Lessons In love (Waterloo road)

28

Sophie couldn't believe that her dad had gone. She felt lost. Like she had ruined her little family. She just didn't know how to feel about it all.

She woke that morning in her new bedroom at her new house with Madison. None of them wanted to stay in Max's house.

The door opened and Madison walked in. "Hey. Are you okay?" She asked as she looked at her.

Sophie shrugged. "I don't know."

Madison smiled. "It's okay to miss him you know? He is your dad. And despite all the bad he's done, one thing is clear to me. He loves you and Evie so much. Never doubt that," she told her.

Sophie started crying. She looked to her. "I just wish he didn't leave. He's my dad. He promised that he wouldn't leave me again. And he has. I know I broke you two up. But I never thought he would leave me," she sobbed.

Madison pulled her into an hug and held her as she cried. "It's going to be okay. He will come back. He's just being stubborn."

"I hope so. Why haven't you got rid of me?" Sophie asked as she looked to her.

Madison smiled. "Because. You are legally my daughter. I adopted you. I know I didn't give birth to you. But you are mine. I love you just like I love Evie. Okay?"

"Okay."

***
Sophie went into school. She saw Tom and sighed. He walked over to her. "Hey. Are you okay?" He asked as he looked to her.

Sophie shook her head. "If by okay, you mean missing my dad despite everything he's done then I'm not okay. I miss him so much. And he just left me. Again. Why does he always leave me?"

Tom sighed. "Maybe he thought you'd be better off with Madison. And I think you are. I don't even know where your father could have gone," he told her.

Sophie shrugged. "Oh well. He left me. Again. And I'm done with it all now," she told him as she walked off.

***
Sophie was ignoring everyone talking to her. She didn't want to know. She didn't want to talk to anyone at all. Especially since Max had gone.

She knew that people were rubbing it in. That her father had left her with a girl young enough to be her sister.

Sophie knew she was so close to losing it. And she didn't know how she could stop herself from feeling like that.

***
Tom walked past the classroom and sighed. He saw Sophie wasn't paying attention to what was going on.

He walked in. "Can I have a word with Sophie please? It's about an essay she needs to hand in," he said.

Sophie scoffed and rolled her eyes as she stood up. She grabbed her coat and made her way outside to Tom. "What?"

"Look I know you're struggling at the moment. But you can't not pay attention in class. Your dad wouldn't like that."

Sophie rolled her eyes. "Not like he's here is it? He left me. So he doesn't get to decide what he likes and doesn't like about me. Or what I do."

Tom sighed. "You need to focus on your future. You're coming up to your GCSEs soon. You need to decide what you want to do in life," he said.

"Don't play the concerned teacher act. It doesn't wash with me. Just leave me alone," she said.

Tom said nothing as Sophie walked off. He knew she was struggling with Max being gone. But he couldn't let her throw her life away.

***
Madison smiled as Sophie walked into her classroom. "Hey. Are you okay?" She asked.

"No. I don't like how Mr Clarkson is telling me to not be upset about my dad. It's ridiculous. He left me. He left you and he left Evie. His family. And I hate him," Sophie yelled.

Madison nodded. "Okay. Calm down. What if I told you I was going to get your dad to come back?"

Sophie turned to her. "Why? After what he did?"

"Because you need him. And so does Evie. You both need him. And it's not fair that he gets to walk away and leave you here suffering. You're my daughter and I want the best for you."

Sophie looked to Madison and sighed. But would Max even come back? And could Sophie find it in her heart to forgive him for leaving her a second time?