Reunited

Chapter 3

Charlotte's POV
I was shaking slighlty.
It was 10:39 in the morning.
My mum was supposed to be here any minute.
I was wearing a pink ruffle tank top, boyfriend jeans, a cream cardigan and my ugg boots.
My hair was thrown into a messy bun.

"I need to pee." I said dashing out the living room.
I felt like I was going to throw up.

After washing my hands, the doorbell rang. I went back into the living room while Vanessa went to answer it.

I took a deep breath in and in walked Sarie Kessler. The mother of Margot Robbie, and also my mother.
She gasped and held her hands to her mouth.
I smiled softly, kinda awkwardly.
"Charlotte." She smiled. Her accent was so sweet and soft. Mum engulfed me in a hug. "I never stopped loving or thinking about you." She whispered.
I didn't reply. I didn't know what to say.
We let go and sat down on the sofa.
"It's really nice to finally meet you." I said breaking the silence.
"It's so lovely to see you once again." Mum smiled. Her Australian accent was everything!
"I was thinking, if it would be alright with you, if I could take her out for a coffee, where we can talk."
"Sure." Aiden said.
"I know a great little place." I said.
"Good. Shall we go there?"
"Yeah."

We got a taxi to a cute little cafe on the outskirts of Glasgow. It's really sweet and the coffee there is amazing.

"You remind me of Margot. You have the same eyes. And a similar smile. You've got the same hair colour as Anya."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You're a mix of all your siblings." She smiled.
"You and Margot look so alike." I said.
"Yeah. We told a lot." She chuckled to herself. "So, how's life been?"
"Alright. I really want to meet Margot, Anya, Cameron and Lachlan."
"I was thinking, only if you wanted to, you could come with me back to Australia and have a trial run with us."
"I would love that!" I grinned. The smile was quickly gone when thought of a question. The question we were both dreading.
"Why did you give me up?" I asked.
"It's a really long story, but, you have the same dad as your siblings do. But he walked out a in 1993. In 2000, he came to pick the kids up and take them to his. I knew he had been drinking and I really didn't want to let them go to his, but I couldn't stop him. After putting the kids into the car, he forced me back into my house..." Her eyes became glassy. "He did something to me." I gasped. I knew exactly what he did.
"You don't have to say it." I said softly.
She sighed and took a deep breath. "I found out I was pregnant with you a few days later. I couldn't tell him. For me, it was bad enough having to send the others to his house, especially when they didn't want to. I did tell him because I didn't want him to lay a finger on you. I wouldn't forgive myself if anything happened to you. So I put you up for adoption, and you could have a life where you weren't in secret.
At the time, we were poor. You know, when Margot was 16, she worked 3 jobs to help sustain us. I also couldn't afford to keep another child and I obviously couldn't ask your dad for benefits."
I became quiet.
"Does he know now?"
She shook her head. "He'll never know. I can't risk the repercussions of that."
"But if I live in Dalby, what would stop him?"
"Nothing I guess. I explained everything to your siblings and they are really understanding and they want you to come home. I want you to come home. We have the money now. Margot is making more than enough and she wants you back in her life. Your brothers have said they would beat your father if he did anything to you, only if he found out."
"Can I come back for a trial? See how it goes?"
"Yes. Of course you can."