Christine walked into the school with Nikki and put her bag down in her empty classroom before gesturing for Nikki to take a seat, "I won't be long" she said softly before making her way to the staffroom. She returned a while later to find Nikki sat with her head in her hands,more tears rolling silently down her cheeks, "Nikki" she frowned, causing the younger woman to jump slightly, wiping furiously at her eyes, "it's okay" Christine said quietly as she put the mugs down, "I'm not going to say anything."
"I'm sorry" Nikki whispered, "I just hate seeing Eve like that, especially knowing I can't be with her to try and settle her."
"Does she get like that often?" Christine sat opposite Nikki and passed her a mug, "you don't have to tell me if you'd rather not."
"Not as often as she used to" Nikki didn't look up from her mug.
"Is it just a nightmare she has or…?"
"It's her dad" Nikki whispered, her eyes filling with tears, "the nasty man she's terrified of is her father." Christine frowned slightly and Nikki continued, her eyes still fixed on her mug, "he used to hit me" she confessed, "and then one day he went for Eve but I got to her first, I pushed him away, I wasn't thinking, I just wanted to protect her, I think I took him by surprise because he fell backwards, I told Eve to hide but he went for me, he kept hitting me and kicking me until I passed out and then he took Eve"
"Took her?"
Nikki nodded, "it took over a month for the police to find her, he hadn't been feeding her, he hadn't changed her, he'd broken her arm, they had to take me to the house where he'd been keeping her because she wouldn't let any of the police officers near her, we left when Eve was discharged from hospital, he was trying to get bail, Greenock was the furthest place from where we were that had space."
"Space?"
"In a refuge" Nikki whispered, "we stayed there for a couple of weeks until the council found us a bedsit, it's not much but it's ours, we're safe there and it won't be forever, I'll be able to afford something better in a couple of months, I had to leave for Eve, she deserves better."
"You did the right thing Nikki."
"I just wish I was able to give her a proper home, somewhere with a garden, somewhere where we had more than one room and a bath, she hates the shower, and I hate that there are times when I have to choose between feeding Eve and putting money on the Electric meter." Nikki whispered, unable to stop herself, "I jump every time someone slams a door, worried it'll be him."
"Go and get Eve" Christine said softly, "I'll sort it for you to have the day off, take her home and pack up your things, I'll get Connor when I'm done here and come and pick you up, you can stay with us."
"I, I can't do that" Nikki whispered, finally lifting her tear filled eyes to look at Christine.
"You can" Christine nodded, "I've only got one spare room so Eve can either share with you or Connor, but I've got a bath, and a garden and you'll not have to choose between food and electricity and no one will be slamming any doors, you'll both be safe and you can stay as long as you need to."
"Are you sure?"
Christine nodded, "yeah" she reached for a sheet of paper and a pen, "write me your address down on there, My mum's got a car seat for Connor in her car, I'll pick that up on my way over and we can use it for Eve."
"I don't want to be any trouble."
"You won't be" Christine reassured, "now drink your coffee and go get Eve."
"If you ring the nursery I could take Connor too" Nikki suggested, "if that's okay? I'm just thinking that he could play with Eve while I get things sorted?"
Christine nodded, "I'll do that before you go" she said before cautiously asking, "will you be okay giving him dinner?"
Nikki nodded, "yeah, is there anything he won't eat?"
"No, he's pretty good, he'll try anything."
"Are you sure? About us moving in, it won't be for long, I'm sure once I've got a couple of months wages I'll be able to afford something else for us, and I'll pay my way..."
"Nikki" Christine cut her off, "it's not a problem so long as you don't mind Connor's slight obsession with trains, they're all he talks about most of the time."
Nikki smiled genuinely for the first time that morning, "I'm sure I can live with that."
"Good" Christine returned the smile, "now go and get your girl, I'll ring the nursery and tell them it's okay for you to take Connor."
"He's been sat with her all morning" the nursery worker told Nikki as she saw Connor sat quietly beside a sleeping Eve, "if she so much as moves an inch he rubs her back, she was awake earlier for a little while and they were holding hands at the snack table"
"Has she been okay?"
"She's been asleep most of the time, she was only awake for half an hour or so, she was quite quiet and withdrawn but she had a slice of toast and some juice and I think she shared a banana with Connor."
Nikki nodded, "she ate her toast this morning but I think the sleep will do her good, she was awake most of the night."
The nursery worker nodded, "I think she only woke up earlier because her pull up needed changing, she cried a little bit but she settled once she'd been changed so I don't think she'd had a nightmare."
"That's good then, am I okay to get her?"
The nursery worker nodded again, "Mrs Mulgrew called to say you were taking Connor too?"
"Yeah is that okay?"
"Of course, I'll get his coat and shoes too."
"Thank you" Nikki smiled before walking over to Eve and Connor, "Hello" she said softly to Connor, "do you remember me? I'm Eve's mummy."
Connor nodded, "Evie sleepy."
"She is" Nikki smiled, "I'm going to take her home now but your Mummy said you can come too so you can play with Eve when she wakes up."
"Really?" Connor's face lit up as the nursery worker returned with Connor and Eve's coats and shoes.
"Yes, she rang earlier" she backed Nikki up, "she's going to pick you up from Eve's house after work."
"Okay" Connor grinned as he slipped his arms into his coat and let the nursery worker help him put his shoes on. Nikki put Eve's coat on but didn't bother with her shoes before laying her in her buggy.
"Are you ready?" She asked Connor, taking hold of his outstretched hand as he nodded and smiled up at her.
Connor chatted none stop to Nikki on the way home, he was excited to get in the bus and then spent the whole journey talking about trains, Christine was right when she said the boy was a little bit obsessed by them.
Eve woke as Nikki lifted her from the buggy to carry her and the buggy up the stairs, Connor helpfully telling Nikki he could carry Eve's small rucksack as well as his own, "what doing Mumma?" she mumbled sleepily.
"You were sad so I picked you up from nursery, Connor's come home with us to play with you."
Eve lifted her head from Nikki's shoulder and smiled, "Nonna"
"Evie waked up" he grinned as Nikki put the buggy down to unlock the door.
"I play Nonna?"
"Yeah" Nikki opened the door and put Eve down, "you both need to take off your shoes and your jacket and then you can show Connor your toys, I've got a few things to do and then I'll make you something to eat, if you both play nicely I'll take you to the park after dinner."
Eve grinned happily and slipped her hand into Connor's, her nightmare seemingly forgotten as she lead her friend towards her toys, "come on Nonna, I got Thomas" she told him, emptying her toys on the floor as she looked for her trains.
