One // Leigh-Anne Pinnock

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Leigh was upset. Andre had just gotten off the phone with the doctor Leigh previously saw. She inquired about how Leigh was coming along. He told her she still wasn't better. 

Flashback:

"Bronchitis usually takes weeks to recover from. I'm sorry but unless some kind of miracle happens she shouldn't count on returning to stage, just yet."

"Oh." was all he said. 

"Hello?" The doctor asked, when the line went silent.

"I'm still here. Would you mind if I let you tell her? I don't really want to deliver more bad news to her."

"It's fine." She replied.

Andre left the kitchen area to find Leigh. He searched the bus until he found her at the very back, alone playing with Chloe-Marie. 

"Knock, knock." He said. She looked up and smiled at him. It wasn't a huge smile but she was happy. And now he was going to watch that smile be knocked off within seconds.

He handed her the phone and took the gurgling baby in his arms. She softly slapped his face then squealed. With the time they spent together as Leigh was sick, Chloe and Andre had bonded. He tickled her stomach and held her close.

Leigh was finished with the phone call. As Andre predicted her smile was wiped completely off her face.

"Can you take her? I want to be alone right now." She mumbled giving him back his phone.

"Sure."

The other girls weren't in the bus at the time so they had it to themselves. She went into the lounge and sat on the couch, with her legs folded, staring out the window.

Day turned into dusk and Leigh was still on the sofa; legs folded in crisp-cross style and her fist under her chin. The girls came in, tired but elated after another successful show. Their moods quickly altered when they saw Leigh.

"Leigh-Leigh, what's wrong?" Jade asked. Leigh was completely spaced out.

Perrie tried getting her attention but to no avail, Jesy suggested they leave her alone and when she's ready she'll go the them.

She sat staring out the window without blinking for a couple more minutes before she got the sudden urge to go for a walk. She picked up herself to grab her jacket. She heard squeals from Chloe coming from the kitchen, so she followed the sound. Chloe was in Perrie's arms facing the entrance. When she saw her mum her face lit up and she reached her arms up for her. Perrie turned around.

"Hey. You okay?" Leigh nodded.

'I'm gonna take a walk...with Chloe.' She reached out for the infant, who gladly went to her momma. 

"It's late you know." Leigh shrugged. She grabbed the small stroller, her and Chloe's jacket, and her phone and left the bus.

She didn't know where she was going, all she knew she needed to clear her head. The cool, night breeze brushed against her cheeks and her made her hair dance behind her. Her mind went far. The sound of cars swooshing past her and of Chloe babbling to herself sounded miles away. As she walked Chloe sat comfortably in her stroller while playing with the stuffed puppy, that she refused to let go of, that Perrie got her a while back. 

When she snapped back to reality she found herself in a park. She found a bench and sat down. She took Chloe out of the stroller and sat her on her lap. However, Chloe had other ideas. With her toy was hanging from her mouth, she gripped Leigh's shirt trying to stand on her thighs. Leigh helped her get up and she bounced up and down, giggling.