Raising Laila

Chapter 27 - Hide-and-Go Seek

--------------

grief is like the ocean, it comes it waves ebbing and flowing. sometimes the water is calm and sometimes it is overwhelming. all we can do it learn to swim.

--------------

March 30, 2018: 6.34pm. 

The girls are currently at the venue of their last Japanese show, and Jade couldn't have been more thrilled. Yes, she loved performing and seeing all of their Japanese fans and getting to have a bit of down time and explore some of the attractions was great, but everything else had turned out to be a bit of a nightmare. Laila was not only struggling with the time difference, but also with the change of culture, food and people around her so it had been a long few days when the six year old sobbed every time Jade took a step away from her, every time she was presented with a new food which also wasn't helped with the time difference meaning she was awake when she should have been asleep and asleep when she should have been awake. So Jade was desperate for the flight home where the little one could sleep as much as she liked and eat all of the chicken nuggets that they had onboard. 

While the other girls and the team around them had tried to help as much as they could it was hard because a hungry, over tired six year old is hard to deal with! A member of the girls team who had kids of his own had offered to sit with the little girl by the side of the stage for the duration of the concert so that Laila could see Jade, only she wasn't too keen on the idea knowing that if Laila could see her there was always the possibility that she would decide to come and join her, the noise she thought would be too much and she really just wanted her to sleep! 

So right now while the girls were getting ready Jade was sat next to the couch that had been temporarily made into a little bed gently easing her to sleep while the rest of the team tiptoed around the dark room whispering to each other. 

"This is absolutely ridiculous!" Jesy joked having stubbed her toe on the corner of a table for the third time. 

"Tell me about it! Is she asleep yet?" Leigh Anne laughed. 

"Nope," Jade sighed rolling her eyes exaggeratedly. "Laila go to sleep please, it's late and it's bedtime," 

"It can't be bedtime, I not in a bed!" Laila announced sitting upright, making Perrie turn her head away from them to stifle her laughter at the bizarre scenario. 

"Laila, lie back down now please. It's sleepy time," 

"I-I'm hungry," Laila attempted yet another tactic although did suspect that possibly she was hungry after refusing her lunch of noodles despite Jade sifting through it like it was a weapon to get rid off any suspicious looking foods. 

"And it's nearly home time when we can have some nice food. But it will come quicker if you sleep," 

"But you're gonna leave..." Laila whispers sucking her thumb knowing exactly why the girls were trying to get her to sleep.

"Sweetheart, we've got to go on stage, if you go to sleep now I'll stay until you're sleeping and by the time you wake up we'll all be back," Jade promises bringing the covers up higher and kissing her head. 

"Oh, I wanna watch you..." she tried. 

"You can't watch us tonight because you're tired and it's late, but another day you can," Jade reassured. 

"No fair!" Laila cried beginning to throw a fit. 

"No, no, we're not doing this now. It's time to go to sleep Laila," Jade said firmly walking away. 

Laila refusing to move in her little tantrum lay down on the couch and kicked her legs frustratedly. "Not sleepy..." she muttered to herself despite rubbing her eyes tiredly.