Chapter Thirty Four

"Are you really, really sure about this?" Charlie asked. "Because if even a tiny part of you wants to back out, I want you to go for it before I tell Ruby and my parents what we're doing."

"I'm really, really sure about this," Joey promised.

She and Charlie had gone down to the accommodation office and put in a request to move from their current rooms to a place on the family unit.

"Are you...?"

"I'm sure!" Joey squeaked. "I'm looking forward to it."

Charlie raised her eyebrows sceptically.

"You're looking forward to living with your ex-girlfriend and her five year old daughter?"

"When my ex-girlfriend and her five year old daughter are as incredible as you and Ruby, how could I not?" Joey asked sweetly.

Despite herself, Charlie laughed.

"Okay," she said. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck," Joey said.

They hugged a little awkwardly goodbye before Charlie hopped onto the bus to take her to her parents' mansion in the city.

"You are absolutely crazy," Brax declared.

Without Charlie for the weekend, Joey had agreed to go for some drinks with some people from their floor.

"I'm not!" she insisted.

"Yeah, I'm afraid you are," Angelo said.

"But more than that, we're going to miss you," Watson added.

Joey shrugged.

"We'll still see each other," she said. "I'm moving across campus, not across the world."

Watson frowned all the same.

"You're nuts," Brax told her. "Why on earth would you want to leave our corridor to go and shack up with Charlie and her brat?"

"Firstly, Ruby isn't a brat," Joey said defensively. "She's an amazing kid. And secondly, why do you think I want to shack up with Charlie?"

"Jo, if it's because you want to get into her pants, I don't think it'll work," Aden said doubtfully. "I mean, I know you're friends again but she doesn't strike me as the most forgiving person in the world. And you can't really blame her. I mean, that bet..."

"Was a mistake," Joey interrupted. "And I'm very aware that I've lost her for good because of it."

She paused to glare directly at Brax who glared right back.

"But I have a chance here to be Charlie's friend again," she said, almost sadly. "I have the chance to support her and prove myself to be a decent human being. You weren't there when Ruby begged to live with her. You don't understand the relationship they have."

"I don't understand how a virgin could have got pregnant at nine or whatever it was," Brax pointed out.

"She was thirteen," Joey snapped. "And it's none of your damn business."

Brax held up his hands defensively.

"I was just saying," he said.

"Well, don't," Joey told him.

Word had got out pretty quickly that Charlie was a mother but neither she nor Joey were prepared to reveal details. Charlie supposed that people would either figure out the truth or think she was easy. But it had been a long time since she'd truly cared what people thought about her.

"Well, I for one think it's a lovely idea," Shannon said brightly.

Joey smiled, thanking her.

"I will miss you both on the corridor but I think it's lovely that Charlie wants to bring her little girl to campus with her. And I think it's lovely that you're so committed to supporting them."

"Shouldn't Charlie have started Uni with Ruby?" Belle asked doubtfully. "Why has it taken this long for her to bring her here? A child should always live with its parents."

Joey resisted snapping. She felt protective of Charlie but she also knew that Belle was speaking of a place of hurt rather than judgement. She was just relieved that Nicole, who had recently given up her own baby for adoption, wasn't there to hear this particular discussion.

"She was advised against it," Joey explained. "They thought she wouldn't cope but I know she will. And I'm determined to support them, no matter what."

Aden patted her gently on the back.

"Then we're all determined to support you both," he said.

Ross paced the floor, angry and irritated. Patricia sat back looking grim while Charlie struggled to keep herself together.

"Is this because she got sick?" Ross demanded. "Are you trying to blame us or something?"

"What?" Charlie said. "No! Of course not. You can't be blamed for her contracting Meningitis!"

"Then why are you taking her away from us when we agreed she'd stay here?" Ross snapped.

"Because she told me that if she had one wish in all the world, it was to live with me at Uni," Charlie explained.

"Oh, so you're saying she isn't happy here?" Ross barked. "We're bad grandparents, are we?"

"Of course you're good grandparents," Charlie said desperately.

This conversation was going even worse than she'd expected and she had imagined something pretty bad.

"But that's just it, Dad. You're her grandparents. I'm her mother and she should be with me."

"And how do you propose to look after her without our support?" Charlie's Mum asked.

"Joey and I are going to take care of her," Charlie said. "We're all moving into the family unit on campus and when I'm studying or in classes, Joey will be there to take care of her."

"And you trust this Joey, do you?" Ross asked. "Because before Ruby got sick, you said you hated her."

"I did. Well, I was angry with her anyway but... but she proved herself last week," Charlie explained. "We're both really keen to do this."

"I give it a week before you come crawling back," Ross said. "And I wish you'd reconsider rather than uprooting your poor daughter just to prove some kind of point."

"I'm not trying to prove some kind of point," Charlie insisted. "I'm trying to do my best for my little girl. She wants to live with me. She should live with me."

"Well, good luck raising her by yourself," Ross said, storming out of the room and gesturing for his wife to follow suit.

When she did, Charlie sank back against the sofa in tears. She quickly pulled out her phone and wrote a text message to Joey. It read: Please tell me we're doing the right thing. Joey's reply was immediate. It said: We are definitely doing the right thing. You'll see. xx

That night, restless and upset, Charlie slipped into her daughter's bedroom. Atop the blankets, she snuggled in beside her, kissing the top of her head.

"Mum?" Ruby squeaked.

"Go back to sleep, sweetheart," Charlie whispered. "Mummy just needed a cuddle."

Ruby blinked open her eyes and offered the warmest smile Charlie had ever received.

"I love you," the little girl said.

Charlie smiled back.

"I love you too," she said.

Ruby happily nestled against her and promptly fell asleep again.

Next time… Charlie, Joey and Ruby all move into their new home…