Saved by Gaga

{37}

We walk back inside laughing about the fact it looked like Joanne had been crying black tears. All her eye makeup had run down her face. Billie Ilish mark two. I go and find some wet wipes, from the draw that Joanne says has always been the random draw. I start to gently wipe off the make up that has used her face as a slide. She just watches me do this and kisses me on the head with a sad smile. We walk back though into the dinning room and sit back at the table.

"Sorry i walked off. It was a sensitive subject." she says in a slightly awkward way.

"Sorry Stefani i did not think about what i was saying. Please carry on with your explanation if you have any left." Her Dad reply's in such a formal manner. It was so strange neither of them were acting as you would expect. Natali starts to mouth words at me from across the table. Good job i can lip read. She's saying 'its always like this if these two fight. The apology is the worst and then they get over it. Mom will speak up in a minute.' And Natali was right she did speak up.

"I have no explanation left. Millie is my daughter in simple terms. Non biologically and biologically." says Joanne.

"Stefani going to be honest with you. I don't really care if Millie is a blood relative. She is part of the family now as she is your daughter and friend. I know it has been hard for you knowing that you gave up a little girl but look at what has happened in the end." says Cynthia whilst getting up to go into the kitchen.

Natali gets up to come and hug her sister. This, I, affected the whole family when i was born, and before that too, but i can see this affected Stefani and Natali the most. They were the two up late at night talking about what was going to happen. Those two were the long phone calls whenever the memory of me came back. This was a big thing for them both. I can see two or three tears rolling down Natali's face. I think she is just happy for her sister and happy that the baby those two did not really want to give up is back. We ate the rest of dinner and then go back into the living room. Everyone curls up on sofas or as they call them couches. (?) We had this large discussion about all the differences between America and England, yet again. They all thought England was rather funny with our manners and the way we did things. I think this is when i fell asleep. I was curled up next to Joanne and i think i just fell asleep.

Joanne's/ Stefani's/ Gaga's Point of View...

Millie had fallen asleep on me so i just kept talking to my family about things. About Millie mainly.

"Why did you end up adopting Millie Stefani?" asks my Mum.

"Things at home were not good. She was in a way a cast aside. Just from spending one day with her i knew i couldn't just send her back there. Her parents were lovely to her sister Millie had just grown apart from them. And she never misbehaved but she was still seen as a bad kid. She was just not in a nice position so here we are." i pause and then think of something to add to that. "She also needed an escape. She was looking after herself no one was checking that she was ok or if she had eaten or done her homework. She was managing herself. No one told her what to do or when to be back home. She just needed looking after."

"I'm glad you've got each other now. I have a feeling you will need looking after too." says Dad. Natali comes and sits next to me. We rest our heads on each others shoulders. Everyone just sits there for awhile. I end up waking Millie up to move upstairs to bed. We decide to crash at Mum and Dad's in stead of walking home.