Starting Over {Waterloo Road}

Twelve

Grace sat downstairs and cried. She was struggling so much with being a mum. She felt like she had no support at all.

Eddie walked in. "Grace, come on darling."

"Leave me alone. Please," she sobbed. She looked up at Eddie. "I can't do it. I can't be a mum. Not when my baby hates me."

Eddie sat down. "Aubree doesn't hate you Grace. She's just grizzly," he said.

Grace scoffed. "Anyone else holds her, she's fine. I hold her and she freaks out on me. I can't be a mum at all."

***
Tom arrived at the house. He wanted to see his kids. Eddie let him in. He went over to Ava and Aiden. Aubree was sitting up in her bouncer. Grace scoffed. She walked over to Aubree and picked her up. "Just forget about Aubree Tom. She's better off without you," Grace spat.

"Grace?"

"Back off!"

***
Grace sat in her bedroom with Aubree. For once Aubree was smiling at Grace. "Mummy loves you so much. Daddy doesn't even acknowledge you're here."

Aubree blinked at her and smiled. Grace got her phone and text Max.

Are you busy? I need someone - G x
I'm a little busy. I can pick you up later? - Mx
Okay - G

Grace felt like she had no one. She felt like no one cared about her or Aubree anymore. She walked over to her wardrobe and began packing. She was leaving.

***
It was 12am. Everyone was asleep. Grace picked up Aubree and snuck downstairs. She had booked herself into a hotel.

Grace left the house and drove to the hotel. She had passed her driving test so she could take Aubree to her hospital appointments.

When she got to the hotel, she carried her sleeping daughter in. "Booking for Grace Mason."

***
The next morning

Eddie and Rachel went to wake the girls up. Rachel walked into Grace's room and frowned. "Eddie! Is Grace downstairs?" Rachel called.

"No."

Rachel ran downstairs. "I think she's ran away and taken Aubree with her," she said, panicked.

Eddie nodded. "Right let's give it until 12pm. That's the last time any of us had seen Grace and Aubree so if we haven't heard by then, we'll call the police."

Rachel agreed. She wasn't going into work that day. She wanted to wait for her daughter to come home.

***
Grace was playing with Aubree. "Mummy loves you so much my little munchkin. She'll never let anyone hurt you."

Grace's phone kept on ringing. She kept on rejecting the calls because she didn't want to speak to anyone. She couldn't because she hated how she had been treated. It was too painful.

***
Tom was fuming with Grace for leaving with his daughter. He thought she needed to grow up. He was going to get full custody of Aubree.

Shannon walked into the classroom. "Anything?" Tom asked.

"No. Dad or Rachel can't get in touch with her. She's not answering her phone and she's taken her car," Shannon said  

Tom knew he had hurt Grace but he loved Shannon but he would do anything to get his daughter back. Even if it meant faking being in love with Grace.