Little Miss Tate {Emmerdale}

Twenty

Chloe smiled as Esmè opened her presents on Christmas Day. She wished Graham was there. But she knew he was with Rhona and Leo. There was something going on with Kim, Andrea and Graham.

Kim had kicked him out when he wouldn't give into what she wanted. Esmè held a present that Chloe nor Kim didn't recognise. Kim took it from the little girl. "Granny will have that darling."

Chloe looked at Kim. "Is that from him?" She asked. She saw the look on Kim's face. "Don't cause a scene. Please. Esmè is happy and she's having fun."

Kim sighed. "I won't. But I need to go and get something from the village," she said. She was lying. She was going to speak to Graham.

****

Graham was walking along the village. He was thinking about Esmè and how she would be opening her presents by now. His phone rang and he answered it.

Graham looked at Kim when she threw the present at him. "Problem?" He asked.

"The only problem I've got, is hair being plucked out of my granddaughter's head. Pretending you were playing an innocent game. When all the time you or your fancy woman were harvesting her DNA," Kim said.

"I think that's a rather dramatic description. This is for my daughter. Esmè," Graham said.

Kim rolled her eyes. "Chloe doesn't want your gifts. You've hurt her enough," Kim told him. She saw the look on his face. "You've known about this for years."

"I haven't actually."

Kim scoffed. "People just don't forget who they've slept with."

Graham went to walk off. He heard Kim following him. "They do when they're drunk most of the time."

"You must have known there was a slight chance. But you did nothing. You let my son bring her up. You saw this beautiful innocent girl and your miserable life and thought you could strive to make it better."

"Isn't a better life what we all strive for?" Graham asked.

Kim scoffed. "She's my granddaughter."

Graham looked at Kim. "Have you heard me dispute that?"

"So you're planning on giving me visitation? I will throw you in the river if you try anything like that," Kim warned.

"She's your granddaughter because she's Jamie's daughter. Esmè is my daughter. My one and only daughter. The apple of my eye."

****

Chloe had put Esmè in her high chair for Christmas dinner. Marlon and April brought it out. Chloe smiled slightly. But before anything, Graham walked in. Chloe noticed how Esmè's face lit up when she saw her father.

"How lovely."

Chloe looked at him. She knew there was something about to happen. April smiled. "Shall I set another plate?" She asked.

"You are not."

Graham hid a smirk. "Seems I'm just in time."

Jamie looked at him. "If you're here for a drink I think you're a few ahead of us," he said.

"I'm completely sober. I want to do this with a clear head."

****

As Esmè was now walking, Kim had asked Millie and April to take her outside. Marlon took them to the door. Chloe sighed. She was still heartbroken over everything that has happened. Chloe looked at him. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

"He's leaving."

"Not yet."

Andrea sighed. "Just go Graham."

"Now."

Graham had a smile on his face and looked at Jamie and then at Chloe. "Your mother and your wife want me to leave. And you're confused as to why. Am I correct?" He asked.

"Well it's not as if you're behaving stablely is it?" Jamie said as he stood up.

Graham smirked. "Loyalty. Commendable, in the right circumstances. Lamentable In others," he said. He saw the look on Chloe's face.

Andrea knew where this was heading. She saw the look on Chloe's face. "Will you just go?" Andrea said. She took hold of Chloe's hand.

Scarlett looked at Chloe. "It'll be okay."

Graham looked over at the Tate sisters. "It's erm bad luck to toast with an empty glass. But I think we're all past that. Don't you? So, to the very worst wife a man could have,"he said as he looked at Kim. He then looked at Andrea. "And to the best lover."

Chloe, Jamie and Scarlett all looked at Andrea. Chloe felt hurt. She felt betrayed. "What's he talking about?" Scarlett asked. She saw how upset her sister was. "Well?"

****

Chloe was sitting in the living room with tears flowing down her cheeks. "So our baby, that you lost, was his?" Jamie asked.

"It gets worse."

"No! No!"

Graham smirked. "But how quickly it's you who lost it and not we."

Andrea looked at Graham. "Just shut up," she said. She turned to Jamie. "It was years ago."

"Going on six to be precise," Graham said. He saw the look on Chloe's face.

Realisation dawned on Jamie's face. "No."

Andrea realised what he was thinking. "She's yours. I promise you. Millie is your daughter."

Graham turned to look at Scarlett. "You might want to go and see Cain. Before he goes back with Moira."

Kim looked at Scarlett. "I thought you ended that?"

Scarlett was fuming. She knew Kim was going to go ape at her and she didn't want that.

****

Chloe went to find Graham. Scarlett was minding Esmè. Chloe eventually found him in the village. "Why would you do that? You ruined your own daughters Christmas," she said.

"Esmè means everything to me."

Chloe nodded. "Yes. I know she does.  I just don't understand why you had to ruin her day. Her face lit up when she saw you. You didn't even acknowledge her."

Graham felt guilty. He sighed. "Is she okay?" He asked.

Chloe nodded. "She's fine. My mum is reading her and Millie a story," she said. She sighed. "Why didn't you tell me about Andrea? I think I had a right to know that Millie might have been my daughters sister."

Graham said nothing. He knew out of everyone he had hurt today, Chloe was the one he never intended on hurting. "Could I see Esmè? Before I go to France."

Chloe felt a tear roll down her cheeks. She just nodded. "Tomorrow. I'll meet you in the park and you can see her then."

Graham watched as Chloe walked off. He had no idea that with how much he had hurt Chloe, it wouldn't be long before she snapped.