Thursday could not have come quick enough for Maria and she was so happy about it being her last time going to the family contact session. She was looking forward to allowing Grace the opportunity to see her whenever she wanted. She hoped that their contact would increase now. She knew it would be hard while having to work but she would make it happen.

As it was Thursday, she had Liam with her too. He was looking forward to seeing his sister as she had phoned every night. They continued the same routine on the phone. Grace would speak to Liam before his story. Both Liam and Grace would listen to Maria reading a story and then Grace would speak to her mother. Grace had then started reading a book after speaking to her mother and then going straight to bed.

Rachel was already there when Maria arrived with Liam.

"I hear the phone calls have been going well, haven't they?" Rachel said and Maria nodded.

"I love it, we speak every night and she like to listen to me reading Liam a bedtime story and then we chat for a while" Maria explained and Rachel nodded.

"After speaking to you, Grace's carers have noticed that she is a lot calmer in the evening and appears to be sleeping better. She's even had a good couple of days at school which we haven't had for a while" Rachel explained, and Maria couldn't help but smile.

"Are you free next week to meet up to speak about you getting full custody of Grace?" Rachel asked and Maria nodded.

"Of course." Maria said confidently. She wanted her daughter as soon as possible but knew that it needed to be done correctly.

It was not long before Grace came in. She said a quick hello to her social worker and Maria before running over to see Liam. They played like they did last week and about an hour in Liam complained he was hungry. Maria got the cartoon of juice and snack out of her bag and instead of asking Grace if she wanted one too, she simply handed it to the girl.

"Thanks" Grace said taking the juice and snack from her mother and leaning back to eat it. She seemed quite happy and relaxed.

"So from next week on, you can go and see your mother whenever you like but remember to text her before you just turn up" Rachel explained and Grace nodded.

"I know and I have to let the carers know when I'm going as well" Grace said already having had this drilled into her.

"Well done, she needs to be home for 8 o'clock on weekdays and 9 o'clock on weekends. She is not allowed to stay the night with you without my say so" Rachel went onto say and Maria nodded.

"Maybe you can help me put Liam to bed one night instead of doing it over the phone?" Maria suggested and a massive smile broke out on Grace's face and she grinned and nodded.

"That would be amazing. Liam, would you like that? Do you want your sissy to put you to bed?" Grace asked turning her attention to her brother. Liam nodded enthusiastically before running over to his sister and climbing onto her knees.

"I love you Gracie" He said before falling onto his sister's chest. Grace wrapped her arms around her brother and tried to hide her face as she started to cry.

"Grace" Maria asked softly and moved towards the girl. Hearing the worry in Maria's voice, Rachel looked up from where she was going through some paperwork. She did not need to be at the contact session but opted to stay due to Grace's unexpected behaviour.

Grace then let go of Liam and placed him on the ground. It was not unkind or forceful, but it was clear she wanted him away from her.

"Go and get a book" Maria encouraged Liam so that she would speak to Grace. Grace was looking away from Maria was her hands on her knees. She was fidgeting with hands. Maria reached forward and held onto the girl's hand. For the first time, Grace did not move away or reject the contact. Maria decided to chance her luck and she moved over to the same sofa as Grace.

She softly rubbed Grace's shoulder until the girl looked calmer and had stopped crying.

"Better?" Maria questioned softly and Grace nodded though she was clearly deeply embarrassed.

"Rachel, can we leave now? I want to go" Grace said, and Rachel nodded.

"Are you sure? We can take all the time you need so you can speak to your mum" Rachel said but Grace shook her head.

"Please, I want to go now" Grace beggedm and Rachel nodded. Grace grabbed her bag and was quickly out the room.

"I'll speak to her and then call you" Rachel said reassuringly "Try not to worry"

Maria did worry and the next day, she was so relieved when Rachel phoned her late afternoon.

"Did Grace speak to you yesterday?" Maria asked nervously.

"No, she didn't but I have just been to the care home. I have a few children there and when I left last night there was a bit of a scrap between Grace and a couple of the other girls. Grace was still angry about it today so didn't want to speak to me but after speaking to the carers they said that the other two girls apologised and said that they were feeling hormonal and took Grace's bad mood last night to heart. They put it down to their periods being due soon so it's possible it's the same for Grace" Rachel explained, and Maria nodded.

"I suppose, she is 14 and going through a lot. It was just so unexpected. She has not phoned me which isn't like her. I'm scared that this has pushed her away" Maria admitted.

"Don't worry about it, Grace will come round. She's really resilient" Rachel said. Maria really hoped the woman was right.

"Can you come to my office on Monday? I will tell Grace to come and we can speak to her about you getting custody of her. It might make her feel more secure" Rachel offered, and Maria agreed.

Monday

It was now Monday and Grace had not been in touch with Maria all weekend. Maria didn't want to push the girl but she was really worried about her. She was glad that she would get to see her today at the office.

Maria arrived at the office and signed in. She was told to make her way up to Rachel's office. She did so and knocked on the door.

"Come in" Rachel called, and Maria nervously opened and door. She smiled and sat down noticing that Rachel now had two seats across from her knowing that Grace would be occupying the other one.

"Have you heard from Grace this weekend?" Rachel asked and Maria shook her head.

"Don't worry, I think she was just really embarrassed" Rachel said as she could tell Maria was upset about it. There was then a knock at the door and when called Grace walked in. She was a bit surprised to see Maria there, but she knew that she should not have been surprised. It was very unusual for Rachel to ask Grace to meet her at the office usually Rachel would pick Grace up from school and they would talk at the care home or in the car.

Grace nervously took her seat. She was worried that this meeting was because Maria did not want her anymore.

"So I have been speaking to your mum and we are now starting to fill in the forms before going to the court to see if you can live with her" Rachel explained and Grace smiled.

"You still want me?" Grace asked.

"Of course, I do" Maria said, and Grace relaxed. She even moved her seat slightly closer to Maria. This was a massive step for her.

"So it's important that you understand I will have to go through your whole history with your mum so that she is aware" Rachel said cautiously. As expected, Grace was not happy, Rachel knew by the look on her face. She was expecting another outbreak from the girl, so it came as a surprise to both Maria and Rachel when instead Grace threw herself at her mum. Maria caught the girl surprised but then concerned when she realised the girl was sobbing into her chest. In one quick movement, Maria had moved Grace sideways and had placed the girl onto her knee. She rocked her daughter and spoke soothingly to her until her sobs eased.

"Baby, what is it? Why are you so upset?" Maria asked pulling her daughter away from her slightly.

"I don't want you to leave me because of what you find out" Grace cried.

"I'm never going to leave you and no information while change that" Maria explained.

"I don't want you to speak about me behind my back" Grace admitted, and Maria looked at Rachel.

"Would you prefer to be present while I speak to your mum and tell her?" Rachel asked and Grace nodded. Rachel had not planned on doing this as she didn't want it to be distressing for Grace but if that was the only option then she would do so.

"Do you want to move or stay here?" Maria asked.

"Stay here" Grace mumbled and Maria nodded before looking up at Rachel.

"Okay, so Grace was taken into foster care when she was 4 days old. She remained with this family until she was 4 years old. You liked the Campbells didn't you Grace?" Rachel said and Grace nodded.

"She was with them when she had her operation but they only looked after under 5s so we moved Grace so she would have some tradition before doing into Year 1" Rachel explained.

"Rachel then went to the Knowles but moved 2 years later as a result of an unsuccessful marriage. It was a big change for their family and they took a break from fostering" Rachel explained.

"She then moved to the Freeburns" Rachel said, and Maria felt the girl tense in her arms.

"The placement at the Freeburns was cut short due to allegations to Mr Freeburns" Rachel explained.

"What type of allegations" Maria asked instantly worrying.

"Sexual allegations with minors" Rachel admitted, and Maria tightened her grip on her daughter.

"He admitted to sexual assault on both of his foster children, but he never raped them" Rachel said. Maria was so angry.

"He still assaulted them though" Maria said.

"I understand that, I just thought it was important that you were aware that it was assault but not rape. Grace received counselling to overcome the assaults, but she still has nightmares" Rachel admitted. Grace was embarrassed but snuggled into her mother more.

"Well I'm not surprised. No one is going to hurt you now baby girl" Maria said.

"Grace then went on to have 7 foster carers in the 5 years until she was almost 12. They failed for various reasons, but she is well settled in Tabitha House now" Rachel explained not wanting to say anything else with Grace there. Maria nodded before going back to snuggle her daughter.

"I want to go home now" Grace said, and Rachel nodded.

"Do you want me to take you home?" Rachel asked and Grace shook her head.

"Can my mum?" Grace asked "I don't feel well"

Rachel nodded and looked at Maria.

"Of course, I will. Do you want to go now?" Maria asked and Grace nodded.

"Come on then, I can sit with you on my knee but I'm afraid you are too old to be carried" Maria said as she encouraged Grace to stand up. Grace stood up but instantly stood close to her mother.

"Thank you, Rachel, for the information" Maria said and Rachel nodded before saying she'd be in touch.

They walked to Maria's car and Grace got in the front. She closed her eyes as her mother drove her to Tabby House. Grace had to give her some directions, but Maria knew the general area. Once they arrived, they walked in. Maria introduced herself and then Grace took her up the stairs.

"I just want to go to bed" Grace said, and Maria nodded.

"Go and put your pyjamas on" Maria encouraged softly, and the girl nodded. She grabbed a pair of pyjamas and walked to the bathroom. She returned 15 minutes later, changed and ready for bed. She noticed her mum was holding the duvet open for her and she climbed in.

"Do you want a cuddle?" Maria asked and Grace nodded. Once she was comfortable, Maria lay down next to her daughter and played with her hair until the girl was sleeping. She stayed for an extra 10 minutes to ensure the girl was sleeping before getting up to leave.

Maria quickly told the carer that Grace was not feeling well and that she was now in bed. The carer thanked her before saying goodbye.

Tuesday

Grace woke up and instantly felt as bad as she had yesterday. She put a hand through her hair and then went to find her carer. She was not going into school today. She did not feel well enough. One look at the girl and the carer knew that the girl would not manage school.

"Go back to bed" She encouraged but Grace stood still.

"I just want my mum" She said close to tears. Joyce nodded. The woman had managed fantastically with Grace last night. She opted to phoning the out of hours social worker to see if anything could be done. She explained the situation stating that Maria was applying for custody of the girl and that Grace was now allowed to go to Maria's anytime without supervision.

"Do you have the mother's number? If she is willing to have Grace today then I am okay with it and I will check with Rachel when she arrives but I don't see her having an issue with it" Daniel the on call social worker explained. He knew Grace, most social workers did, and he was relieved she was making such good progress with her mother.

Joyce quickly found Maria's number that she had been giving in a case of emergency. She phoned and was surprised when the woman answered.

"Hello, Grace is still unwell and is asking for you. I phoned the on call social worker and he said that she can spend the day with you if possible" Joyce explained.

"Of course, I'll call in sick to my work" Maria said without a second thought.

"She'd be okay if you have to work" Joyce said.

"No if my son was ill, I'd call in sick, so I'll do the same for Grace" Maria explained. They agreed that Maria would pick Grace up after dropping Liam off at the childminders. Hanging up Maria quickly phoned Audrey and explained that her child was sick, and she could not come in. She hoped Audrey did not come up to check on her as she had not told them about Liam.

Arriving at the children's home, Maria walked in and Joyce shouted on Grace to come down. Grace came down with her bag and comfortable clothes. She instantly walked straight into Maria's arms. Maria held the girl tight and kissed her on the top of her head.

"Come on sweetie, I'll drop her off just before eight" Maria said wanting to make it clear that she'd have her daughter all day.

They got into the car and although it was only a 20-minute car journey, the girl had fallen asleep. They climbed out the car and went into the flat. It was the first time Grace had been there and Maria felt bad that it wasn't a more positive experience.

"Do you want to go back to bed for a bit?" She asked and Grace nodded.

"I'll show you your room" Maria said as she guided the girl into the room across from Liam's. She sorted the bed out and helped Grace climb into it.

"Do you want a cuddle?" She asked and Grace nodded moving over. Maria lay down with the girl and stroked her hair until she fell asleep. She was surprised that the girl was so clingy and guessed it was because she was ill.

Once Maria was sure the girl was sleeping, she left her and got on with some of her housework. She had just stopped for lunch and was heating up soup for the pair of them when she heard screaming. She jumped up and ran to Grace's bedroom. She opened the door and saw that the girl was still in bed. She was panting.

"Hey, it's okay. Did you have a nightmare?" Maria asked softly and Grace nodded. Maria pulled the girl into her arms until she calmed.

"Do you want to speak about it?" She asked and Grace shook her head.

"That's okay, come and have some soup" Maria ordered, and Grace nodded. She stood up and followed her mother through the house. They sat at the table and ate.

"How do you feel now?" Maria asked and Grace shrugged.

"A bit better but I just don't feel well" Grace explained, and Maria nodded.

"Have you had any medication?" Maria asked and Grace shook her head.

"I'll give you some paracetamol" Maria said and Grace nodded.

"Is it your stomach? Or your head?" Maria asked as she really wasn't sure.

"My stomach, my head was hurting last night too. I just really don't feel well" Grace said getting herself worked up.

"It's okay, don't worry. Where is your stomach sore?" Maria asked and Grace pointed to her abdomen.

"I'll give you a hot water bottle too and then we can watch a film" Maria suggested, and Grace nodded. Once they had eaten, they went through and watched a film. Maria got Grace a hot water bottle as well. Once the film had finished, Maria said she needed to go and collect Liam. Grace went with her but stayed in the car. Liam was very excited to see his sister and gave her a very big hug.

Arriving home, they played while Maria made dinner. She enjoyed seeing her children playing together and could not wait until Grace was living with them full time.

After dinner, Grace helped Maria bath Liam and then get him ready for bed. Once he was settled and sleeping, they walked out of the bedroom and had a cuddly on the sofa.

"I've called my brother Kirk and he is going to come and watch Liam while I drive you back. Will you be a big girl and go to school tomorrow?" Maria asked and Grace nodded still snuggling into her mother.

"Can I come and see you after school tomorrow?" Grace asked.

"Of course, you can" Maria said and Grace smiled. She would do that. Once Kirk arrived, he was surprised to see a young girl there.

"Grace?" He asked and both Grace and Maria nodded.

"Nice to meet you, I'm your uncle Kirk" He said and Grace smiled.

"Mum's told me about you" She said softly and Kirk smiled.

"I look forward to getting to know you" He said and Grace nodded.

They got into Maria's car and drove to the children's home. Maria went in and spoke to Joyce telling her that Grace had slept most of the day but seemed happier now. Joyce nodded before allowing Maria to go up the stairs with Grace.

"I'm going to bed now" She admitted.

"Okay, get changed and I'll tuck you in" Maria said. She heard a snarl from the girl behind her and Grace. Maria turned and glared at her. That was enough for the girl to feel intimidation and she walked away.

"Ignore her, she's just jealous" Maria said before encouraging Grace to get ready. Grace did as her mother asked and returned 10 minutes later. She got into bed and again Maria sat with her until she was asleep.

"I love you baby girl" Maria said kissing the girl on the head before leaving.

Hey I really hope people are still reading this :) If you are please review so that I know if I should continue or not. Please make sure you've read chapter 2 as well as I didn't get many reviews so unsure if people read it :)