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for all the things my hands have held the best by far is you
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March 24, 2018: 9.23pm.
The four girls along with Laila and multiple members of their team including dancers, hair and make up team and managers were at the airport, waiting for their overnight flight. They were on their way to Tokyo, Japan and had an incredibly long travel day ahead of them. An overnight 11 hour flight to Shanghai before a 2 hour stopover and a shorter flight on to Tokyo.
The flight wouldn't take off until almost eleven, about four hours past Laila's bedtime. And Jade was already suffering from the girls tiredness.
"Jade? Can I have my new stuffed animal now?" Laila asked hopefully.
"No, not yet," Jade explained.
"But I've been good!"
"Yes you have, but you need to be good for a few more days before I let you have a new toy. Maybe while we're in Japan I'll let you choose one if you behave," Jade says.
"Bu-" Laila starts but is quickly interrupted by Jade.
"Nope, no 'buts'! That's my decision, Laila," Jade says finally.
"Mmmm- uhhh!" Laila whines leaning against the airport chairs.
"Come and sit down and have a rest please," Jade instructs.
"No, I want to go and play!"
"Laila, it's too late to play. When we get on the plane we're going to go to sleep so I want you to just relax for now," she explains despite knowing it's not going to make any difference to Laila.
"Do you want to come and have a cuddle?" Leigh Anne offers putting her phone down.
"I'm hungry!" Laila decides suddenly, ignoring Leigh Anne's offer.
"You can't possibly be hungry! We've just had dinner!" Jade sighs.
"I am though! Can I have a chocolate?"
"Nope, it's too late for chocolate,"
"Can I-" Laila begins to ask for something else before Jade steps in quickly.
"No, stop it. Sit down quietly and wait for the airplane,"
"Can I have-" Laila again tries.
"Nope, last warning Laila. If we weren't at the airport you would be in bed by now, so sit quietly. You can sit with me or Leigh if you like?"
"No!" The overtired little girl said stomping her foot.
"Uh-uh! No way, if you don't sit down now you're going to have to go and stand in the corner," Jade said exhausted herself. Looking after Laila she didn't get a lot of sleep anyway, but they had been so busy with touring and everything else that her usual lack of sleep had gotten even less!
"No sit in the corner..." Laila mumbled to herself as she climbed on to one of the airport chairs and sat scowling.
"Stop with the attitude please," Jade warned, she was only six but sometimes Jade thought she acted like she was sixteen!
Knowing that her big sister was being serious having already been threatened with a time out she stopped pouting and crossed her legs and watched the planes landing outside instead.
March 24, 2018: 11.32pm.
"Laila Grace Thirlwall! If you don't lie down and go to sleep right now I don't know what I'm going to do!" Jade scolded. They had boarded the plane almost 45 minutes ago and taken off about a half an hour afterwards, they were very lucky to have been travelling in 'Business Class' so Jade had laid Laila's flat bed seat down almost immediately to encourage the child who she had dressed in her pyjamas before they boarded to go to sleep. However Laila was far too excited about everything to even listen to Jade's begs and was currently leaning over the divider between the two chairs dangling the airline blanket over Jade and giggling.
YOU ARE READING
Raising Laila
RandomWhen Jade's parents died in a fatal car accident last September, sweet, innocent Laila, having witnessed the crash from the backseat was left behind. With Jade too busy working to become her legal guardian, the role was passed to eldest brother Karl...
