Chapter 29

Previously...

"There's someone here," Claire replies vaguely.

"Someone?" Ruth asks, not in the mood for games.

"A social worker."


"What?"

"She says she's here about custody of the children."

Ruth looks at her watch, it's only half past two; at least the children aren't here at the moment.

Harry and Ruth share a look, before heading towards the living room. Ruth gestures to the shopping bags on the floor, "Would you mind putting this lot away?"

"Not at all."

Ruth flashes her a smile and follows Harry. As they enter, a blond woman of about forty stands and offers her hand. "My Pearce? I'm Hayley Southern from the Child and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. I'm sorry to call in unannounced like this, but I have left several messages at your place of employment and you haven't returned my calls."

Ruth looks at Harry and he wracks his brain; he hasn't seen those messages and he would be dealing with whoever had taken them on his return to work tomorrow. He's taken aback by this woman; wrong footed. He had been told that he would probably hear from these people after the preliminary hearing a couple of months back, when the judge had ruled that the children should stay with him temporarily until the whole issue was resolved. But for her to turn up out of the blue, makes him feel at a disadvantage. "I must apologise, it seems that whoever took your calls has failed to pass on any messages. Perhaps it would be best if I give you my mobile number for future reference."

"That would be great," Hayley says and jots down the number Harry recites.

Spotting Ruth still hovering by the door he beckons her to him. "Miss Southern, this is my partner Ruth Evershed."

The two women greet each other and shake hands before sitting down. "Now Mr Pearce, I just need to clarify some facts with you and ask a couple of questions. I believe you have been caring for your two children, Catherine and Graham on your own, is that right?

"Yes, ever since their mother walked out."

"When was that exactly?"

"April 1997."

"And how much contact has their mother had with them in that time."

"They didn't see her until she turned up on the doorstep out of the blue back in March, so nearly two years without a word." Ruth can feel Harry's anger building up, as it always does when he thinks about the way Jane had treated the children, so she reaches for his hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

"And how much contact have they had with her since then?" Her tone is slightly accusatory, as if she believes that Harry is somehow responsible for what happened.

Harry shrugs in response. Her tone has made him suddenly uncooperative. He feels as if he's on trial; how dare this woman come into his home and start questioning him. Seeing where this could lead if it were to continue, Ruth steps in to answer.

"Harry agreed to let Jane see the children once a week; Sunday afternoons to start with."

"And where did those visits take place?"

"She would come here. Harry was concerned… well we both were… You see… the thing is, Graham didn't even remember her, he had no clue who she was and he's very shy so he didn't always settle well when she was here so we felt it best for the visits to be here at first."

"Of course," says Hayley offering a small smile; it appears that Ruth has won her over. "And have these visits continued in that pattern."

"Have they hell!" Harry scoffs. Ruth glares at him. "Sorry," he replies.

"That's quite alright, Mr Pearce. I understand these situations can be quite emotive."

"She saw them every week for about two months. Then one Sunday she didn't turn up. No phone call or anything to say she wasn't coming, she just didn't appear."

This appears to be new information to Hayley. "When was this?"

Harry looks at Ruth, her penchant for remembering dates is better than his. "End of April/beginning of May," she says. "I remember as I was out for lunch with my parents for my birthday."

"Did she offer any explanation as to why she didn't attend for contact?"

"She said she was in a 'dark place' and was unable to come."

Hayley scribbles on her pad. "And what have her visits been like since then?"

"Inconsistent," Harry replies. "I think she's been to see them three or four times."

"How do you feel the children coping?"

"They're resilient; they've had to be, but when they expect her and she doesn't turn up, it's hard. That first time Catherine went to pieces. She loved having her Mum back in her life and it hurt her. Graham still hasn't really bonded with her; he's just resigned to the fact that he's got to spend time with her, if a three year old can feel resignation that is."

Hayley furiously jots down some more notes. "I will need to arrange a time to speak with the children; to assess them and get their opinions on a few things."

Before either Harry or Ruth can reply, there is a soft knock on the door. "Come in," calls Harry, knowing that Claire wouldn't bother them unless it was something important. She pops her head round the door. "I'm just going to pick the children up," she tells them.

Harry rises from the sofa. "Could you take them to the park for a bit?"

"Of course, no problem."

Harry takes a ten pound note out of his wallet. "Here, for an ice cream and a drink for all of you."

"Thanks. See you later."

Harry returns to his seat. "Sorry about that."

"Not a problem. She seems lovely."

"The children like her and I… we trust her."

"Does she live in?"

"No, but she spends full days here. She's taking an Open University course so she uses the time when the children aren't here to study; it's quieter than her parents place. She's always willing to stay over if she's needed but one of us tries to be home most nights."

A few more strokes with the pen. "Can I ask about your relationship?" she enquires, gesturing between them with her hand.

"What would you like to know?" Harry asks

"How long have you been together?"

"Since October last year, so just about seven months," Harry replies.

"But we were good friends for a year before that," Ruth adds.

Hayley looks at her and then down to the slight swell of her stomach. "And you're having a baby?"

"Yes, in December." Ruth's face lights up as she talks about her pregnancy.

"How do the children feel about that?"

"They're quite excited now. Graham was a bit unsure at first – didn't want to be usurped as the baby of the family but he's okay now."

"Can I just clarify, do you live here?" she asks Ruth. "Only I have down that it's just Harry and the children as sole occupants of the property.

"Not officially; I still have my own house but I'm here more than I am there," she admits.

"Are you planning on your living arrangements becoming more formal anytime soon?" Hayley asks.

"We've been thinking about it," Harry tells her. It's not a lie; it's been mentioned in passing a few times but no decisions have been made. Ruth has been a little reluctant to make that final jump, knowing that once she sells her house she'll have nowhere to go should things not work out. Not that she expects them to fail; it's just one of her silly, irrational fears.

"Will it affect the custody decision?" Ruth asks.

"I can't say for sure, but what I can tell you is that courts do tend to look more favourably on stable two 'parent' households," Hayley says. Ruth nods, the cogs whirring in her brain. It's one thing not to move in because of her own fears, but if those fears mean Harry could lose the children…

"I think that's all for now," Hayley declares, shutting her folder and interrupting Ruth's train of thought. "I'll call, on your mobile, to arrange a time to speak with the children. I may want to do some observations of the children with both yourselves and Jane before I file my report. Once that report is filed, the court can make their decision."

"How long will that take?" Harry asks,

"I hope to get my report finished within the month. Then, it can be anything from a few weeks to six months. It can be a bit of a waiting game I'm afraid." Hayley stands. "Well thank you for your time. I'll be in touch." She moves to leave and Harry shows her out. When he returns Ruth stands and wraps her arms around him.

"You okay?" she asks.

He sighs. "Yeah. I just didn't need this on top of everything else today."

"I know. I'm sorry… for overreacting about Juliet and the Home Secretary and… well everything really. Can I blame it on my hormones?"

He smiles. "I suppose so," he tells her, kissing her head.

She pulls back and looks at him. "Am I forgiven?"

"Of course," he says with a smile.

"Good, because I think we need to talk about me putting my house on the market."