To Be A Family: A Holby City Fan Fiction (Complete) (Kian & OC #2)

Chapter 9

Jac picked up Emma about twenty minutes later. Emma brought a bag of crispy squares home. She couldn't wait to go over to Kian and Haley's house again and couldn't stop talking about all the fun things that she had done with Haley.

"We watched a princess movie that was better than Frozen! And her crispy squares are better than the ones you buy."

Jac bit her lip. Emma kept asking why she didn't knit or crochet like Haley did. It felt like when Emma bonded with her stepmother all over again. She did everything she could not to feel a pang of jealousy.

The next day, Emma had brought home a drawing from Kian and Haley's house. It was a simple picture of a little girl and a woman together. Emma put it proudly on the fridge, reminding Jac daily of her feelings as a workaholic mom.

It was a few weeks later when she was taking a break that she ran into her good friend, Sacha.

"What's bothering you, Jac?"

"Emma keeps wanting to see Haley." Jac said bluntly, staring into her coffee.

"Ah, the sweet girl who's engaged to Kian. She's such a good babysitter for Emma."

"That's just it. Every week it's 'Haley this' and 'Haley that'. 'Mummy, how come you always buy stir fry instead of making it like Haley?' And Kian just looks so happy."

"You're jealous." Sacha answered pointedly.

"Oh, I'm just a surgeon balancing a career and life as a single mum while Madani is planning a future with a domestic goddess whose young enough to be his younger sister?"

Sacha took a breath. He thought about his next answer.

"Think of it this way. Your sister died, so Emma doesn't really have an aunt, or another close female relative."

"What do you mean?"

"Emma already has an Uncle Sacha. Why not let her have an Aunt Haley?" Jac turned away, her friend's words weighing on her conscience.

That night, Emma was sitting at the kitchen counter doing her schoolwork.

"Emma, I love the picture you drew of you and Haley." Emma stopped and looked at her mother, confused.

"That picture is of you and me, Mummy." Jac turned away so Emma wouldn't see how upset she was. All of that jealousy had been for nothing. Putting on a smile, Jac asked.
"You like Kian and Haley watching you, don't you?"

"Yeah. She's teaching me how to cook, and she might take me to a crafts store so I can buy a kit so I can knit like she can."

"Well, have fun." Jac said. "She'll be your regular babysitter."