The day came and it was time to say good bye to Maisie and Abby. I'd spoken to Liz about being the girls rest by care and she said the it was fine. When tour was over we'd have the girls once a fortnight over night for 6 months. Then it would reduce to once every 3 weeks then after 6 months it would go down to once a month for 4 months then it would stop.
the girls were playing outside Connor and James had taken Lilly, Casper and Jessie out to get some bits for the tour. Grace was still here but up in her room having a nap.
Liz knocked on the door at half 11.
"Hey Liz." I said opening the door.
"Hey Rhianne." Liz said
"You okay?" I asked
"Yeah." I said moving to one side so that Liz could come in.
"How are the girls?" She asked
"Yeah they're okay. Playing outside in the garden." I said smiling
"Good to hear. How have they coped?" Liz asked
"Yeah they've been fine. They get on with my children." I said smiling
"That great to hear." Liz said
"Con mention something about a little boy." I said
"Yeah. New born being taken away from mum straight after birth." Liz said
"Can you do that?" I said
"Yeah we have a court order." Liz said
"Oh." I said
"Yeah he will come to you the second you've finished tour." Liz said
"Are there any other children." I asked
"Yeah but they have been taken away already." Liz said
"How come baby is not going with them." I said
"Because the people who have the other children didn't want to take on a new born with problems. Rather they don't have experience." Liz said
"And we do?" I said
"Yeah. you have looked after some messed up children over the years." Liz said
I didn't say anything we hadn't had a problem child for about 3 years a little girl who had been beaten and pushed around been forced to do things that she didn't want to. she refused to go near Connor or any of the other boys for about 2 months. but she was a lovely little girl always willing to help even after everything she'd been through.
"Yeah." I said I smiled I was watching Maisie and Abby in the garden playing on the climbing frame.
There was a knock on the door.
"Oh that's my brother Edward hang on." I said going to the door again.
"Hey Edward." I said opening the door. Edward was coming on tour with us. I couldn't wait to have him on tour with us again.
"Hey Rhi." He said giving me a hug. He'd taken some time off to do a bit of traveling around the world. He'd been to America, Russia, Germany, New Zealand. He'd been everywhere.
"You okay dude?" I asked
"Yeah." Edward said
"Come through Liz is here to pick Maisie and Abby up." I said walking to back to the kitchen
"Oh they're going?" Edward said
"Yeah." I said
"Oh that sucks." Edward said
"Yeah it does." I said
"You couldn't do me a favour." I said to Edward
"Yeah course." Edward said
"If I give you a list of things will you go to Tesco's and get them for me." I said
"Yeah course." Edward said
"Thanks." I said smiling I wrote a list of shopping, gave Edward some money and he left for Tesco's
"Right we better be off." Liz said
"Okay. I'll just get the girls." I said
I went out to the garden to get Maisie and Abby
"Hey girls." Liz said
"Hello." They said they were stood by my side holding onto my hand
"Come on girls we have to go." Liz said
"Girls look at me." I said getting down to their level.
"Yeah." They said looking at me.
"This isn't goodbye girls. i'll see you soon." I said
"When?" Maisie said
"Around November time. you girls are going to have something called rest by care. when once every 2 weeks for 6 months you'll come stay here just for one night but it means you get to see everyone." I said smiling
"Can it be for longer than one night?" Abby said I looked at Liz
"I will have words." Liz said
"For now one night." I said
"You have the picture." I said looking at the girls
"Yeah." They both said
"Good." I said when we were in Disney we got a picture done of them stood with mickey mouse.
"Have fun." I said smiling
"Okay." They said I gave them a hug I held on to them like I was saying goodbye to my own children.
"Come on then girls." Liz said she picked up Maisie and Abby's bag and took them out to the car I followed her out with Maisie and Abby.
I watched as Liz put them in the car and closed the car door.
"Thanks for having them Rhi." Liz said
"Any time." I said
Liz got in the car and drove off I waved as I watched them go round the corner and out of sight.
I stood there for a minute. Tears running down my face. I went back inside made a cup of tea and finished packing for the tour. I'd put the Wizboards on charge so that we could take them with us.
Edward got back about half an hour later.
"Hey dude." I said I was cleaning out Squirt the tortoise. Mum was coming to look after the animals for us.
"Hey Rhi. I got everything." He said carrying 3 bags of shopping.
"Thanks Edward." I said standing up and taking 2 bags from him
"Girls gone?" Edward said following me into the kitchen with the last shopping bag
"Yeah." I said
"Come on Rhi chin up tour soon." Edward said
"Yeah." I said smiling
"Looking forward to it?" Edward asked
"I think so." I said smiling
Edward laughed
He helped me put the shopping away then helped me to clean out the snakes.
