Career in Jeopardy

I ran to the passenger door and got in and as soon as Harry was in we sped off. I gave him directions and a 10 minute journey became 5 but then Harry skipped a light so he probably got a ticket.

I got out the car and ran up to my house and my shaky hands attempted to unlock the door.

“Here.” Harry said taking the keys from me and unlocked the door. He handed the key back to me and opened the door. I ran inside and ran up the stairs to where I knew Julian and Lily was. I heard their cries from down stairs. I knew Harry was right on my heels.

I opened the door and saw Lilly on Julian Spider Man bed sheets on Julians lap. Crying. Her lips were cover in chocolate. Julian was sobbing as he tried to calm Lilly by rocking her.

“Julian.” I said as I hurried over him and knelt down. I took Lilly off his lap.

“Let me take her.” Harry offered.

I nodded and handed her over to him.

As soon as she was out of my arms Julian wrapped his arms around my neck and locked his feet around waist while he sobbed into my hair.

“It’s ok Julian. Its ok.” Though it really wasn’t. He wasn’t ok. This family wasn’t ok. It was broken. I squeezed him tightly.

“Jules where’s mum?” I asked suddenly.

“She’s downstairs.” He said swallowing back a sob as tears descended down his cheeks.

“Go.” Harry whispered. “I’ll take care of it here.”

“Julian this is my good friend Harry. You can trust him. I have to go and see mum.”

“Ok.” He croaked.

I stood up and kissed the top of his head. “You’ve been so good. I’m proud of you.”

“Really?” he asked hopefully.

“Really.” I said as I wiped away his tears. “You’ve been very brave and looked after your sister I’m very proud and I’m sure Adam will be to even if he doesn’t show it.”

I soon left and hurried down the stairs to the guest room to where my mum now slept as she couldn’t stand to sleep in the same room that she and my father shared.

I opened the door slowly and saw my mum sobbing uncontrollably into her pillow.

“Mum.” I breathed. I hurried to her side and sat down next to her and hugged her. We stayed like that for a while. She sobbed while I said ‘its ok’ ‘it will be ok’

“I’m sorry I’ve been such a mess. I’ll be better, I promise I’ll be better.” Mum said between sobs.

“You’ve been doing fine mum.” I said as tears brimmed my eyes.

It was times like this when I ask myself if I hated my dad. And the answer is no. No matter what he’ll always be my dad and I’ll always have the memories but I know a deep resentment is building in me.
He promised my mum a life time but after a fourth child and over 20 years in marriage he bowed out. My mum up rooted her whole life for him. When they were 20 they met and my mum moved down to Colchester from Durham which is on the other side of the country so she doesn’t get to see her family anymore because of the distance and we couldn’t afford to go down there often and then my dad reassured her that she didn’t need to go and get a well-paid career job because he would provide for us and their retirement. Now he has separated him and us and he acts like it’s completely normal like none of it his fault. When he is home from his job he is out with his ‘friends’ so he barely bonds with my siblings or me and then when he does see us he comes round to our house, eats my mums dinner then goes again. Hell he doesn’t even want there to be a custody thing. He doesn’t want us living with him at all and it’s not like I want to leave my mum but it’s like he doesn’t want to be a dad anymore. He rents out a room from a house where an elderly widow lady lives.

“Where are the kids?” Mum asked drawing me out mind rant.

“There with my friend Harry.”

Mum nodded. “I think I’m going to go to bed. You go and be with the kids. Do you mind if they stay at your flat tonight?”

“No that’s fine. Are you sure you want me to go?”

“I just want to sleep Darcy.” She bought me into a hug. “Thank you for looking after me. You’ve been so good if my parents split I wouldn’t be handling it.”

Oh believe me I’m not but my biggest worry is you. Your whole world has been ripped out from under you. Loads of parents split nowadays that I feel like if I make a big deal out of it then it’ll seem like I’m just trying to get attention. And I have to stay strong for you and the kids because they can’t see me cry and neither can you. You need to see someone stable.

“It’s nothing mum.” I said instead giving her a squeeze.

“Off you go now.” My mum said as tears brimmed her eyes.

“Are you sure?” I asked again.

“I just want to go to sleep.”

“Fine but if you want anything just call ok?”

“Ok sweetie.”

I left my mums room slowly and when I finally left I let out a sigh. A new flood of tears rolled down my cheeks and this time I didn’t stop them. I walked into the living room and slide down the wall.

“Darcy.”

I looked up and saw Harry looking down at me.

“Why aren’t you with the kids?”

“They fell asleep and I was worried about you.”

He walked towards me and I stood up. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his chest under his arms. His arms immediately wrapped me in the cosiest comforting hugs I had ever got. I tried to hold back my sobs.

“Let it out Darcy.” Harry whispered.

That was all it took and I was a sobbing mess. Tears rolled down my cheeks and stained his t-shirt.

“I hate seeing my mum like this. She never cries.”

“I know Darcy.” Harry said comforting. He kissed the top of my head.

After 10 minutes I had stopped sobbing and my eyes had become too dry to produce any more tears.

“We better go and check on Jules and Lil.” I said.

“Ok. Let’s go.”

I led the way to Julian’s bedroom and sure enough he was asleep with his head resting on his head resting on his pillow with a blanket wrapped around him. Next to him lay Lilly.

“You did this?” I asked in surprise.

Harry shrugged. “They’re good kids.”

“Yeah they are.” I said smiling. “But seriously how did you do this?”

Harry laughed. “I told them stories.”

“Stories?”

“Oh come on I’ve seen the world I know a few good ones.”

“Modest aren’t you?” I joked.

“Never said I was otherwise.” He said winking.

I sighed. “I better wake them up or they won’t sleep tonight.”

“Are you staying here tonight?” Harry asked.

“No my mum wants the house to herself which is understandable. I’m going to take them back to the flat. But I might take them out somewhere like the movies or somewhere.”

“Can I come?” Harry asked.

I raised an eye brow which made him chuckle. “You want to spend the day with a three year old, a mopey 10 year old and a eighteen year old girl who’s going to try and cheer them up who is also going to be annoying you for the next 10 months?”

He made a pose to show he was considering it, making me laugh.

“After deep consideration if you and the kids don’t mind then I do.”

“Well I’m fine with it but they are the real judge.”

He became serious. “Let’s hear the verdict.” He said as if he was about to hear the outcome of a competition.

I laughed.

I walked over to the spider man bed and sat near the edge.

“Julian wake up.” I said gently shaking his shoulder gently.

“How’s mum?” he asked as he sat up.

“She’s fine but we’re going to go and have a fun afternoon and then you and your sister are going to come round my flat for a sleepover. How does that sound?”

“Good.” His face scrunched up. “But what about mum?”

“She’s the one who suggested it.”

“Ok then.” He said his face brightening up. “Can Harry come?”

“Yeah of course.”

“Let’s go then.” Julian said jumping out of bed.

“Hold your horses you need to pack your back and grab your coat. “

“What’s?” Lilly asked in toddler language which I had learnt it was her way of asking what was going on.

I lifted her up on to my lap. “We’re going to have a fun day and then you, Jules and I are going to have a sleepover and Harry is going to join us!” I said empathising on the ‘and’.

“Yay!” she squealed.

“Come on let’s go and get you some pyjamas and some clothes for tomorrow.”

“Are you alright here Jules?” I asked. “Do you want any help?”

“I can pack my own bag.” He scoffed at me.

I laughed. “Right-i-o then.”

I walked past Harry and went on my tip toes. “Make sure he packs undies and socks.” I whispered in his ears.

I scooped up Lilly in my arms and left leaving a chuckling Harry. I went into Lilly’s room and put her down with her toys before going to her chest of draws and getting some clothes and dropping them in a small bag. I then put her back in Julian’s room before going to the kitchen and grabbing her milk and Sippy cup.

When I came back upstairs to Julian’s room. Harry and Jules were flicking through his Genius World Record book that I got for him at Christmas. A back pack rested next to them and Lilly was playing with doll on the floor. I walked over to her bag and put in her Sippy cup and milk.

“Ready?” I asked and received a chorus of ‘Yeses’ in return.

Notes

So i only had 1 more but i hope you enjoy it!

but you should know the past 3 chapters so Chapter 7, 8 and 9 (which is this one) i wrote as one chapter so i just broke them into 3 as i thought it would be easier to read as it was over 30 pages long!

I hope you liked it and wasn't bored!

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xx-kt