Sorry its taken me so long to get the next chapter up came back from holiday and all my school exams and was plagued with writers block! Not good, but i think i'm back into the writing now and the next update should be by the end of the week.
Hope your still enjoying. Soph x
Chapter 9
Emily got out of the shower in the bathroom and pulled on her Mum's dressing gown she had left for her on the door. Pulling around herself on she inhaled her familiar scent, the comforting smell of her perfume, roses like it had always been. 'At least some things never change', she thought with a smile. Seeing her grinning face in the mirror's reflection she giggled slightly to herself before grabbing the brush from the side, pulling it though her wet hair which had turned dark brown cause of the water, instead her usual light blonde. She finished quickly and put the brush down making her way though to Ronnie's room.
There she found her Mum there rummaging through her drawers searching for something, the pyjamas she been promised Emily presumed. Sure enough she pulled out a pair of small pink shorts and a white vest top placing them in Emily's hands, which she began to put on. They fit perfectly making Ronnie smile.
"Bought those for your birthday next month. You used to love pink. It was pink this, pink that. 'Barbie had a pink house, I'm going to live in a pink house Mummy', " she laughed remembering the old days, "Had no idea of your size though. Not a bad guess I'd say." Ronnie said with a hint of sadness in her voice, she should know her own daughter's size not guess at it, 'I should know a lot of things I don't', she thought the guilt filling her.
"They're perfect Mum" Emily replied looking at the top and fiddling with the ribbon tie. It was then she noticed the silver locket on her Mum's dresser. It was all too familiar. She still had it.
She slowly moved towards the dresser picking the silver chain up gingerly, as she did she looked towards her Mum for permission to open it. Silently Ronnie smiled and nodded for her to carry on. It was part of both of them after all.
Emily's attention turned back to the heart locket as she carefully opened it seeing a old and slightly battered picture of a small baby inside. Her she presumed. Even though she was a few days old she could see it was her the nose was the same, something she knew she'd got off her Mum. Along with her eyes. It was weird though the eyes were a different colour, but babies eyes can change colour she'd once heard. It seemed a shame though, she'd always wanted blue eyes, brown would have to do though she supposed.
It was then she noticed the other picture, a picture she had not seen before. It was the last picture they had taken together, she was about 5 she guessed by her hair which was in bunches tied with ribbons, she not worn her hair like that in years. Not since she'd left. She remembered that day from the photo so well. The fair ground rides surrounded them in the background as they sat on a wall grinning into the camera in each other arms. In her hand there was a large pink candyfloss stick almost as big as her head with the sun shining down almost as bright as the happiness radiating from their faces, her Mum's smile and her own toothless grin really got to her. They had been so happy.
--
"Mummy, Mummy, MUMMY" Emily had yelled excitedly trying to get Ronnie's attention. The younger Emily pulled on Ronnie's jeans attempting to get her to bob down to her level, Ronnie sighed smiling at her while turning back to her mobile, "Not now Ed, Em needs me", she paused for a moment letting the other person talk, "Oh I can't be doing with this now. Later, OK?." she said rather forcefully and hung up her mobile putting in the her pocket. She smiled down at Emily her face immediately softening, "What is it Sweetie?" she questioned bobbing down to her level.
She was met by Emily's toothless grin right in her face, her angelic blonde curls meant saying no to what ever she wanted would be very tricky indeed, "Can I have some candy-floss? Pwease? Pretty Pwease?", her 5 year old daughter asked jumping up and down like a hyperactive kangaroo.
"Go on then", Ronnie said buying it for her from the man at the stall, after all this was their day out, they were away from everything that had been going on in ages and Em deserved it. "Cause you're my special little girl, you know that right?", she said to Emily as she passed her the gigantic candy-floss stick. Emily just nodded quickly before quickly taking a huge bite out of the candy-floss, something told Ronnie she hadn't quite been listening.
It was while they were sat on the wall eating the candy-floss that a strike of colour caught Ronnie's eye, "Do you want to go say Hi?", she questioned Emily while pointing over to the 'Winnie the Pooh' in the corner, one of the worst costumes arguably Ronnie had ever seen but the all the other kids huddled around him seemed to love it.
Emily just stared at the man in the awful costumes blankly, her eyes wide, "No." she whispered almost unable to be heard while clutching onto her Mum's side. Ronnie stood up off the wall and picked up Emily in her arms resting her on her hip, manoeuvring her so the candy floss didn't suddenly appear stuck in her hair the next day.
"You sure?", Ronnie asked, it wasn't like Emily to be shy, "He seems very friendly, look what if I come too? Would you like that?".
Emily looked again towards Winnie and then back to her mother nodding her head slightly in agreement, "Ok.", she said in a slightly louder whisper still outwardly unsure. Ronnie walked slowly over towards the crowd of children and 'Winnie the Pooh', as they drew close she felt Emily clutch tighter.
"Say Hi", she encouraged her, but Emily just kept her mouth shut lips clap tightly tighter as she shook her head burying in to Ronnie's shoulder.
She mouthed to the man in the costume, 'She's a bit shy', he nodded slightly before speaking in his best bear voice, "Hello little girl what's your name?", Ronnie really had to contain her giggles, what she'd do for Emily.
Then surprisingly Ronnie heard a small squeaking sound form her shoulder, "Emily", her daughter whispered. Winnie put a hand to his ear causing Ronnie to smile, "I don't think he heard you Sweetie", she said.
"Emily.", Emily repeated louder this time removing showing her face once again removing it form Ronnie's shoulder fidgeting trying to get down from her mother's arms. Ronnie did as she wanted and put her down by the bear. He turned to speak to another little boy but stopped as he felt a small hand pulling on his tail, Emily's hand.
Grinning cheekily, clearly over her nerves from only a few moments ago, she beckoned him to come down to her level. He did as she wanted, clearly amused as she cupped her fingers round his ear, trying to tell him something. Ronnie watched on proud her daughter was back to her normal cheeky self, these nerves were so unlike her, but she'd been having a tough time lately, who could blame her for being a bit insecure really… While she remembered the problems of the present, problems she had forgotten for a rare moment she was brought out of her day dream by a loud amount of shrieking from the many children gather round.
She glanced up to see Emily stood there grinning her head off with 'Winnie's' head in her hands. A surprised man stood there staring at her with his costume's head, he really wasn't expecting Emily at all the pull his head off in one clean sweep, as the other boys and girls ran back to their parents, many crying at Winnie now being headless.
Unable to contain her own laughter at the scene and the bear mean running after her daughter with his head she bent down and picked Emily up.
"You naughty thing!", she laughed as the man snatched his head back giving Ronnie dirty looks, before storming off.
"He was lying though Mummy, he was no real Winnie the Pooh." Emily said in an angelic voice smiling at her Mum.
"How did you know that then Sweetie?" Ronnie asked her, she couldn't exactly tell her he was real now, that illusion was pretty much ruined.
"I asked him if he liked honey, like I did. But he said No. But real Winnie loves honey Mummy. He was 'tending", She answered proud that she'd figured it all out on her own. "Oh he was pretending was he? Naughty Winnie!" Ronnie said bemused at all of this.
But she had to smile at her budding detective skills, "Come on then cheeky, I think after all that work someone deserves some lunch.", she told her as they walked towards the food court, leaving the confused kids and their bemused parents behind.
--
Emily and Ronnie both smiled remembering clearly this perfect day. One of the last perfect days they had together for a long while. Emily just sat there unable to think of anything else to say, nothing could quiet sum up how she was feeling, the words just didn't do her rollercoaster emotions justice. Instead she sat there with the locket still clasp tightly in her hand her fingers brushing the picture softly. Smiling at her daughter Ronnie was about to speak but Emily beat her too it.
"You kept it." Emily said in a barley audible whisper, even she hadn't expected anything to come out of her mouth.
Sitting next to her gently and taking her free hand Ronnie smiled, "Of course I did, there wasn't a day go by I didn't think about you, you know." she said.
Grinning back with her brace filled grin Emily touched her own neck, " Ditto" she smiled as she felt for her familiar chain. "Look" she said but the smiled soon faded. It wasn't there instead her hands just met her bare skin, there was no necklace. Not anymore.
In despair Emily jumped up running to her bag in the corner, desperately emptying the entire contents searching for her most treasured possession. "Where is it?" she cried, "No, No, It can't be, Its not here." she kept repeating to herself as she rifled though her belongings. Throwing her few clothes she had brought with her on the floor along with her green I-Pod Nano, Lip-gloss and Eyeliner, her Mobile, a pack of Kleenex tissues, a small zebra striped purse, a crumpled up picture from last summer with Ryan, Mia and herself and of course her treasured pink silk ballet shoes, Emily finally had to admit defeat. The necklace was gone, lost.
She just sat the in amongst all her belongings crying, Ronnie came over gently towards her crouched down to her level letting her arms wrap around her. Emily made no attempt to stop crying as she just let her mother hold her.
After 10 minutes Emily had finally calmed down enough for her breathing to return to normal at least. "What's wrong Em?" Ronnie asked carefully.
She took a deep breath, speaking slowly to avoid any more tears leaking, "I've lost it. I've lost my locket." she answered in a shaky voice, "The one you gave me for my 7th Birthday after you left, my locket."
"Don't matter babe." Ronnie replied brushing her wet strand of hair from her face. "It's only a silly little locket, something to remind you of me when I wasn't there when…. Well you know" she said becoming awkward at the mention of the past, there was an uncomfortable silence before she began again in her more gentle tone, "But I'm here now and always will be. That's what matters, not some little locket." she told her softly.
There was a short pause as Emily contemplated this, maybe her Mum was right who needed a locket filled with just memories of the past, something she didn't really want to replay in her mind, when you had the real thing once again, now in the present? But how long did she have it for this time, what's to say its different?
"You promise that?", Emily asked slightly scared of her answer, she so badly wanted to be assured that it will all turn out OK but what if she said 'No'. She'd rather live in false hope than have no hope at all. She averted her glance away from her Mum's unable to look in her eyes if the answer was No. 'No.' 'No.' she just kept repeated in her head until…
"Yes."
Emily looked up at her mum confused, had she heard right? Ronnie sighed her daughters confusion and pulled her into a hug wiping her own tears.
"I'll always be here for you now Em. You just try and get rid of me." Ronnie told her talking into the mass of white blonde hair covering Emily's head, "And believe me Roxy's tried" She added trying to lighten the atmosphere, the amount they had cried today felt like enough to fill an entire sea.
Emily smiled, finally things were how she'd always wanted them, how they should of always been. But she supposed better late than never. And now never was not a possibility. This was now, the past was finally that, the past. But how long can mistakes be forgotten for?
Pushing the thoughts out of her head she pulled form the hug grinning up to her Mum with her tear stained face, "Good I'd like that. And you know what, I still love pink."