The Stranger on the Train

Chapter 82: You're not her mother!

TW: Yelling

Pov y/n

On Sunday Rose seems to feel much better and is barely coughing anymore and also isn't so pale anymore. It makes me glad to see that she is on the best way of feeling better. We have a calm day until I get a message. I take my phone and look at it, frowning a little bit.

"Your dad is coming to pick you up in an hour." I tell Rose and her attention shifts from her picture book to me.

"But I thought I was gonna stay another night and you would bring me to school tomorrow?" She asks and I nod slowly, that's what I thought as well.

"It appears your dad has other plans." I say and she crosses her arms, seemingly unhappy with that.
"I'm sorry, sweetie."

I put my phone down and brush over Rose's hair.
"I will stay." She decides and goes back to reading her book.
I smile a little, I wish it was this easy but I am afraid it isn't.

Even if she wants to stay here, I can't just keep her with me because her dad has the say in this and if I just keep Rose, he could report me to the police and I could end up in a lot of trouble.
A little fire ignites inside me, I really hate that I can't say anything about this. I'm not Rose's caretaker and no matter how much she wants to stay here, without her father's permission, it won't happen.

I actually have to be thankful that he allows her to stay here over the weekend but it's hard for me to have any kind of positive feelings towards him.

"As much as I would love that, I'm afraid you can't. Do you remember how I once told you that there are things that only your mom and dad could do with you?" I ask, hoping she remembers that conversation. She scrunches up her eyebrows a little before she nods and puts her book down to give me her full attention.

"This decision, about where you stay, is something only they can make, you know?" I try to explain and Rose frowns a little.

"I don't like that. I wanna stay with you." She pouts and I cup her face, rubbing my thumb over her cheek.

"I know, sweetie, but there is not really anything I can do." I tell her the truth and she huffs a little but I know it's not directed towards me.

"But I want you to be able to do something about it." She says and crosses her arms, her expression changing between sulking and a cute frustrated.

"Me too but even if I would start the process of that now, it would take a long time before I am allowed to do that. And at that point, your mom is back again and she always lets you see me as much as you like." I try to calm her a little down because it is true, it would take a couple of months before I would be able to adopt Rose. I looked it up the other night.

Rose presses her lips a little bit together.
"We just have to get through these next few weeks and I think in about three weeks or so, we will go visit your mom and take her home with us." I tell her and Rose nods slowly, the thought of Scarlett seeming to cheer her up a little.

"Okay, but I want you to read me a story tonight." She compromises and I smile a little.

"You mean over the phone?" I ask and she nods. "You will have to ask your dad though because you would be using his phone."

Rose hums in thought before deciding that she will convince him to do so.
We spend the rest of the time together, playing with some of her toys and finishing the picture book she was reading.
When it's time to get ready, we pack her backpack and I get her dressed. I give her two more bonbons for her sore throat, pretty sure her dad will have medicine and tea as well.

Rose takes my hand as I lead her down the stairs and in front of my apartment building.
Just in that moment, the car of Rose's dad stops in front of us and he gets out. He looks kinda mad but when he looks at Rose, he smiles a bit. But Rose doesn't really care that he just arrived, instead she hugs my legs and I crouch down to give her a proper hug.