.
"We can definitely have a fake Christmas together. I can cook a roast. Or we can go out, when we're both free, maybe just before Christmas or in Crimbo Limbo." Chloe rambled trying to come up with an idea.
"Crimbo Limbo?" Evan asked.
"Y'know, that week between Christmas and New Year when no one works except doctors."
"I guess. Won't be the same as spending the actual day with you though." Evan said and Chloe felt awful. She should have spoken to Evan before agreeing to spend Christmas with mum and Gran. "Well we might both end up working. Everywhere else I've worked they always make the newest staff members work for at least part of Christmas. And neither of us have been here that long. Plus if you're not. Christmas will be so magical with your nephews. I'd love to meet them one day." Chloe had heard so much about Evan's family. She's never met them but had seen so many photos and heard stories. "My family is so tiny in comparison. Just me, mum and Gran..and grandpa until he died... and Dom. And God knows who else to be honest." She sighed and shook her head.
"Chloe it's okay, you don't need to think about them right now. See even thinking about your family makes you upset. Maybe you should stay away from your mum." He soothed.
"That's what I have been doing and I can't stay mad at her forever...she's my mum. She's the only person I've got."
"No Chloe. She's not, you've got me!"