Loving Family

Evalynn: Hugs

While I didn't think Mick's hugs would ever be quite as good as mamma hugs they were certainly getting better. Whether I was getting more used to being hugged by him (or just a grown-up man generally) or he was actually was just learning the art of the right hugs that were calming and comforting I didn't know. I guessed maybe it was a combination of both. Whichever way it was that the hugs were feeling more normal I was starting to actually really enjoy hugs with him. I actually enjoyed getting to snuggle up against him and I figured that was a good sign for my relationship with him, because in the most basic form of explanation I trusted him. He was becoming more and more dad like each day and it was something so beautiful. And as my Angela related situation kept getting a little worse each week I found I needed a comforting hug between getting to see mamma because, with the theatres the show was at being in the South of England these first couple of weeks of the tour we hadn't been able to see mamma. So I was desperately counting down until the end of the week when she was coming home. It was only for a night, she was getting the earliest train up to see us on the morning of her day off, and the latest one she dared get to be at the theatre at opening for the next venue the following evening. But even little more than 24 hours with mamma was better than nothing, even if me, Mick and Ben would all be hoping for her attention during that time. And honestly in those 24 hours all I really wanted was a cuddle and for her to play with my hair. And I knew I really was going to need it.
Today was the last day of term, which also meant today was my last day with Kathryn before she moved house. After the break I would be on my own at school again, this time with a bully to face. It was a horrible prospect, not made better by a lack of organisation in our house this morning. Mick had forgotten to set his alarm and I'd apparently managed to sleep through mine, having been on the phone to mamma again late last night the latter came as no major surprise, which had then meant that collaboratively everything had fallen out of place. I'd rushed breakfast and brushed my teeth and thrown everything I needed to into my school bag while dodging round Ben and an equally on edge Mick. 3/4 of the way up the driveway I'd seen the bus drive past and despite already running I knew there and then there was no way I was going to catch it. I trudged solemnly back to the house and Mick just stared at me for a moment when I reached the kitchen door as if he really needed to figure out what had gone wrong.
"Oh no. Let me guess, missed the bus?" He asked.
I nodded. "I suppose I should get walking, but I also forgot my water bottle." It was the first time I'd missed the bus and I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to find my way to school alone, but guessed I'd have to try.
He gave me a confused look as he passed me my water bottle off the table. "Why wouldn't I be able to drop you at school? I have to take Ben to school I might as well take you to yours too."
"You'll just end up late for work or something." I replied, still far too used to walking to school (in my case in the rain) being a punishment for not being timely from my foster family.
"That doesn't really matter. I'd rather know you've made it to school without getting lost or beat up. And I'm sure Ben'd like you to come for a change." He told me. I think that was the point he realised why I was so down about it. "I'm not going to punish you for having pants time keeping skills, I'm too used to your mamma's now. You can trust me on that. I'm sorry that you've been punished through that in the past though. Well I presume you have."
I nodded. "Thank you. I do trust you, it's just unlearning the past."
He smiled and I smiled back. Having already wanted to cry before I'd missed the bus that was the last straw that set my tears off.
"Ben come on otherwise it'll go all soggy!" He said when he realised Ben was just staring at me rather than eating his breakfast. I used Mick's temporary distraction as chance to rub my tears off my face so he didn't see and laughed a little at the boys to push the tears away as well as I could. Turning up to school already in tears probably wouldn't help my problem with Angela.

When we were ready to go out 10 minutes later Mick ended up running around in a grumpy panic because he couldn't find his car keys. I sat down on the bench in the hallway and sat Ben down with me, scared that with Mick now grumpy I'd be made to take that walk after all or still fearful one of us would get the worst of it. Luckily neither of us had to deal with any further disruption to our morning routine and Mick eventually gave up looking for his keys knowing it would just make him late. Instead he grabbed mamma's car keys out the draw in the kitchen and elected to take her car declaring she'd never find out either way, which was perfectly true. It did also mean though that Mick had to put up with the Eva Cassidy cd.
"She still hadn't taken this out?" Mick moaned as it started to play.
"Nope." I said with a little laugh.
"Can you put on..." I already knew which song Ben would request and skipped through the tracks to the right number before he'd even finished the question, having had the number for Fields of Gold memorised for several months now. He loved that song. He particularly liked the way mamma sung along to it, but thought the whole song was good.
"Okay I think I know where my keys are, but if not when we next get in this car Ev can you bring a different cd?" Mick requested.
I nodded. "I hope you like my music though."
"I assure you it cannot be any worse than the same Eva Cassidy cd for the millionth time."
I giggled at the thought that crossed my mind (one that would mean mamma would definitely know we'd used her car). "I dunno. Some of my music is likely to get a cd case launched at you if I leave it here."
"Okay yeah maybe don't put a Steps cd in here. By the way, if you hadn't guessed, I'm dropping you off first Ev."