Thanks for all the reviews and lovely suggestions of how I can include Ollie! Sorry it's been a few days since I updated and this chapter isn't one of my bests but hope you enjoy it anyway x
"How did you feel about today then Maisie?" Zoe asked as she poured her a drink. It had been a long and exhausting day for all of them but finally they were back home.
"OK I guess" Maisie nodded with a convincing smile, "At least now you don't think I'm a naughty child" She joked trying to lighten the atmosphere. She took the drink from Zoe and pulled out a seat at the kitchen table beside Nick.
Nick frowned, "Did we ever think that?" He asked, questioning himself in the process.
"I'm kind of glad about it" Maisie said in all seriousness.
"Yeah you'll be able to get all the help that you need now" Zoe added.
Maisie smiled at them both "I'm going to go and get ready for bed" She informed them before getting up and leaving the kitchen.
Nick put his hands up to his face and ran them through his hair, "How was this not spotted Zoe?" He turned to her, searching for an answer.
Zoe tilted her head, she could see Nick was blaming himself for this,"It's like they said earlier, sometimes children don't experience all symptoms, I don't think it's anybody's fault here Nick" She tried to reassure him as she sat on his lap and wrapped an arm around his neck.
Nick put his hands on her hips as she settled herself, "Yeah but Dyslexia, surely someone would know she couldn't read everything at the age of 12" Nick sighed, feeling let down by his daughter slipping through the net.
"It's just one of them things" Zoe said as she put her hand across Nick's back, "At least we now know and she can get all the important support that she needs" She continued to try and reassure him, "And look at it this way it couldn't of happened at a better time with her going onto High School next year"
Nick nodded in agreement, "Yeah I suppose you're right" He smiled looking at Zoe, "feeling tired?"he asked as he noticed her rub her eyes and forehead.
Zoe nodded "Yeah a little, the joys of pregnancy" She chuckled.
Nick moved forward and kissed her forehead, guiding her body to get off his lap, "Go and put your feet up and I'll check on Phoebe and Ollie" He offered, tapping her back lightly as she stood up.
Zoe smiled "How would I cope without you"
Nick winked, "You wouldn't" He chuckled as he left the room.
He headed upstairs to make sure that the children were getting ready for bed, he decided to head into Ollie's room first as it was the closest to the stairs. However much to Nick's surprise he wasn't in there, which was very unusual.
He decided to then look into Phoebe's room to see if he was in there, knowing that they would probably just be messing around, "Sweetheart where's your brother?" He asked her as he found her sitting on her bed alone.
Phoebe shrugged "I don't know" She replied.
Nick nodded and closed her door, heading into Maisie's bedroom next.
"Maisie, have you seen Oliver?" He asked, beginning to panic more and more now when he noticed he wasn't in here either.
Maisie also shrugged, "Nope I thought he was with Phoebe" She said.
"Shit" Nick uttered under his breath as he checked every single room upstairs, including the wardrobes. When there was still no sign of Ollie, he quickly raced downstairs missing a few steps in a panic.
"Zoe where's Oliver?" Nick called in worry as he strode into the front room.
"What do you mean?" Zoe asked in confusion, quickly turning around to see that Nick had already exited the room. She got up and headed into the kitchen to see Nick putting on his shoes, "I thought he was getting ready for bed?" Zoe asked.
Nick shook his head, "He's not here"
Zoe went to put a hand on his back to calm him down but he was already off in a flash, "OK, don't panic, I'm sure he's just hiding somewhere" She tried to reassure him.
Nick wasn't convinced though. "No something isn't right here Zoe"
"Well just check again, he wouldn't have gone far"
"I'm going to go out and look for him" Nick said, grabbing his coat off the kitchen chair and racing to put it on.
"Nick he isn't that stupid to go out alone at night" She tried to convince him. And she was right, Oliver wouldn't think of going out alone at night, he was always such a well behaved child, only getting into the odd bit of mischief but nothing out of the ordinary for a boy his age.
"Well clearly he is" Nick bluntly replied.
"Wait I'll call my mum and come with you then" Zoe suggested, trying to stall him.
Nick still continued to head to the door however, not wanting to wait one minute, "I'll just check the estate" He said.
Zoe nodded, knowing that Nick wasn't going to sit and wait for anything and before she had chance to say another word he was gone out the front door.