The next weekend Roger and Alice are on the train on the way to meet his parents in Truro, he didn't want to tell them this news over the phone but he did tell his mum he was bringing someone to meet them. It's felt like the kind of news to receive in person.
On the train, Alice stared out the window watching the world go by until she fast asleep tucked into his side bunny under her arm, adding to her cuteness. He spent the entire journey trying to figure out what he's going to tell them.
He's sure his mum and sister will love Alice after getting over the initial shock but he's not sure about his dad. His parents split up a few years before Roger moved to London but they're civil towards each other.
Getting closer to the Truro station Roger wakes her up. Grabbing their bags from the luggage rack he slips her backpack on her back, lifting her on his hip and picks up his bag.
Leaving the station they hop into a taxi and he points out places of interest to his daughter as they go by, his schools, the park he used to hang out at with his mates.
The taxi pulls up outside the house and he quickly pays, settling Alice back on his hip and walks up the path of his childhood home, "You ready?" He asks his daughter brushing some hair back from her eyes.
She shakes her head, "They'll love you, just be yourself," He assures her walking into the house.
"Mum? Clare?" He calls out through the house, no answer. He noticed the back door open and steps out into the garden calling their names again.
Clare looks up from her magazine, sat at the table her jaw drops. "Oh," Winifred jumps up from her seat scaring the dog sat on her lap. She turns to hug her son but stops seeing the little girl on his hip, "Well, when you said you were bringing a girl home this is not what I had in mind."
"I know but this isn't the kind of news for the phone. Mum, Clare this is my daughter, Alice." He felt like a child again telling his mum he'd broken something or got detention.
"I think we need an explanation," Winifred waves her son to sit with them.
He spends the next 20 minutes explaining everything to them, "I got the results from the social worker last Friday. She's definitely mine and her mother has no legal rights to her now."
"Sounds like she doesn't deserve Alice anyway. You did the right thing to contact social services love, this way you won't have any backlash in the future if the mother does try to come back. She seems quite advanced for only a year old," She watches her granddaughter playing with the family dog, Pippin.
Alice giggles when the Westie starts licking her hands, tasting the leftover flavour of cheese from the crisps she had earlier on the train.
"I think we should meet her properly now," Clare smiles.
Roger couldn't agree more, "Alice, come here please." With Pippin trailing behind her, Alice toddles over and climbs onto his lap, "Alice, this is your Auntie Clare and your Grandma. You'll meet your Grandpa when he comes over later."
"Oh, you are your dad's double..." Winifred gushes over her new granddaughter.
------
It was just before dinner when Roger's dad, Michael arrived clapping his son on the shoulder, "Where is she then?"
"Dad, that is your granddaughter, Alice," Roger points to his daughter already sat at the dinner table Pippin by her feet.
"Oh," He pauses taking in the situation then it's like he understood, no explanation needed, "Well she's certainly the cutest you've ever brought home."
"You're taking this very well," Roger rises an eyebrow expecting a different reaction from his dad.Michael shrugs, "There's obviously a back story and I'd like to hear it but it can wait till after dinner. For whatever reason, she's in your life now and there's no point in dwelling, besides we hoped for grandchildren one day anyway, so what if it's a few years earlier than expected." Grinning Roger leads him through to meet his granddaughter.
By the time Roger puts Alice to bed, she's is out for the count, Pippin curled up on his old bed beside her, "I always knew you'd be a good dad and seeing you today with her proves that I was right." Winifred stops in the doorway of Roger's old room, watching him tuck Alice in. "She's a fantastic little girl love."
"I wasn't sure if I would be," He admits pulling the door to and follows his mum down the hall to the spare room stopping at the door, "When Georgia first said that she was my daughter, that was the first thing that came to mind, can I be her dad? But I think some sort of instinct kicked. She's been with me two weeks already and now I can't picture life without her."
Smiling, Winifred nods knowing that feeling well, "It's like someone flips a switch. Remember though you won't get everything right the first time so don't be too hard on yourself if you get it wrong. They'll be some hard times too, I think most parents will tell you the first trip to A&E is the worst and it will come whether it's a broken bone or a bash to the head. And no child goes without their tantrums, be ready for it because it will probably happen in public."
"Did any of those things happen with me or Clare?"
"Yes, your first trip to the hospital was when you put a crayon up your nose and it got stuck. Your first tantrum though I could have killed you because it was at a friends wedding," Roger laughs hearing those stories back.
"I don't remember them, I remember Clare breaking her arm though," He spaced out for a moment then says goodnight to his mum.
------
Laughter coming from the kitchen is what woke Roger the morning after, he glances at his clock and sees he's slept in. It's the first time since Alice came into his life that he's had a lie-in, she's an early riser and usually comes and wakes him up.
Rolling out of bed, he pads downstairs finding Alice and Clare making a mess while icing the cake that Winifred made yesterday. Smiling he stood against the door frame watching.
Alice is licking the remaining frosting from the bowl with a spoon and is covered in chocolate, "Okay, that's enough," Clare laughs trying to take the bowl away.
"No," Alice giggles clings to it for dear life.
"You'll have a tummy ache," Clare thought that would work but Alice just shrugs, "Oh your as stubborn as my brother."
"I heard that," Roger speaks up coming over to take the bowl from his daughter, "Look at you, you little monkey. Face and hands covered in chocolate." He finds some wipes and cleans it off, "There we are. Nice clean face, what do you want to do today?"
"She's coming with me," Winifred comes into the room, "We're taking Pippin for a walk and I thought we could stop via the little kid's park?" She looks to Alice for an answer and she nods, "You joining us, love?"
"Why not? Give me a moment," He runs back upstairs to get changed.
Twenty minutes later the three are out walking the dog, Alice just upfront with Pippin's lead in her hand Roger and Winifred right behind her, "You know I think she might start asking you for a dog when you get home."
Roger has that feeling too, his daughter needs a friend or a pet something to keep her occupied, "I'd happily oblige but it wouldn't be fair on the dog. The band is going on a university tour in July so it would be left at home alone. And if the band ever takes off like I hope it will then we'd be on tour a lot."
"What you going to do with Alice when you're touring?"
"For the university tour, she'll have to come with us because there's no one else to look after her. And that's fine until she turns four then she starts reception, it isn't mandatory for her to go to school until year one but I want her to start in reception, for her to make some friends. She's doesn't know anyone else that's her age."
"Cross that bridge nearer the time, you don't know what's going to happen with the band yet so wait until she turns three and then you start worrying about that stuff. Just keep an eye on her, it's around this age that kids like to wander off and explore." They reach the park and Winifred lets Pippin off her lead and she follows Alice everywhere, "I don't know who's going to miss the other more when you go home, Pippin or Alice."
Alice runs about going from one bit of the play park to the other having a whale of a time. When the play park got a little too busy, they went on to the large field beside it.
Roger taught her how to throw the Frisbee for Pippin until eventually, her little legs became tired and Roger carries her for the rest of the walk.
Monday morning when it was time to go home Winifred was right, Alice wanted to take Pippin with her and Pippin wanted her to stay, "Alice, say goodbye to Pippin please, we have to go."
"No," Alice stamps her foot pouting.
"Don't argue Alice," Roger reprimands, "Pippin has to stay here, she's not your dog."
"Then I stay too," Roger just picks her up and gets into the taxi while she wriggles in his grasp.She stopped fighting him once they got on the train but she wouldn't talk to him staring out the window pouting, "Alice, I know you think I'm being unfair but Pippin had to stay. She's grandmas dog, not yours and there's no room for her in the flat."
"You remember I told you we're going on that road trip soon?" She reluctantly nods giving him the side-eye, "Well it wouldn't be fair to leave Pippin all alone while we're away, would it?"
"No," She mumbles.
Trouble is, he knows she's getting bored in the flat. She has no routine and nowhere to go during the day, once she starts school that boredom will fade away but that's two years away. So he needs to think of something soon.