Iris
I'm at work today. I can't stand being here right now but I have to. Emma wasn't at her best today. She slept with me last night and she didn't want to go to school today. She cried and begged me to stay home with me or even come to work with me. I don't know what happened at school and she didn't want to go.
I called Chris first thing in the morning and he told me that Millie didn't say a thing. She didn't understand why her best friend was being sad. Then, I called William but he told me that his little one was still ill so he didn't know what happened at school that day.
I took her to school but she looked so sad when she walked inside. Millie was smiling at her but when she saw her expression she hugged her. They love each other so much and I can't stop talking about their bond. They are literally the best of friends. We made it as parents.
Molly knows that something is wrong with me today. She jokes about missing my boyfriend but didn't say his name. She don't know his name. Nobody at Pleasing knows that Harry and I are together. I don't mind them knowing but I want to keep it from the media. I don't care about myself but I have a daughter to protect. But, I can't leave work and I'm getting anxious just thinking that Emma will be sad at school.
My phone is ringing and I see that Emma's school is calling me. My fears became a reality. I shouldn't have let her go to school today. She should have stay with me until she felt better. Am I a bad mother?
"Hello, are you Emma Williams' mother?" A woman's voice asks me.
"Yes, I am. What happened?"
"Emma isn't feeling at her best. She can't stop crying and I think that she is going through a panic attack. She is at the doctor's office and the nurse thinks that she should come home. Can you come get her?" She tells me politely. My poor girl.
"Yes, I will. Thank you for calling."
When the call ends, I try to find the perfect excuse to leave work. I can't just leave without informing Molly and that is getting on my nerves. We have a meeting with the economic department and I can't miss it. We've talked about it for a while now and Molly has been pretty strict that no one from the creative team can miss it. I even asked her and she denied my request saying a couple of times how sorry she is.
I try to think the best solution. Florence and Tonya are both at their works so they can't leave as well. Emma won't feel comfortable if she sees Chris or Patrick. The only person that I know that can take care of her is Harry, so I call him. I know that he has a studio session today for some last details of the upcoming tour but I hope he finished early.
It only rings a couple of times before Harry answers the phone. "Hello, my girl. Don't you have a meeting, little lady?"
I sigh. "Hello, sweet boy. I do, yes. That's why I called you. I have to ask you a favor." I tell him and I feel my anxiety being on its highest level. He hasn't stayed alone with Emma yet and I'm going to ask him to take care of her now that she is in that fragile state of mind. I'm such a bad mother.
"Tell me, I will do everything."
"Have you finished the studio session?" I ask him firstly.
"I have, yes. Tell me, Iris, you stress me out, darling." He laughs.
"Emma isn't at her best. She had a panic attack at school and I don't know what is going on. I can't leave work because of the damn meeting but the school said that she has to go back home. Can you go take her?"
"My little poor girl. Of course, I would do anything for my best friend. Text me the address." He tells me and after a couple of more words we end the call. Harry is an angel.
Harry
I drive as fast as I can so I can be there on time. I can't leave Emma at the school being so stressed alone. I want to be there for my little girl.
I'm so happy that Iris trusts me with her daughter. I know that the first one she called is her sister or Florence but I'm still glad that I was one of the people she chose. I don't know them long enough to trust me with such a sensitive area but I will do anything to help. I will be the person I wanted to have in my childhood for Emma.
I park my car and run into the school. I see two women discussing something. The secretary, or whatever that woman's work is, is looking at me and I know she wants answers but the other woman is the one that talks to me. There is no way in the world, they know who I am.
"Hello, how can I help you?"
"I'm here to take Emma Williams." I tell her and I smile hoping that she will let me take my best friend away easier.
"We don't let the kids leave with anyone besides their parents or designated escorts." She informs me and I have to think of something.
"I'm her father." I tell without breathing. "I can take my daughter off school I guess, right?" A little lie didn't hurt nobody.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know. Follow me. The little sweetheart isn't at her best these days. We wanted to call you and your wife because we think that there is a bullying incident but we can't confirm it until your daughter speaks." She walks like she owns the place and I never had the urge to tell somebody off more. They have to speak even if the kid doesn't speak.
"You know that we can sue you, right? If the situation doesn't change, we have every right to take our daughter off from your school and find a better one. I, personally, will make sure that the school accept all kind of students and either the staff or the students will respect them. So, you better speak with the parents or else you will lose one of your students. And I know some kids that are going to leave with us. "
I try to be as polite as I can. She doesn't even flinch. I hate this kind of people. I can't stand them. They think that they own the place but in reality they are another pawn in this endless game.
I will stand with Emma forever, and even more. I will help Iris find a better school and even pay the tuition so they will accept the smartest 4 year old I know at the end of the school year.
"Don't worry, Mr Williams. I will call you and your wife next week and we will discuss everything on that matter." Oh she is the principal. Why was she sitting there then? I don't like this school.
She opens the door and I see Emma sitting on one of the chairs. Her eyes are red and my heart breaks into a million pieces. I will find out who hurt her and make them pay for it. "Hello sweet darling." I tell her and go to her. She looks at me and smiles. She doesn't talk to me. I crouch down so I can talk better but she places her hands around my neck and starts crying on my hand. I caress her back and tell her that everything is going to be okay.
"Don't cry little girl. Harry's here. We are going to leave this place now and we will go to Oliver. Do you want to see Oliver?" She nods and I look at the principal and the nurse. "Thank you of taking care of her. Goodbye." I tell them and I don't expect an answer.
Recently, I bought a car seat for my favorite little girl. I drive Iris and Emma around all the time these last couple of weeks and we can't take Iris' car seat all the time. So, my Range Rover has a baby seat on the back and I don't care if the paparazzi see it.
I drive in silence. Emma is crying still and I can't do anything to help her. I wish there was a secret to turn those feelings off. Emma doesn't deserve to feel this way. She is the smartest and most well raised child I know. She doesn't hurt anyone, why others hurt her?
When we arrive at my house, I take her into my arms so I can carry her on the house. Oliver is waiting for us behind the door. "Oli, our bestie doesn't feel good. Can you keep her company as I cook her something to eat?"
The dog is smarter than I thought. I place Emma on the couch and he goes and sits next to her. He places his head on her lap and she starts to pet him. She isn't crying now but she is still sad. Where has my ray of sunshine gone?
I make some toasts for her and I to eat. I order pizza too cause I don't want her to feel hungry. I go back to the living room. They are still on the same position and I feel my heart aching.
"Emma, darling do you want to talk to me?" I ask my little friend. She shakes her head. "Do you want me to hold you?" Emma nods and as I take her into my laps her crying is becoming stronger. She must feel exhausted.
"Darling, what happened at school? Is everything okay? You can always tell me and mummy everything." I tell her and I kiss her head. She looks at me and whips her tears from her face. Her eyes are so red and if I could take all of her pain on me, I would.
"Kid aren't nice. They know that I don't have a daddy and they make fun of me. They make fun of my voice and the way I talk and they don't want to play with me. Millie has a new friend and I think that she forgot about me too."
She tells me all of her worries. I smile and I try to find the perfect words to help her.
"Darling, I don't have a daddy too. I was so sad that I don't but I have my mum and she is the best mum in the world, just like your mumma. She was always cooking for me, singing with me and playing with me and Gemma that we never needed him. That doesn't make you any less lovable or any less of a child." I take a breath. This is such a difficult topic for a child to understand and Iris have done an amazing job but sometimes you need someone else to tell you. I wanted someone else, besides my family, to tell me.
"As for the kids, don't worry about them. You have an amazing accent. You have the same accent as me and we are so unique, darling. We are from a place so far away and there people talk exactly like us. Like me, you, mumma, aunt T and grandma. You have the most beautiful accent in the world." I tell her and then proceeds to tickle her. It's the first time I hear her sweet laugh today.
"And Millie hasn't forgotten about you. She loves you, honey. Try to be more open and enjoy a new company too."
She hugs me tight but she doesn't cry. "Thank you, Harry." Emma whispers and the only think that I'm thinking is that I'm going to find the little bullies and make their life miserable.
"How is Emma?" Iris asks as soon as I open the door.
"Asleep in my bedroom, with Oliver on her side. I have to talk to you."
Emma and I cuddled after our conversation watching some movie that I didn't pay attention. I was thinking about how to handle the whole situation. I want to make her happy.
"Did something happen to school?" She asks again and take off her blazer.
"Yes, some kids bully her. You know about the dad situation but now they have started making fun of her accent too. But, don't worry. I took the matters into my own hands." I inform her.
She looks at me curiously. "What do you mean?"
"First of all, I told the school that I'm her dad. They didn't let me in so I had to find a nice excuse. That one was the best. I met the principal. She is so bad. She told me that the staff thinks that Emma is being bullied but they can't do anything if Emma doesn't speak up. I told her that we will sue them and we will take her away if that situation continues. You have an appointment the other week I think."
She looks surprised." You really stood up for us? "
"Of course I did. I couldn't stand her, Iris. She is evil."
"Thank you, Harry. Nobody ever did that for us. How was Emma? I'm so sorry for letting you take care of her when she was on that state."
"Don't think about that. We talked a lot. She told me about the daddy situation and the accent one. I think that she has to be in Manchester soon. She has to see that there are other people with that accent not just me and you." I tell her my opinion. I'm not the best at parenting and I don't know what is best for the child but if I had a child I would take them back home.
"We all go, for the wedding." She confirms my thoughts. "Thank you so much for helping them calm down, babe."
"My pleasure. I love my girl so much. It broke my heart seeing her crying. I would take all her pain away, if I could."
"Am I a bad mother for letting her go to school today even though she begged me not to?" She is about to cry.
"Of course, not. You are the best mother I know. Emma is so lucky to have you in her life. You didn't know the situation so you did the best thing. She always liked school so it was normal to make her go."
"I feel like the world is too much sometimes." She confesses.
"I'm here for you, darling." I kiss her forehead. "Now, darling," I try to change the conversation, "tell me everything about the meeting. Then we will eat something and drive you home."