The Original Taylor Daughter

The Good, Bad and Heartbreaking

Updating today because I'm out all day tomorrow

March 1981

Alice's eleventh birthday went from good to bad to the worst day of her entire life, even beating her cancer diagnosis.

It starts on Saturday, the day before her birthday. Everyone had come over for a BBQ to celebrate her birthday.

Brian and Chrissie with Jimmy and Louisa, John and Veronica with Robert, Michael and Laura, Freddie and Mary. Roger's parents and Clare have come for the weekend and of course, Roger, Dominique, nearly one-year-old Felix and Biscuit are there too.

It was a little after lunchtime everyone is sat in the Taylor living room when there is a knock at the door, "I'll get it," Alice hops up from her chair.

She's not sure who she expected it to be, maybe Rami or Hazel, they couldn't come to the BBQ but when she swung the door open she's met by a tall, skinny blonde woman, "Can I help you?" The woman looks familiar but she can't put her finger on it.

"I'm looking for Alice Taylor."

"That's me."

"Wow, look at you. Your such a beautiful young girl now, you certainly take after your dad, even more than you did on your first birthday."

Then it hits her, "Alice, who is it?" Roger comes over, pulling the door open properly his jaw drops, "Georgia?"

"Mum," Alice gasps.

"Happy birthday sweety," Georgia grins.

Roger couldn't be angrier, he tries to drag Georgia into the kitchen but she yanks her hand away, "I don't think so, I have every right to see my..."

"No!" Roger snaps shutting her up, "No, you don't have any right. You lost that privilege when you abandoned her nine years ago. Social service saw to that."

"I'd hardly say abandoned..." Georgia tries to act innocent.

"I would," Brian pipes up.

"Shut it, curly."

"Alright before the language gets any stronger, I'll take the kids outside," Clare volunteers and Chrissie goes with her taking all the kids but Alice, who refused to leave.

"What do you want?" Mary asks, "You said you didn't want anything to do with Alice, that you wouldn't be back so why are you here?"

Georgia drops her cruel front, "Look, I know I've done wrong but I want a chance to get to know my daughter."

"I don't think you deserve it but I'll leave the decision up to Alice," Roger would happily chuck her out there and then but he doesn't want Alice to think he's trying to control her.

They all turn to the 10-year-old, "I'll give you one chance, if you want that chance then be here tomorrow morning, 10am and I get to ask all the questions I've been wanting to ask over the last ten years. You should know though, I already have a mum, she's sat on that chair," Alice nods her head towards Dominique, "And I couldn't ask for a better mum."

Dominique blushes but her heart sores to hear those words, Roger smiles inside but Georgia scowls at the woman before turning and walking out the door.

"Why did she have to come back?" Alice sighs, leaning into her dads hold.

"I don't know monkey." He really can't get his head around it, "It's good of you to give her a chance, I know wouldn't have."

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Birthday presents open, Alice is sat in the kitchen the next morning, waiting for Georgia to arrive. So far she is not doing very well, she's ten minutes late.