Update of the week 🥰, as always let me know what you guys think.
Charlie's POV:
I was sat in the backseat of the car Mum was driving with Ellie beside me who seemed annoyed that Leah wasn't with us. I was slightly jealous of how blissfully unaware Ellie was of what was happening today, it was just a fun day out to the park for her, whereas for me I was going to properly meet my dads parents who wanted to take me away from both my mums and my little sister. I didn't understand why now did they want to see me, they've had 12 almost 13 years to get to know me, why now ?, when everything was going great in my life do they suddenly appear. I hadn't really said any of this to Mum or Keira because they'd just tell me not to worry. But of course I'm going to worry, two strangers are fighting my mums for custody of me.
While I sit in the backseat quietly thinking about all of this, I don't notice that we've arrived. I suddenly look out the window and watch as Mum starts pulling into a parking spot. I start to feel like I'm going to be sick. Mum parks the car and turns it off. She looks over at Keira, before getting out of the car and opening the boot to get the stroller out. Keira gets out of the car and opens the door beside Ellie, so that Mum can get her into the stroller, which is always a battle when Ellie knows we're at a park. Keira then walks around to my side of the car, because I haven't even taken off my seatbelt yet. I'm just frozen in my seat. Keira opens the door and leans into the car, she slowly unbuckles me and then leans over and gives me a kiss to my forehead. She stands back up and holds out her hand. I look up at her and quietly say "I don't want to Kei", Keira leans down and says "I know, but once it's done, it's done", I just listen and say nothing. Keira then stands there and looks over to the other side where Mum is trying to keep Ellie's shoes on her feet. We both smile looking over at the two of them. I slowly take Keira's hand and she gently pulls me out of the car and gently closes the door behind me. I keep ahold of her hand and lean into her side.
We're eventually joined by Mum with Ellie in her stroller with no shoes on, it seems as though Ellie won this time. Mum looks down at her before sighing and saying "I made a deal with our almost 2 year old, that if she wore her shoes when she got out of the buggy, she doesn't have to wear them now, and she agreed, one of these days I'm gonna glue her shoes to her feet", Keira just laughs and grabs Lucy's free hand.
We all walk into the park and make our way along a path, until we see 3 people stood together, chatting and seemingly waiting for someone. I immediately stop walking when I recognise 2 of the three. Keira stops walking with me and stands in front of me, blocking my view. "Me and Mum are right here with you", she says moving some hair out of my face gently. I nod and we continue moving. We catch up with Mum and Ellie who have nearly reached the group, who have now noticed us and are watching us.
Mum reaches them first and holds out her hand to a woman who introduces herself as Louise, and then Mum greets Mr & Mrs Lowry, or Gillian and Martin as they introduce themselves. Keira shakes hands with Louise and greets Gillian and Martin. I stand just behind Keira, watching all the interactions. Mum then introduces me to Louise , who seems nice enough but I don't know how nice she is to support what Gillian and Martin are trying to do, with fighting with Mum and Keira for me. Once Louise realises I'm not going to say anything, she looks down at Ellie who is just curiously watching everything and asks "and who's this ?", Mum smiles and then says "this is Elleã". Louise smiles and then says "so the plan is, to just go for a walk around the park, and chat, maybe grab a coffee on the way", Mum and Keira just smile, and we all begin walking.
I keep ahold of Keira's hand, but unfortunately Gillian walks on the other side of me, a bit too close for me, but I'm too scared to say anything so I stay quiet. Martin speaks to Mum and Louise talks to Keira on the other side of her. Ellie is the only lucky one in this situation because she just gets to talk to herself.
Gillian walks beside me and strikes up a conversation almost immediately. "So Charlotte, what do you like to do in your spare time ?", I just shrug my shoulders and say nothing, in hopes she'll give up, but she doesn't and instead asks another question. "What do you want to do when you're older ?", I again shrug my shoulders, even though I know exactly what I want to do. I want to be a professional footballer like Mum and Keira, playing for England and Barcelona. But I'm not saying any of this to Gillian, because she seems like the type to turn her nose up at that, and say something like 'that's not a proper job' or something ignorant like that. Unfortunately for me she continues trying to engage in conversation the whole way to the coffee shop. Once we reach the coffee shop, Mum turns to me and asks me if I'll help her order, I nod and for the first time since getting out of the car I let go of Keira's hand, only to instantly grab Mums.
We both head into the small cafe, and I stand in front of Mum, facing into her chest, Mum wraps her arms around me and plays with my hair. We slowly move forward in the queue, before someone taps Mum on the shoulder and we both look around to see Gillian stood behind us. "Hi", she says like we're all one big happy family, when in fact we're the total opposite. She's a woman I don't know and I don't want to know her. Thankfully Mum speaks to her, but even Mum doesn't seem interested in whatever Gillian was talking about, but Mum hides it better than me. Thankfully, we reach the front of the queue and Mum orders two lattes for her and Keira, a hot chocolate for me and a baby warm milk for Ellie. I look up at Mum when she orders that. "She needs a nap", Mum chuckles looking down at me, before paying. We move to the side as we wait for our drinks, while Gillian orders her drinks. She then proceeds to stand beside us and tries to talk to me this time. I just nod and shrug my shoulders when she asks me any questions. I then hear our order and Mum begins to move to get them. I don't want to be left with Gillian so I follow Mum to the counter. We politely wait for Gillian to get her drinks and then we all head outside where Louise, Martin are sat at a bench, and Keira is slowly walking around with Ellie in her arms who's in tears and as Mum said 'looks like she needs a nap'. Mum sets Keira's coffee down and then goes over to hand Keira Ellie's bottle of warm milk. Ellie instantly stops crying once she gets her bottle and Keira is able to put her in her stroller. Once Mum went over to Keira with the bottle, Martin turned to me and said "it must be annoying having a younger sibling, taking up your mum and Keira's time, instead of spending it with you", I turn to look at him, shocked. 'How could he say something like that, Ellie is only a baby', even though I sometimes thought of what it would be like if I was still an only child, I wouldn't ever get rid of my baby sister. Mum and Keira only spend extra time with her because she can't do everything herself. I also think about the way he said 'Mum and Keira', almost as if Keira wasn't my mum either, biologically she's not, but family isn't just blood. I open my mouth for the first time and say "My two mums spend equal time with me and my sister". Before anyone could say anything else, Mum and Keira return with Ellie in the stroller, with her bottle and not crying anymore.
