Finding Family

Evalynn: Getting ready

The rest of the term dragged. It wasn't that I didn't like school, I really liked it, and getting to be with Mia and Ash all the time was great. It was just that I was so excited to spend part of half term getting to properly be a Tozer. I couldn't wait and the remainder of the term was just getting in the way.
"Alright year 7, that is the end of the lesson." Said my history teacher.
I found history boring when I wasn't excited, and I spent a lot of my time doodling over the back pages of my book normally. Today I'd spent the lesson daydreaming instead. It was the last day of term after all. The bell went as I tucked my pencil case into my bag and I smiled at Ash across the room. She knew why I was excited, I could hardly keep it from my best friends after all, and Ash was excited for me, even if it meant she wouldn't see me for most of half term.
"I hope you all have a lovely half term, rest up and I hope to see you all rested and happy next term. Preferably in one piece Cody." He announced, before allowing us to leave.
Cody had started the year with his arm in a cast, and had sprained his ankle so badly a few weeks after getting the cast off he'd then ended up on crutches for a couple of weeks. He was a class joke because of it, but he didn't mind too much.

Mia, Ash and I walked together back to our houses normally, and today was no exception.
"So, you're excited for Monday I guess?" Ash asked me.
I nodded. "I can't wait to spend time with mamma and Ben and Mick."
Mia smiled sadly. "You won't forget about us will you?" She asked.
"It's only for a few days Mia, I'll be back before school re-starts." I assured her. I wanted so much more time with mamma. I wanted to spend all the rest of my childhood with her, but she lived far away and I'd have to leave my friends and foster sisters to do that. But I think we all knew that if Faye asked me I'd go live with her because I loved her so much and I'd always dreamed of living with my mamma since I'd found out I wasn't really a Goodwin.
Sighing Mia shrugged. "One thing leads to another." She mumbled.
"Mia... I'm not sure that's what that expression means..." Ash replied.
I tried not to laugh, and pretended that Charlotte hadn't told me what that meant while I watched Mamma Mia for the hundredth time the other week.
My biggest problem was I was as excited as anything, but I had no clue what to expect from the experience. What if life with her was really different to the life I had now? What if people start chatting about it and it all becomes awkward? No I wasn't as such scared, but I was a bit worried.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*

As I looked at the stuff I had out to pack I wondered what I was going to do with it. Admittedly I only needed clothes, wash stuff and my teddies, but I'd never really even been on holiday particularly. I mean I had, but it was to other places in the UK and we'd driven there so I'd never had to pack everything in as little space as possible, which when going on a train you kinda need to.
"Do you want my old suitcase? You can keep it after, for trips in the future, cause I've got my new one now." Charlotte said, peering round the door at the mess across my floor.
She'd been intermittently helping me all day because (it being Friday) Mummy Amy and Daddy Ian were both out at work, and I was really grateful for it. I'd be lost in a muddle if it wasn't for her help. I nodded, before turning to my wardrobe and finding out a backpack for things I'd need to pack the day I went. I was now leaving home on the Sunday to stay overnight at the children's centre, only because it was an early morning on the Monday and that way Maria was sure we'd be ready to leave for the train in plenty time.
She walked away and came back a few moments later with her old pink suitcase. I'd taken it on school residential trips in the past and so had she; hence why it was the worse for wear. It was a bit battered and scuffed, but it would do the job of holding my clothes. I smiled and thanked her, then tried to work out how best to pack my stuff into it. Eventually, I just sorted my clothes by what they were - tops, jumpers, trousers or underwear - and stuck them in in piles like that. Then in went my wash kit and a handful of hairbands, just in case I forgot to pick any up on the day.

I couldn't bring myself to put Josie, Faye bear or Tara in my suitcase just yet, so they stayed out, ready for one of them to go in on Sunday. My thoughts suddenly turned to the idea I was possibly seeing Lisa while I was up there, so I tried to work out which of my slightly nicer tops I should pack for that eventuality. All the stuff I'd packed came from the 'nicer' side of my draws, which meant they weren't stained scruffy hand-me-downs (though a few I'd packed were old tops that had originally belonged to Charlotte, just those ones were in alright condition), and they weren't things in stupid colours, like bright green, but still I wanted something pretty too. In the end I narrowed my options of posh tops down to two and packed both, which allowed me to wear something pretty at some other time too. I tossed in my little stash of eye-shadow, some of which were stolen ones from my sisters that they'd never noticed were missing, and then tried to work out what jewellery to take. I was obviously taking my heart locket and my leather bracelet, but what else? I concluded it was too hard a choice, I never wore jewellery anyway, and just went with the stuff I'd already known I'd take.

When I was done I sat down on my bed and looked at my phone. I shrugged and picked it up, going through my contacts list until I found Faye. Mamma. I smiled. In a few short days I'd be on my way up north to see her. I concluded I'd send her a message, because I was too excited not to.
"Hiya! I just finished packing ready to come see you and I can't wait! I'm so excited I can hardly stay still. Love always E x"
I smiled as the notification popped up to tell me the message had sent. I smiled even more when the notification popped up moments later that she'd replied.
"Hi. I'm really excited too, I can't wait for you to spend time with us so I can get to know you better! I mean I've kind of already learnt you're like me, but I want to know you properly. Love you Xx"
I tried to work out what to reply, but was dragged from my thoughts by Mummy Amy coming in and calling up to us that she was home.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*

It was early evening as I sat in my room and carefully brushed my hair, then put my hairbrush, phone charger and my reading book in my backpack. We'd just had dinner and in a short while Maria would be here to take me off for the start of my journey. As I checked I had everything I weighed up my options between Faye bear and Josie. Eventually, I shoved Faye bear into the top of my suitcase. I was slightly ashamed to be going to see my mum with a bear that was named after her and I was hopeful I wouldn't have to bring it up at any point, but equally I couldn't leave Faye bear behind, because she was important and needed to go on her own adventures without Lisa bear and Claire bear (which obviously belonged to the twins). I'd packed a little cloth bag with a few outfits for Faye bear (all of which also fitted Josie) so she wouldn't have to wear the same outfit the whole time, but right now she had on a dark green top and trouser combo.
"I love you Faye bear." I whispered as I closed the suitcase and tried my hardest to do up the zip. When the zip finally got the message that it needed to be shut I smiled. In about 24 hours I'd get to see my mamma again.

There was a knock at the front door and suddenly I was everywhere at once. I sprinted down the stairs, then back up the stairs to ditch my backpack, then back down to greet Maria, then into the kitchen to find my drinks bottle and then up the stairs again to put it with my stuff. Then I made it into the living room and sat down on the sofa.
Maria looked at me with a soft smile. "I was going to ask if you're excited Evalynn, but I think it's obvious that you are."
I nodded with a massive grin.. "I'm seeing mamma tomorrow, I can't wait!" I replied.
She smiled. "Indeed, I assume you're ready to go, I just need to run through a few things with Amy and Ian if that's alright."
I nodded. "Should I go say bye to Lottie?" I asked.
She nodded. "And see if you can't get your case downstairs."
I agreed and ran off to say goodbye to Lottie. This was the beginning of something amazing, I could just tell, and I couldn't wait to get it underway.

Hi guys, sorry it's late up, had a little trouble knowing where to end this chapter... Super excited to be at this point though and I can't wait for you guys to see the two of them getting to know each other better.
Lea