Chapter 3

The next morning Steve still couldn't believe the letter. He picked it up and read it again. Each time it still didn't make sense. How could she give up her daughter after 10 years? He knew he did it but his was because of his job, not because he wanted to party. He got out of bed and decided to go for a swim. Water was where he belonged, it gave him chance to relax and think about what he was going to do.

Mary heard the back door close as Steve went out. She got up and walked to the window, where she saw Steve making his way towards the sea. She watched at how at ease he seemed in the water. She got up, checking on Evie as she walked past her room. She went down stairs, and without meaning to be nosey she looked at letter on the side.

As she read it her face was expressionless. She wasn't sure if this was good for Steve or if he was going to struggle. She sat at the table reading and reading the letter. She didn't know what to do. Evie had been in Hawaii for less than 24 hours and Steve hadn't been much of a father.

She waited until he came back in. As soon as he opened the back door he saw she had seen the letter. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing, if she knew she could help him. "I didn't mean to read it." She said quickly, after the bad mood he was in yesterday she didn't want an argument.

Sensing she didn't want an argument he quickly replied "it's okay. I don't know what I am going to do." He stood there waiting for one of her usual responses that although annoying always seemed to be right.

"Have you thought about what you are going to do?" this wasn't the response he was expecting. He thought about that, even after thinking about it all night he still didn't have an answer. "I don't know. All night I have been thinking and all I know is that I can't let her go." Steve said trying to sound convincing.

"Well you are going to have to talk to her. Although, since she has been here you have been a terrible father, and you need to start to change before you tell her anything." She said that was the bit of advice he had been waiting for. She got up from the table and walked towards the stairs.

He knew she was right and had to try and make a change. He went upstairs and got himself ready for the day, thinking if he was going to be a father he had to be prepared himself. It was 9.00 o'clock before he heard Evie moving around upstairs. She didn't come down straight away, which gave Steve a chance to start on breakfast.

"Pancakes?" Steve asked as she walked down the stairs. This wasn't the life she was used to; she normally had cereal, which she got by herself.

"Yeah please" she said sitting at the table, watching her father. She sat there watching him, looking at the man who had left her all those years ago.

"Thank you" she said as Steve put the pancakes in front of her.

He walked away starting to tidy up. He knew things were going to be hard. He didn't know what to say to her. He wanted to tell her, but wasn't sure how to start the conversation.

When she had finished he thought it was time to tell her. He sat opposite her at the table and waited until she looked at him before he decided to start.

"Evie, we need to talk. Before your mum said goodbye to you at the airport what did she say?" Steve asked trying to work out if she had any idea.

Evie had to think back to what happened at the airport. "She said she was sorry. I wasn't sure what she was talking about but then she said she loved me and goodbye."

"Okay, did she say when you were going back to her?"

"I asked but all she said was she would see my soon." Evie was starting to get confused. She didn't know what he was asking her but all she knew was it wasn't good.

"Well, your mum gave Mary a letter to give to me. She has sent you to live with me, permanently." As soon as he said those words he could see the hurt in her eyes. He didn't know what to say. He needed to tell her the rest of the story but he couldn't get the words out seeing the look on her little face. He forced himself to carry on. "She said she is going to send the rest of your stuff out in a few weeks. She said she will be in touch she just wants you to settle." He just finished when a tear fell down her check.

He quickly got up from his seat and made over to her, bringing her in for a hug. She clung onto him as tears carried on making their way down her checks.

Once she stopped crying she didn't know what to say. She couldn't understand why her mum would do that. Why couldn't she have a normal family? Both her parents had let her down. She wanted to be like all her friends at school, a mum and a dad who would never let them down, but that was too much to ask.

She pulled away from Steve and made her way upstairs without saying anything to him. Steve knew how much it must have hurt her but didn't know what to say.

Meanwhile...

Catherine had made her way back to her old room before she left. She started to unpack, wanting to say something to her daughter but not wanting an argument. She knew that the longer she waited the worse it would be.

She walked down the hall to her daughter's bedroom. Standing outside she was nervous. She wasn't sure what about, she had been less nervous on missions that could have killed her. She knocked on the door waiting for Chelsea to let her in.

"Come in" Chelsea said turning around to look at door. She was lay on the bed reading a magazine but soon sat up when she saw it was her mum.

"Chelsea, we need to talk. I know I have been a terrible mother..." Catherine started. Before she could finish Chelsea interrupted.

"You think? A terrible mother that is the understatement of the year. You haven't been a mother. All you have done in my life is let me down. You never answer my calls when you are on ship. I tried calling you so many times but you just ignored it. Every time I thought you would be home I would wait by the door for hours, waiting for you to come home. Each time you left I thought it was because of me. You didn't want to live with me." Chelsea finally took a chance to breath. Catherine knew all of these were true but she had to say something. Make her feel loved.

"I am sorry. I know I have not been a mother and I know you have every right to hate me but I am here now trying to make a change." Catherine managed to get all of that out before Chelsea exploded with anger.

"You are not trying to make a change. The only reason you are back is because we would go into care now Nan has died. You don't care about us. It would look bad on you if you let us go into care. You think you are trying to make a change but you're not. You never cared, and you never will. Me and Jay are just an in convince to you. You made that clear when you joined the army. You left us and no matter how long you stay with us you will always be that selfish bitch." Chelsea wanted to continue, making her mum feel the same way she did, but her tears were pouring down her face and she was struggling to talk. As Cath tired to make her way over to comfort her, she barged past and ran out of the house.