The Oceans Legacy

Chapter III

~Tallulah's POV~
There is not much to pack. Because I got put into the Home so young, I never had many things to call my own. Sadie came into the dormitory to give me a canvas, drawstring bag.

She made her way over and gave me a huge hug, and Ivy and Henry took the bag and started packing. I couldn't do it. Sadie left us to finish packing and made her way back downstairs to the others.

The only things I have to take with me are my hairbrush, a photo of my mum, my teddy and the necklace my mum gave me before she died- she told me my dad had given it to her. It was a small silver chain with an anchor charm, I've never taken it off. I sat on my bed as the realisation hit me. This was it. I am leaving.

"Tally?" Ivy sits across from me, her eyes locking with mine.

"I- I can't do it. I don't want to go. Please. Don't make me go." Henry and Ivy look at me with pain in their eyes.

"Tals, you hate it here?" Henry wraps his arm around me.

I feel myself slipping into panic. "I know. I know. But here I have you. You guys are my family. I don't need a new family. I don't want to go." My breathing quickens and my eyes sting on the verge of tears.

"Where is this coming from, Tals?"

"I- I just. What if they don't like me? What if I don't like them? What if they hurt me? What if they are mean? They are going to send me back. I don't want to leave and then be sent back. I just wanna stay here. I wanna stay here with you." Tears are spilling down my face.

Ivy slips a ring off her finger, she grabs my necklace and unclips it.

"What are you doing?" I stumble over my words as sobs rack my body.

"Here," She slips the ring onto the chain and clips the necklace back around my neck. "Now you will always have something to remember me by. If you ever get lonely or sad, or scared you can just look at the ring and then you'll know everything will be okay."

"I love you Ivy. I love you Henry."

"We know. We love you too Tally."

I stay in their embrace for a few seconds until there is a knock on the dormitory door. The couple that had talked to me earlier were standing in the doorway with Sadie by their side.

"C'mon Tally, you gotta go now." Sadie nods sadly in my direction.

"It's going to be okay. I promise." Henry releases me from the embrace and I stand shakily.

I walk over to Sadie and tug on her sleeve gesturing for her to come down to my height. Seeing this she kneels down in front of me.

"Yeah, Tally?"

A few tears slip down my face, "Can you- can you say goodbye to Quinn for me?"

Quinn was the oldest girl here until she got adopted a few months back. Every fortnight though, she comes back and takes Sadie out for the day. Her and Sadie are best friends, they are like me and Ivy. Before she left she was like my big sister, seeing her come back each fortnight was the best... And now I don't even get to say a proper goodbye.

"Oh Tally, of course I will. I love you."

The group makes our way back down stairs where the rest of the kids are waiting. When we reach the bottom, Ivy pulls me in.

"I love you more than anything Tally, don't you ever forget it."

"I won't, I promise. I love you too." In truth, I love Ivy more than words can express, she is my family. I don't need anyone else.

"Together forever?" She links her pinky with mine.

"Together forever." A stray tear falls down my cheek and she wipes it away.

"C'mon kiddo, time to go." I feel a hand on my shoulder gently pulling me away.

As we reach the doorway I look back to the staircase filled with kids. I hear a chorus of 'goodbyes' and 'I love you's. They all stand there waving at me, a few of them letting tears fall down their faces.

"Goodbye." I take one last look at the group of people that became the family I lost.

The man with the blond hair, who I worked out is Steve, places his hand on my shoulder. Causing me to flinch and him retract his hand, earning me strange looks from the couple.

"You okay, honey?" The lady, whose name is Nat asks.

"Mmhmm." I nod in response, I wish they hadn't noticed my flinch. Now I can feel them watching me very carefully.

They point to a black SUV parked on the side of the road letting me know that's theirs. As we approach Steve makes his way to open my door, and I scuffle my way inside the back seat of the car. I've never been inside a car before, well I might've before my mum died. But I don't remember it, so I don't think it really counts.

He buckles me in then walks around to the driver's seat and gets the car going. The start of the engine makes me jump a little but thankfully they didn't see it that time.

Next thing you know we are driving away from the only home I can remember.