Adventure of a Lifetime
Next Steps
It had been three weeks since Heather first moved in. Her relationship with Ashleigh had moved along slowly but Heather was not discouraged.
'Any step foward is a postive thing.' She had told Christian and Satine who were concerned about their daughter. They were afraid that she wouldn't be able to leave them for a long time. Heather and Ashleigh's relationship was at the stage where either parent, depending on who was looking after her and Skye, was allowed to leave them if they told her where they were going.
'Ten minutes.' She would remind them. Once they decided not to tell her, to see how she would react. She had been in the middle of playing with her dolls when she turned around to find both her parents had gone. Her wails could have bought the house down. Satine rushed back quickly and it took her thirty minutes to quieten her down. Christian could only watch, dismayed.
***
One afternoon on a Thursday, whilst Satine was still helping at the nursery and Christian was having 'ten minutes' to work, Ashleigh, Heather and Skye were playing in the living room. Ashleigh was holding Skye on her lap.
'Look, Heather, these clothes are too little for her.' Ashleigh held up one arm of her outfit which was certainly on the short side.
'She'll have to wear some new ones soon.'
'Mama and Daddy say she has to wear my old clothes.'
'What do you want her to wear?' Heather asked, holding a toy out to Skye. She took it and promptly stuck it in her mouth.
'There's this really pretty outfit in the baby shop. It's purple, my favourite colour.'
'Well, why don't we go and get it?'
'I'm not sure...' Ashleigh shrunk back into her cautious mode.
'Of course you're not sure!' Heather said, an idea coming to her mind. 'That's because we don't have "special hats".'
'What are "special hats"?'
'When you wear them no one can hurt you.' Heather said mysteriously.
'Really? Where do we get these from?'
'The hall cupboard.' Heather took Skye off Ashleigh and led the way into the hall. She flung open the hall cupboard. Inside were loads and loads of hats. 'Now, you choose a hat for me, you and Skye while I talk to your Daddy.' Ashleigh barely looked up, she was too engrossed in her new job. Heather walked down the hall to the study. She peered her head in and knocked. Christian looked up.
'Come in Heather, Skye and...' He trailed off when Ashleigh didn't follow immediately behind. 'She's by herself?'
'Not for long though. I've given her a job. She'll be here in a few minutes.'
'What can I do you for?'
'She wants to go to the shops to buy an outfit for Skye. Apparently there is one in the baby shop. I also think she's fine about it being just me, her and Skye.'
'Really? That's excellent.' Christian looked pleased. 'Here's some money and let Ashleigh choose one small toy for herself.'
'Thank you.' Heather looked down the hall. 'Ashleigh, have you got them yet?' Ashleigh came in wearing one of her father's old top hats and holding a baby bonnet and a feather hat. 'How about if I have the feather one and Skye wears the baby bonnet?'
'Of course!' Ashleigh said as if that were the way she would have put them. 'Do you like my "special hat", Daddy? When I'm wearing it, no one can hurt me.'
'It's lovely. Does it work when I wear it?'
'No, silly. It can only work when you believe.' Ashleigh said knowlingly. Christian nodded.
'Ok, darling. You have fun.' He kissed her on the cheek and then kissed Skye who was now wearing her bonnet. 'See you soon.' Ashleigh gripped Heather's hand and they walked towards the door and the next step.
***
'Why, hello, Ashleigh.' Reg's voice boomed out heartily when the three of them walked into the shop. Ashleigh gripped Heather's hand even tighter and looked at the floor.
'Hello, Reg.' Heather said smiling. 'Do you still have any of a purple outfit you had in your window a couple of days ago.'
Reg thought for a moment. 'I believe I have one more left. I'll go and get it for you.' With that he popped out through a door just as his wife came in through the front door.
'Hello, dearie.' She said kindly to Ashleigh. Ashleigh smiled slightly. 'Oh, look at you!' She exclaimed stroking Skye's cheek. Skye smiled and laughed. 'Hello, Heather.'
'Hello, Vera.' Heather handed Skye to her and then knelt down to Ashleigh's level.
'Daddy said you could choose one small toy.' Ashleigh's eyes lit up.
'We've just got some toys in. Do you want to come and look.' Vera gave Skye back to Heather and held her hand out. Ashleigh looked doubtful and looked at Heather. Heather gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. Ashleigh slowly reached out and took Vera's hand and she led her to the back of the shop.
'Just as I thought!' Reg said appearing again. He was holding a lilac baby outfit. 'It's a beauty isn't it?' He asked when he saw the look on Heather's face. 'These went as quick as a flash. I'm surprised there was one left.'
'I'll just make sure it fits her.' Heather said taking Skye into the changing room. A few minutes later she came back out. 'It's perfect. It's a bit big but that's good....Did you find a toy, honey?' She asked Ashleigh who came up clutching a doll.
'Uhuh.' Ashleigh nodded and held it up. At first, Heather admitted to herself, it did creep her out a bit. It was a doll of a man with a menacing face.
'Are you sure that's what you want? Wouldn't you like this doll?' She held up a pretty doll with blonde hair and a smile.
'No, I want this one.' Ashleigh said stubbornly. Heather sighed and took the doll and placed it on the counter along with the outfit.
***
Satine opened the front door and shrugged out of her coat. That's weird, she thought. No running of feet. Normally Ashleigh came running up to greet her but this time there was nothing. She walked down the hall and peered into the living room. Some of Skye's toys were on the floor but there was no sign of anyone else. A slight clacking of keys could be heard from her husband's study. She entered expecting to see Ashleigh playing on the floor but only Christian was there.
'Where's Ashleigh?'
'Hello to you too, dear.' He said jokingly, sitting back in his chair.
'I'm sorry. Hello.' She walked over and kissed him on the forehead.
'What was that? Give me a proper kiss.' He gently held her arm and pulled her back down. She kissed him tenderly and he kissed her back. 'In answer to your question - she's out with Skye and Heather.'
'She's out? Without you?' Satine asked, smiling. Christian smiled back.
'Yes unfortunately probably for an expensive reason - she wanted to buy an outfit for Skye. Heather took an opportunity and I agreed.'
'Well, I'm glad you did.' Satine wrapped her arms around his neck. 'This could be the start of getting back to normal.'
'I think so too.' Christian hugged her back. 'I think so too.'
***
Half an hour later Heather, Ashleigh and Skye returned. Christian and Satine were sitting in the living room when the front door opened. Ashleigh rushed into the living room and clambered onto the sofa between her parents. She had been away from them for too long in her liking. A few minutes later Heather entered with Skye and the bag.
'Can we see the outfit you chose, Ashleigh?' Satine asked. Heather reached into the bag and pulled it out. 'Very good choice, darling.' Ashleigh beamed, proud of her mother's feelings about the outfit.
'Here you are, Ashleigh.' Heather pulled out the doll and handed it to Ashleigh. Christian and Satine looked at it and then at Heather who just shrugged.
'Er...it's very nice, sweetie.' Christian said. 'Does he have a name?'
'Yep,' Ashleigh said, moving his legs back and forth, 'he's called Nick Simons.' Satine and Christian looked up quickly at Heather a look of shock on their faces. Heather just smiled at them. It was now time to find out what really happened.
It had been three weeks since Heather first moved in. Her relationship with Ashleigh had moved along slowly but Heather was not discouraged.
'Any step foward is a postive thing.' She had told Christian and Satine who were concerned about their daughter. They were afraid that she wouldn't be able to leave them for a long time. Heather and Ashleigh's relationship was at the stage where either parent, depending on who was looking after her and Skye, was allowed to leave them if they told her where they were going.
'Ten minutes.' She would remind them. Once they decided not to tell her, to see how she would react. She had been in the middle of playing with her dolls when she turned around to find both her parents had gone. Her wails could have bought the house down. Satine rushed back quickly and it took her thirty minutes to quieten her down. Christian could only watch, dismayed.
***
One afternoon on a Thursday, whilst Satine was still helping at the nursery and Christian was having 'ten minutes' to work, Ashleigh, Heather and Skye were playing in the living room. Ashleigh was holding Skye on her lap.
'Look, Heather, these clothes are too little for her.' Ashleigh held up one arm of her outfit which was certainly on the short side.
'She'll have to wear some new ones soon.'
'Mama and Daddy say she has to wear my old clothes.'
'What do you want her to wear?' Heather asked, holding a toy out to Skye. She took it and promptly stuck it in her mouth.
'There's this really pretty outfit in the baby shop. It's purple, my favourite colour.'
'Well, why don't we go and get it?'
'I'm not sure...' Ashleigh shrunk back into her cautious mode.
'Of course you're not sure!' Heather said, an idea coming to her mind. 'That's because we don't have "special hats".'
'What are "special hats"?'
'When you wear them no one can hurt you.' Heather said mysteriously.
'Really? Where do we get these from?'
'The hall cupboard.' Heather took Skye off Ashleigh and led the way into the hall. She flung open the hall cupboard. Inside were loads and loads of hats. 'Now, you choose a hat for me, you and Skye while I talk to your Daddy.' Ashleigh barely looked up, she was too engrossed in her new job. Heather walked down the hall to the study. She peered her head in and knocked. Christian looked up.
'Come in Heather, Skye and...' He trailed off when Ashleigh didn't follow immediately behind. 'She's by herself?'
'Not for long though. I've given her a job. She'll be here in a few minutes.'
'What can I do you for?'
'She wants to go to the shops to buy an outfit for Skye. Apparently there is one in the baby shop. I also think she's fine about it being just me, her and Skye.'
'Really? That's excellent.' Christian looked pleased. 'Here's some money and let Ashleigh choose one small toy for herself.'
'Thank you.' Heather looked down the hall. 'Ashleigh, have you got them yet?' Ashleigh came in wearing one of her father's old top hats and holding a baby bonnet and a feather hat. 'How about if I have the feather one and Skye wears the baby bonnet?'
'Of course!' Ashleigh said as if that were the way she would have put them. 'Do you like my "special hat", Daddy? When I'm wearing it, no one can hurt me.'
'It's lovely. Does it work when I wear it?'
'No, silly. It can only work when you believe.' Ashleigh said knowlingly. Christian nodded.
'Ok, darling. You have fun.' He kissed her on the cheek and then kissed Skye who was now wearing her bonnet. 'See you soon.' Ashleigh gripped Heather's hand and they walked towards the door and the next step.
***
'Why, hello, Ashleigh.' Reg's voice boomed out heartily when the three of them walked into the shop. Ashleigh gripped Heather's hand even tighter and looked at the floor.
'Hello, Reg.' Heather said smiling. 'Do you still have any of a purple outfit you had in your window a couple of days ago.'
Reg thought for a moment. 'I believe I have one more left. I'll go and get it for you.' With that he popped out through a door just as his wife came in through the front door.
'Hello, dearie.' She said kindly to Ashleigh. Ashleigh smiled slightly. 'Oh, look at you!' She exclaimed stroking Skye's cheek. Skye smiled and laughed. 'Hello, Heather.'
'Hello, Vera.' Heather handed Skye to her and then knelt down to Ashleigh's level.
'Daddy said you could choose one small toy.' Ashleigh's eyes lit up.
'We've just got some toys in. Do you want to come and look.' Vera gave Skye back to Heather and held her hand out. Ashleigh looked doubtful and looked at Heather. Heather gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. Ashleigh slowly reached out and took Vera's hand and she led her to the back of the shop.
'Just as I thought!' Reg said appearing again. He was holding a lilac baby outfit. 'It's a beauty isn't it?' He asked when he saw the look on Heather's face. 'These went as quick as a flash. I'm surprised there was one left.'
'I'll just make sure it fits her.' Heather said taking Skye into the changing room. A few minutes later she came back out. 'It's perfect. It's a bit big but that's good....Did you find a toy, honey?' She asked Ashleigh who came up clutching a doll.
'Uhuh.' Ashleigh nodded and held it up. At first, Heather admitted to herself, it did creep her out a bit. It was a doll of a man with a menacing face.
'Are you sure that's what you want? Wouldn't you like this doll?' She held up a pretty doll with blonde hair and a smile.
'No, I want this one.' Ashleigh said stubbornly. Heather sighed and took the doll and placed it on the counter along with the outfit.
***
Satine opened the front door and shrugged out of her coat. That's weird, she thought. No running of feet. Normally Ashleigh came running up to greet her but this time there was nothing. She walked down the hall and peered into the living room. Some of Skye's toys were on the floor but there was no sign of anyone else. A slight clacking of keys could be heard from her husband's study. She entered expecting to see Ashleigh playing on the floor but only Christian was there.
'Where's Ashleigh?'
'Hello to you too, dear.' He said jokingly, sitting back in his chair.
'I'm sorry. Hello.' She walked over and kissed him on the forehead.
'What was that? Give me a proper kiss.' He gently held her arm and pulled her back down. She kissed him tenderly and he kissed her back. 'In answer to your question - she's out with Skye and Heather.'
'She's out? Without you?' Satine asked, smiling. Christian smiled back.
'Yes unfortunately probably for an expensive reason - she wanted to buy an outfit for Skye. Heather took an opportunity and I agreed.'
'Well, I'm glad you did.' Satine wrapped her arms around his neck. 'This could be the start of getting back to normal.'
'I think so too.' Christian hugged her back. 'I think so too.'
***
Half an hour later Heather, Ashleigh and Skye returned. Christian and Satine were sitting in the living room when the front door opened. Ashleigh rushed into the living room and clambered onto the sofa between her parents. She had been away from them for too long in her liking. A few minutes later Heather entered with Skye and the bag.
'Can we see the outfit you chose, Ashleigh?' Satine asked. Heather reached into the bag and pulled it out. 'Very good choice, darling.' Ashleigh beamed, proud of her mother's feelings about the outfit.
'Here you are, Ashleigh.' Heather pulled out the doll and handed it to Ashleigh. Christian and Satine looked at it and then at Heather who just shrugged.
'Er...it's very nice, sweetie.' Christian said. 'Does he have a name?'
'Yep,' Ashleigh said, moving his legs back and forth, 'he's called Nick Simons.' Satine and Christian looked up quickly at Heather a look of shock on their faces. Heather just smiled at them. It was now time to find out what really happened.