Chapter 19

Jim went back and returned home in which time Katie was in the care of her mother. The trip to Ireland with out her was harder, especially as neither of the boys came either. Andy had volunteered but he had said to the lad no. he had his studies to think of and his exams were coming up. He had to focus on them. So he guessed really it had been his fault he had been on his own when he had been saying bye to his mum.

The little girl went form pillar to post with her mum and dad and she was unable to work them out. One day they were loving and caring the next they were rowing.

However her mum and her dad were not the only couple she knew who had split that year.

Vicky and her brother had not been able to work out the problems they had began having and in the same year that Liz left her husband so did Vicky. Everything was sliding away from the youngest member of the family. Every thing she knew to be good and true was gone.

Steve didn't seem to grieve for too long though, and he fell straight in love again. This time with hair dresser called Fiona. She was a nice person who quickly got the families approval even if Katie was fin ding it hard Vicky being gone. she had been as a sister to her and she was going to miss her very much.

She was alright as far as Katie was concerned.

But it wasn't like it had been when she had been with Vicky. She had been there for her since as long as she could remember and now just like her mum she was gone.

How ever the romance no matter how smitten by this women didn't deem to last very long, and a man named Alan 'stole' her from him.

Was that like in the stories, when the ogre tried to take the princess away Katie wondered to herself. She was learning to soon that real life was not like fairy tales.

Not one bit.

In the adult world, which was generally kept as far away from Katherine's innocent eyes as it could be, life was complicated. It was cruel and harsh. Things happened that weren't fair and one day she was just going to have to deal with that fact.,

In the time that she had been with her brother Fiona had got close with his father Jim. He was a good friend to her and most certainly some pone she confide in.

But in a single night all of that changed.

Fiona had been upset of the way that Alan had been treating her. She had turned to him for comfort and

She had got a lot more than she had looked for. And she hadn't said no

-

It was the morning after the night before, and having snuck in the middle of the night Jim had not seen Katie the night before. She came bounding down the starts and seven ready for the day at nursery.

She was a signet there this term and he couldn't believe min September she was going to be going off to school then she really wasn't a baby any more.

"Where were you last night dad?" she asked as she have him a hug.

Her brothers came down stairs, and grinned like cherish cats at there dad. He had given them so much to work with when he hadn't come home.

"Good night dad?" asked Andy as he laughed.

Jim shook his head. Couldn't they wait till Katie was gone to start?

"It was very satisfactory son." he said as he got his daughter cereal.

"I bet it was," teased Steve,

"Will you two leave off?" he said as he went in to the living room. "Come on eat up Katie," he said as he sat down with his own breakfast beside her.

"Whose picking me up today daddy?" she asked.

He sighed. Well it was meant to be him but he had to catch up with Fiona now and make sure she had no regrets.

"Mummy is." he told her. Liz was always after more time with her she wasn't going to mind.

"Ok."

"But dad it's your day to pick her up." said Andy.

"Yeah but he had to go and see his fancy women." Steve said teasingly.

Andy hoped not. He didn't relish in the thought of her being put behind a women in his dads lists of priorities, he thought to himself.

"Dad cant I? Me and Katie can go and get a burger to celebrate my exams as we didn't get out the other night." he said and she smiled.

"Please daddy!" she said to him. A burger was going to be well good.

"Alright you two" he said.

-

Liz was walking home from work when she saw her daughter and son get off the bubs, hand in hand.

They had had a great time and both looked like they had.

She had been thinking a bout going over to the house tonight. She had begun to get lonely now. And she wanted to go home. Jim had learnt his lesson. And she missed them being together, not just the kids. She missed the passion they had together.,

Going over to met them Katie as ever flew in to her arms.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

"Dad couldn't do pick up today so I did then we got a burger for my exam results,." he said to her.

She looked puzzled. If ever there was a day one couldn't do normally Jim or her rang the other to sort it out.

Still if Andy had wanted to there was no problem she guessed.

In his heart though Andy knew what that had just been a good bye meal with his sister. She didn't know of course. No one knew he was going.

But he had felt he had to say a good bye to her properly. She was a bout the only one in the family who had any sense and she was only four. But he had to get out. He couldn't cope in the nut house anymore.

"Me and Andy got a burger." she said as she gave her mum a hug.

"Did you that must have been good!" she said to her.

"Yeah it was." she said as she hugged her.

"So what you been up to mum?" Asked Andy as she realized she had been walking over to number eleven.

"I thought I might go and see your father,"

"Well we are on our why home to watch Pocahontas, so if you want to join us while you wait." he offered, and she nodded.

"With an off like that what women could ever refuse." she said as Katie took her hand.

She was glad she had gone. It was good to be home in number eleven.

It was nice just to be home with the kids.

-

Jim came home sighing. It had been a long day and he hadn't been able to see Fiona so when he came in to see his wife soon to be ex, on the sofa with his daughter he was shocked. Liz had never said she was going to be coming over.

As soon as Katie saw him she got off the sofa and ran in to his arms. If nothing else, he always knew his girl could put a smile on his face.

"Yer right Liz?" he asked.

"Yeah. Just wanted to spend some time with the kids. Hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, not at all Elizabeth." he said as he watched Andy come out the kitchen.

"Where's Steven?" he asked as he kept his daughter in his arms.

"Don't know."

-

The next day Katie and Jim got home from nursery for the very last time.

He had been proud when he had seen her pass out, so to speak. And now she had six long weeks off.

"We are going to do so much this summer kid. Its gonna be great. I'm going to take yer to the sea side and we are going to go on lots of days out," he promised her.

Going in to the living room smiling, she headed over to the table to sit down and do some drawing.

"Dad there's a letter for you on the table." she noticed.

Jim McDonald.

"Alright darling, go and wash your hands for lunch." he said as he sent her upstairs.

Taking the letter in his hands he realized he knew that had writing. It was Andy's. So why had he written his name so formally.

Opening it, he got the shock of his life.

Dad,

I am so sorry.

-

"He's left?" asked Liz as she sat on the sofa.

She shook her head. He was her baby. And now he had gone off in to the world with out so much as consulting her. Or Jim.

"Wall I guess we should be thankful he left the letter." she said to Jim. "Do the other two know yet." she asked.

"No. I couldn't face telling Katie. I dropped her off to Judy and Garry and came straight over." he said to her. He had felt she had had a right to know first.

"We are just going to have to get him back." she said but he shook his head. He knew it was going to be no good. He remembered what it was like being that age. You were no longer a boy, but no one saw you as a man and that was what Andy wanted.

Not his mother babying him.

"But we can't just leave him out there."

"No Liz. You're wrong. That it the only thing we can do if we want to keep our relationship with our son." he said to her emotionally. He felt the loss just as much as she did. If it had been Steve then yes he'd go after him. He didn't know how to watch his own back, but Andy was smart and he'd be fine.

Her eyes were filming with tears as he told her what was going on and he felt a strange sympathy for her. She had never been split from her son, with such a gap between them.

"Come here." he said as he embraced her for the first time in months. God she was going to miss him so much.

"Is there nothing we can do to bring him home." she asked.

"No. We have to let him go. Its time he found his own place in the world."

-

"So Andy isn't going to come home tonight," asked Katie as she looked at her father with a confusion in her eyes.

But her brother had always been there. He always came home. Steve didn't because he was off with girl's but Andy…well he was the smart one. He always did and she didn't see why he wasn't going to. She didn't get it.

True enough, when he was there all he did was wind her up but she didn't see why he had had go away. He was her big brother!

Looking at Jim knew she wasn't going to take it well. She had tears in her eyes, but she was silent. A tear dribbled on to her cheek but she made no nose. It was just like it had been when she had got her leg trapped. He had never wanted to see her so hurt again.

He moved his hand to cheek to wipe it away but she pulled back angrily.

"Katie?" he said to her. Never before had she resisted being comforted.

"I want Andy." she protested before storming up upstairs.

He had to say he could see her point. She was a little girl who had never had a loot of luck in the way of family and it hadn't been easy with the two divorces going through. He hadn't been to shocked he guessed deep down at his sons decision to go. No doubt if his daughter could go, she would right now.

He was just glad he had left Katie here with them. He knew if he had been Andy he might not have done that, left her. It was hardly the best environment for a girl of her age.

Putting he head in his hands he didn't know what to do. Everything had changed so fast and he hadn't settled her from it And now Katie didn't want him at all.

-

Steve looked at Fiona as they left the flat together.

He had been trying to get back in her good books for ages.

"Do you want to go for a drink tonight?"

She shook her head. How could she. It wasn't that he didn't want to but she had been with his dad now too. It didn't feel right to her any more, but she did care for him. And then there was Alan..

"Steve I have some thing to tell you." she said as they stood face to face. This was so hard for her. He was every thing she knew. He loved her, but it was safe for her to love him in return she felt. She'd get hurt.

"What?"

"Me and Alan. We're going to be trying to get it together again." she watched his face fall.

"Bur Fiona." he begged her

"No Steve I mean it. I'm -in love with him. That changed every thing."

But some thing else that was going to change every thing for her in the middle of that August. She learnt that she was going to have a baby. She had a bun in the oven.

And weather it was Jim or Alan's, she had no idea.

-

"I was thinking we are going to have ter get Katie some uniform this year. I cant believe she is going to be starting school." Liz said to Jim as she picked her up.

"I know. It doesn't seem right that she has got so big so, I remember when she was a baby. Might as well as fitted in ter the palm of my hand she was that small." he reminisced with her.

"I do remember Jim." she said to him smiling.

How was she ever meant to forget. They were so happy when she was a little girl. When she was their baby. That tiny little one who'd brought them so close.

"Jim I was thinking. Why don't we go out for a few days spoil her together a bit? I know she misses us both being with her together. She wants to know daddy and mummy are friends." she suggested.

"Of course, might be good for her to have us together." he added. "After Andy left and every thing…" he trailed off in thought. He had had a phone call that day. His son was doing well. But it didn't stop him being missed sorely by his family.

"yeah." she nodded. "I know it hasn't been easy."

"It hasn't. For any of us of us." he said as his daughter came up to him having just come down stairs.

"Right sweet have a good time." he said as he gave her a hug.

"See you later daddy."

-

As it was his night off from having Katie Jim went to the pub. He was anxiety to see Fiona. They had to take about it, they had to make it work. He wanted her.

But when he saw her walk in he was less than happy who she was with: Alan.

They were there to announce there engagement.