Grace (A dumping ground story)

Childhood (prolouge)

Tw: Alcohol, abuse. 

Grace was a happy child, her mother and father looked after her and her younger sister Clara perfectly. But as soon as Grace passed her third birthday everything became chaos. Her father lost his job and became extremely distressed. Thankfully, he found a low paying job that would just about manage the bills and food for the four of them. Once he found out they were pregnant with a third child he didn't know how they were going to manage. He started drinking everyday and sometimes would never come home. After many months of this unfair treatment, the mother decided to stand up to her husband. 

"You can not do this anymore. I know it is stressful but you have a 3 and half year old and a 1 year old daughter as well as shortly, a newborn baby boy. You cannot leave me to do everything while you drink and then complain about the bills. The bills would be paid if you weren't spending it all on alcohol." She said firmly.

"You are so ungrateful!" He slurred

"Ungrateful!? I have put up with practically being a single mother for two months while my husband spends all the money. I think I have been quite tolerant if you ask me." She shouts. 

"Fine. I'll stop drinking" he slurred, stomping upstairs and rolling his eyes. 

This constant back and forth argument happened almost every night and it got more heated every time. Grace listened intensly each time, rocking her two year old sister to bed almost every night. One night, little Clara clambered out of her cot and waddled towards the stairs. She poked her little stubby legs through the railing and listened herself, a tear running down her cheek. 

"Clara? What are you doing?" Grace whispered. 

Clara pointed towards downstairs. Grace was about to pick up her until she heard the words of her father. 

"I am going to leave and never come back! it is clear you do not want me here" bellowed her father. 

"Please..no! We can make things right again...?" wept her mother. 

Grace felt horrible as she cradled her sister. 

"They say that every night. Don't worry, he will come back" she wispered softly although she wasn't sure this time. 

Suddenly, she heard the thumps of boots up the stairs. Grace tried to pull her up and go back to bed but Clara wouldn't let her. She waddled up to her father 

"Daddy?" she cried.

Grace gulped, clinging to the stair railing and hoping her father wouldn't notice her.

"What are you doing out of bed!?" he roared, he kicked her. 

Clara immeidately broke down into tears.

"Graciee" she wailed,

"Oh. So you are out here too Grace!?" he  roared again. 

"Sorry dad. Sorry." she whimpered scooping up Clara and rushing back to the bedroom as he slapped her round the cheek. 

Ten minutes later, Clara and Grace heard the door slam. Grace silently cried under the soft covers. A few minutes later, the cover was slowly taken off her. She shivered in the corner of her bed, worried her father was back but as she squinted she saw her mother. Except, her mother had a purple bruise in the corner of her eye. Her mother held her tight, 

"I am so so sorry. It is all my fault. He will come back I promise. " she cried into Grace's arms. 

"It is okay." Grace hushed.

She kissed the top of Grace's head and tucked her into bed before she paused as she saw Grace's legs. 

"How did this happen?" she asked, indicating to her bruised arms and cut legs. 

"Dad." whispered Grace. 

A face of horror spread across her face, 

"Are you sure?" she trembled.

Grace nodded before saying,

"That is why me and Clara ran away, to get away." 

"We will never see him again. I promise. We will move next week. " She softly smiled.

"Okay." Grace exclaimed.

 A lot had happened since they moved, Grace's father had come back and abused Grace's mother so they moved again, where the father found them once again and apolagised, he got another job and supported the family and got Grace's mother pregnant again with another baby girl but soon after, the abusing started again worse this time and the mother decided to finally report him to the police where he was imprisoned for many years. 

Her mother realised it was impossible to look after her children and she would go to a shelter and her three children would live with their uncles before they could come back. It was a cold September morning in 2016 and the small flat that they had been hiding in for several months had just been sold.Grace's mother buttoned up Grace's soft coat before stroking her hair and kissing her on the head. 

"You are staying with your uncles, they are lovely I promise. This lady over there is something called a social worker. She is definetely safe and will take you to your uncles. I will see you again, as soon as me and Elodie are safe."

"Okay mum. Are you sure you are okay?" Grace asked.

"Yes, I am okay don't worry. Can you take care of Clara and Will for me?" she smiled.

"Of course mum." she replied.

"Bye bye". She whisperd, hugging her daughters and then Will.

"I love you all so so so much. I will come back for you."

They all nodded before joining their social worker Heather in the car.

For a full seven years, the three kids loved living with Uncle Andy and Uncle Jerry and finally lived the life they deserved. Their mother wrote them many letters and sometimes would visit them. Once Elodie was born, she was also placed with the uncles and they all lived happily  together as a happy family. Grace's mother was still getting her life back together but she visited them weekly once Grace turned 10. 

Grace and Clara took competitive dance classes while Will did gymnastics and Elodie, cricket. They would visit Uncle Jerry's parents on the holidays in the countryside who treated them like their own grandchildren. Grace watched Doctor Who (Grace's all time favourite tv show) with Uncle Andy every Saturday and make homemade pizza with Uncle Jerry. She always took care of her siblings as her mother wanted, she even treated them like her own children. 

However one day, uncle Andy fell ill with cancer and they were unable to take care of all four kids. They were to be placed in a care home called Elm Tree House.