Waiting for Grace by Hayley Oakes Page B

bending down as well.
    He held his hand out. “Hello, Devon, pleased to meet you.” She took it and then jumped forward hugging him. He held her and looked at me, his eyes shining with emotion, his mouth held in a tight smile. Devon pulled back and looked at him again.
    “We have the same hair,” she said, pointing towards his hair.
    “Yes,” He nodded. “We do.”
    “I’ve always wanted a dad,” she said, and again my heart stung with pain for her. She had never said that before.
    “Well here you go,” Robert said, standing up, “You got one now, I’m not going anywhere.”
    “Great,” she said matter-of-factly. “Max has been the only boy for years.” She turned to Max and he popped his head over the top of the sofa.
    “Hi, Max.” Robert waved, and he took it as an invitation and ran over.
    “What football team do you support?” Max asked Robert tentatively.
    “Man United,” he said and smiled.
    “Wrong answer.” Max rolled his eyes. “We’re Chelsea here.”
    “Oh,” Robert said, scratching his head, “Well no one’s perfect.”
    Max eyed him suspiciously. “Hmm … okay, what car do you drive?”
    Robert was about to answer when Devon interrupted, “Max stop talking boy rubbish to Dad. Now Dad let me show you my dancing trophies over here.” Devon took him to the sofas where Maria sat and she sprung up.
    “Tea anyone?” she asked. “I’m Maria.” She stuck her hand out. “Pleased to meet you.”
    “Robert, you too.” He shook her hand, “Tea would be great, unless … are you hungry Devon, Grace? Are we going out?”
    “Oh yes, Devon, come on, lets’ get your coat and your dad is going to take us out for tea.”
    “Max, too?” she looked to Robert and then to Max.
    “Um …” I smiled. “Not tonight, baby. It’s your first tea with daddy, so maybe another time?”
    “Max has had some tea anyway,” Maria said, walking to put the kettle on.
    “Max is more than welcome,” Robert said. “He needs to make sure I’ve got some good qualities after I failed on the footy score.”
    “Oh no,” Maria said. “You three go and enjoy yourselves.”
    “Really?” Robert asked. “It’s no problem.”
    I looked at Robert questioningly and he shrugged. “You want to come Maxie?” I asked.
    “Yes!” he said excitedly. “Please …” he corrected himself.
    “Okay then,” Robert said. “Coats on and let’s get this show on the road.” I smiled at him as he stood in our lounge and rubbed his hands together. In that moment he was just Robert. He wasn’t a grown up, a lawyer, a stranger; he was the excitable teenager who took charge when I couldn’t make a decision. He was the boy who made me feel special, the boy who made me realise that I deserved more, and the boy I had missed for seven years.

 
    Nine
     
    Eight Years Earlier
     
    Mum had been admitted to hospital after her fall. We stayed at A&E for three hours the night Robert and I had found her. Robert didn’t leave my side, and Barbara and Bob stayed close, drinking coffee, and checking in with the nurses. Eventually she regained consciousness, but she was quite battered. They had no idea how far she had fallen and wanted to rule out a fractured skull. So she was admitted and we were told to go home.
    “You’ll stay with us,” Barbara said in the car on the way home. It was 3.30_am and the streets were deserted. The summer night had a chill, and I leaned my head against the window staring into the clear night sky, dusted with stars.
    “I’m fine,” I sighed as I fought off emotion. As much as I hated my mum, her zombie-like state and her horrendously embarrassing issues, she was also all I had, and losing her would be unbearable. I knew nothing else but her indifference, and if she left me, then I would just have nothing.
    “No young girl is going back to that big house all alone at three in the morning. We have a guest room and you’ll get comfortable in there.”
    “Thank you,” I whispered. When