Thanks to everyone who has read this so far. Not sure what happened to the formatting in the last chapter, and it's been so long since I wrote it now, I no longer have it on my laptop as I got a new one. This chapter will introduce a new member of the family.
Sarah Mason had just finished for the day at her prestigious school in the Highlands of Scotland. Her mother Francesca was a corporate lawyer who she barley saw but that didn't matter too much she lived a life of luxury. It was just her and her mum at home except for every 2nd weekend and for 2 weeks during the summer and every 2nd Christmas and Easter when she would have to rough it in Rochdale with her dad and his other family. Secretly she longed for the time she spent there, her Stepmother Rachel was lovely, she always felt welcomed, but she found the house so loud, noisy and just full of people.
Francesca and Richard had a very brief marriage. Francesca had ended it and had since had several girlfriends, but none were the one.
Sarah was surprised when she got home and found her mother was home, she was never usually home from work before 7pm.
"Mum, your home" Sarah quickly gave her a hug before sitting on the couch and smoothing her tartan kilt, the standard uniform of St Hildas school for girls which cost an eyewatering £16000 a year not including costs for uniforms, books and equipment.
"I am and I need to speak to you, you know I had a meeting with our CEO today".
Sarah nodded it wasn't unusual for her mum to have to meet with the CEO.
"Well, he has an exciting opportunity, he wants me, well us to move to Canada for a year. He wants me to be director of our new expansion in Canada".
"What if I don't want to move to Canada" Sarah said glumly.
"I'm afraid you don't really have much of a choice, and it's going to be quick, in the next couple of weeks, they have already got us a fantastic house on Vancouver Island.
"But what about Dad, and school. I can't leave now, I just started my GCSE years, Mum you can't do this to me" Sarah said as she started to spiral into panic.
"Look, I know it's a bit of a shock and a change, but I promise you will love it there".
"I'm not going" Sarah shouted as she ran upstairs slamming every door behind her.
Richard had just finished work and got into his car; it had been a long day when he saw the call come from his eldest daughter. He didn't hear from her as often as he had done when she was younger and first got a phone and usually, he was the one who would instigate a call, he would usually give her a call in the evening before bed and a quick text in the morning before school.
"Hi Sweetheart" Richard said as he adjusted his rear-view mirror ready to drive home.
"Dad has Mum told you about us moving yet".
"Aww has your mum bought a new house, when you moved into the castle, I thought that would be your last house" A few years ago Francesca had bought what had been a small castle for a house, it was a couple of hundred years old, but inside everything was modern.
"No, Dad we are moving to Canada, and I really don't want to go, can you please stop her".
"Canada, well that's a bit of a shock sweetheart. I'll speak to your Mum, maybe you picked up the wrong end of the stick".
"I haven't Dad it's for a year".
"Let me speak to your mum, our custody arrangement says we can't take you out of the country for longer than 3 weeks so she can't just up and take you to Canada for a year, don't worry sweetheart we will get this sorted, is she with you just now, why don't you put her on".
Sarah ran downstairs and thrust the phone into her mum's face "Dad wants to speak to you".
Richard and Francesca had a long and heated conversation. However, as a lawyer Francesca couldn't argue about the custody arrangement, she had hoped that Richard wouldn't have bothered. Francesa conceded that Sarah would move to Rochdale for a year and live with her dad, Rachel and half siblings.
Richard got home, his mind still reeling from his conversation with his daughter and ex-wife. He got into the house which as usual was chaos. Rosie was over, she and Lucy were in the living room painting nails. Jack had a friend over, they were hitting balls off the hall wall, it was pouring with rain outside otherwise he was sure they would have been outside, and Gracie was making something with glitter that looked like it had exploded over the carpet.
"Where is your mother?" Richard asked after his kids greeted him.
"On the phone in the other room, she told us all to be quiet, think there is some drama at school, she had to sack a supply teacher".
"OK, boys, enough of that ball on the wall you're marking it, Grace, that glitter needs cleaned up, Girls can you help, he singled over to the older girls".
"Sorry our nails are wet" Lucy said.
"Perfect, you can have glittery nails after you help clean up, now please" he motioned with his eyes over to the glitter "I think you will need the hoover".
Richard made his way into the other room just as Rachel was hanging up the phone.
"Bad day" he said as his hands found his way to her shoulders where he started to massage, he felt Rachel melt under his touch.
"You could say that, how was yours?"
"Well, find till an hour ago, Sarah called me in a state. Francesca has to move to Canada for a year, she was taking Sarah with her".
"But she can't do that, she is your daughter too".
"I know, I spoke to her, and I said she can come live here for the year, I know I should have spoken to you first, but I can't not see her for a year, I already feel like I don't get enough time with her".
Rachel stood up and faced him pulling him into a hug "It's OK, you did the right thing, and you know I think it would be good for her to spend a year at a normal school, with normal kids. That school she goes too is just… well you know what I think about private school".
"It's going to be quick; they want Francesca out in 2 weeks".
"Well, we better get to Ikea at the weekend, the playroom needs to be a bedroom, that little box room is not big enough for her if she is living here full time".
The 5th double bedroom I'm their house was the kid's playroom, but as they got older, they didn't really use it much. Jack just wanted to play Xbox and football, Lucy had a few soft toys but only other thing she played with was craft kits and an occasional board game. Gracie had lots of toys though, so they decided to move her toys into the box room and turn the bigger room into a bedroom.
"And I will need to get her registered at school".
Sarah was annoyed now, she thought by complaining to her dad he would stop her going to Canada, but she didn't want to move to Rochdale, the schools there were in her eyes scummy, she was used to an expensive all girls private school, not a comprehensive in the north of England. She had though her dad would just get her to board at her current school and still visit every 2 weeks.
"Mum, why can't I just board at St Hilary's, it's a bit more expensive, but …"
"Because your father is correct, I can't take you out of the country and he does deserve time with you, plus your dad made a good point, your grandparents miss you too. It will be good for you and build character".