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Chapter Forty-Five
Family
Esmerelda held baby Prudence above her head and smiled at her as the baby girl giggled in delight before she brought her down kissing her cheek gently. Ethel smiled over at her baby happily, unable to believe she was already one month old. It felt like she had had her yesterday. It was early and the two girls were just getting ready to leave their bedroom to start the day when Sybil walked in.
"Oh hello Sybie" Esmie said happy to have another of her favourite people in the room.
"Hi, can I hold Prue?" Sybil asked wanting to give her niece a cuddle. Esmie looked at Ethel who nodded her agreement and Sybil took the baby happily, being extra careful. She kissed her cheek and rocked her before she started to speak.
"Why is our social worker here?" Sybil asked with a look of confusion upon her face. Esmerelda and Ethel looked at each other and then looked back to Sybil rocking Prue and kissing her face, both of them just as confused as Sybil.
For the last week their social worker had been coming over to see Julie. When Prue had first being born, she had come to watch Ethel with her to make sure she was satisfied with the level of care she received, and she had passed her test with flying colours and had told her she was not concerned in any way with how she was being looked after but it was rare for the social worker to keep coming, especially to talk to Julie and not them, and Julie would never tell them why she was there.
"I honestly don't know Sybs" Ethel replied watching Sybil with her daughter and smiling. She had got much better with her in the last month and was a lot more confident now, she even didn't mind changing her as much now, though she still needed a little help with that.
"Well it is obvious isn't it? Julie took us in because you were pregnant, but this was never supposed to be a long term placement, she was only supposed to keep us until you had the baby" Esmie replied, voicing her opinion.
"But...things are different now..." Ethel said not wanting to believe that.
"I don't want to leave" Sybil replied sadly then.
"We are only fostered it can't last forever, I don't want to leave either but it seems they are discussing when to end our placement, why else would they be talking?" Esmie asked really sadly.
All three girls had bonded with Julie and Mildred now. They felt more at home here than they every did with their parents and in a way they loved their family now. All of them were heartbroken even if they knew this day was probably going to come.
"I can't believe they are getting rid of us" Ethel said her heart shattering as she once again felt rejected.
Julie noticed over the next few days the three sisters were upset. They were all quiet, unless they were playing with Prue and they would smile at her they were not happy. Another meal was there and another one in silence. Esmie had been doing so well with her eating but it seemed she was going downhill again as she was just playing with her food. Mildred looked at her foster sisters confused.
"What is wrong with you lot?" Mildred asked used to them chatting away.
"Nothing" Sybil said forcing food into her mouth and swallowing even if her throat felt restricted.
"Girls if there is something wrong please tell me, I can't help if I don't know" she told them concerned. She knew there was something bothering them.
"Is it because it is nearly a year since…..?" Julie said leaving the rest of the question opened as she knew they would know what she meant.
"Can we not talk about that?" Ethel said with a sigh. Not waning to be reminded about it.
"You three, I am in charge of you, if something is wrong I need to know" she told them sensing it was not the anniversary they were upset about.
"Look Julie….we already know we have to leave alright..." Esmie said with a sigh. Julie was the one who was confused now and narrowed her eyebrows.
"What are you talking about?" Julie asked not understanding what they meant.
"You have being having secret meeting with our social worker and we know what that means" Sybil told Julie not able to look at her as she was afraid of bursting into tears.
"I don't understand" Julie said still confused.
"This placement was only supposed to be until I had Prudence, we know the placement is over now Julie and we will have to leave, we are just a bit upset about it as we have really liked it here" Ethel told the curly haired woman and Julie gasped. The girls had got the wrong idea. She mentally slapped herself for being secretive with them about the meetings, but she wanted it to be a surprise, she was not planning on telling them yet.
Julie looked at Mildred who stared at her mother opened mouthed. She knew what the secret was as she had been asked her opinion on it and she could not believe they had thought of this conclusion. Prue started to cry in that moment and Ethel, who was not eating anyway, jumped up to see to her and Julie came to her senses.
"Ethel, after you have seen to Prue bring her through to the sitting room, I have something I need to tell you and your sisters" she told Ethel who nodded slowly and went to see to her baby.
The sisters were sat on the sofa with Prue and Mildred and Julie felt awful she had given them the expression she was kicking them out, she should have know the meetings would make them suspect something was a miss.
"When do we have to leave?" Esmie asked Julie her eyes shiny as she was doing that thing she always did when she forced herself not to cry and Julie sighed before sitting down opposite them.
"No, you have it wrong" Julie told them, knowing they were waiting to be told they had to pack up and leave the flat.
"What do you mean Julie?" Sybil asked. The youngest not being as subtle as the eldest and letting tears flow down her cheeks.
"Don't lie to us Julie, if we have to leave just tell us" Esmerelda told Julie, glaring at her as the trust she had built up with Julie was disappearing.
"I am sorry that you have been feeling like this, I didn't realise you would come to that conclusion, you don't have to leave" Julie told them not sure if she should reveal her secret yet or not as it was still early days.
"We don't?" Ethel asked as she held the baby to her chest confused.
"Just tell them mum" Mildred spoke up, knowing she couldn't exactly hide it now.
"Tell us what?" Esmerelda asked looking between Mildred and Julie. Julie nodded knowing it was time.
"Well this placement has gone really well, I feel like we are all a family now and I don't want to lose any of you, but with your parents still holding parental rights I can't protect you from them, and as you are fostered I don't get a say in what happens to you" Julie started to explain looking at the girls as she spoke.
"So what do you mean?" Ethel asked not understanding where she was going with this.
"I have spoken to Mildred and your social worker and I have decided I don't want to foster you anymore" Julie said and was just about to carry on speaking when Esmie cut in.
"I knew it!" she shouted becoming angry at Julie "You lied, you told us you wouldn't abandon us" Esmerelda said not wanting to hear anymore.
"I am not abandoning you Esmie, I don't want to foster you because I want to adopt you" Julie told the girls, revealing the secret.
"What?" Ethel said, sure she had misheard.
"I want to adopt all three of you, Esmie you can't stay in foster care much longer now you are sixteen and I love all three of you and Prudence, I want this placement to be permanent, if you all want that" Julie explained unable to help herself smiling.
Sybil jumped up of the sofa and ran to Julie hugging her and crying. Julie held the little girl and smiled happily.
"I am glad someone is happy" Julie said rubbing her back. Ethel gave the baby to Mildred as she was closest to her and then walked to Julie to hug her too sobbing with happiness as she never thought anyone would want her enough to adopt her. Julie kissed her and hugged her as well before looking at Esmie who looked shell shocked.
"Esmie?" Julie said worried about her reaction. Esmie stood up and walked to Julie, squeezing into a gap next to Sybil and hugging Julie, trying to stop herself from crying. Julie put her arm around the eldest girl and smiled at her, seeing her struggling with her composure.
"You can cry honey" Julie told her knowing how much the girl hated to cry but knowing she should cry if she wanted to. Tears fell down the eldest girl's face now as she couldn't stop them anymore and she cuddled into Julie more.
"Thank you" Esmie told her. Mildred smiled watching her new sisters happily and kissing the baby. Julie extended her arm next to Ethel and Mildred went to cuddle in too and Prudence giggled and Julie smiled holding all her girls, never feeling happier.