Evelynn Reynolds DISCONTINUED

Fourteen

Evelynn still felt bad for hurting her mom's feelings but she had said her piece and so had Emily. They returned home and both headed for the kitchen table to do work for a while. Emily finished her paperwork before Evelynn so she sat and watched. Somewhat amazed that the baby she had watched in her very early days, that would spend hours kicking her legs and cooing at virtually everything, was now a teenager and in a few short weeks would be turning sixteen and could get her driver's permit, if she so wished.

"Do you want to get your driver's permit after your birthday?" Emily asked

Evelynn set her pen down and looked up "I'm not sure, the idea of driving a car is scary,"

Emily smiled shaking her head "It means you wouldn't have to rely on me to take you to school,"

At this Evelynn frowned "I don't mind it if you don't?"

"That's fine by me, what homework have you got?"

"Nothing really, I have to learn lines for drama class, we're doing Beauty and the Beast just after New Year and I wanted to try out," Evelynn smiled

"As who?"

"I'm not sure, maybe a dancer in the background but we need to learn lines even if we're dancing,"

Emily nodded "Well you'll do brilliantly anyway,"

Evelynn looked at her mother and smiled "What are you? My biggest fan or something?"

"Always have been, always will be," Emily smiled proudly.

It was true, ever since Evelynn was born, Emily always supported her and cheered her on. From her first learning to crawl to walking and dancing en pointe. It wouldn't matter what Evelynn did, what grades she got, Emily would always be proud of her daughter. Emily remembered one of Evelynn's race days at school, Evelynn had tripped and finished last as a result, Emily however had ran to the finish line and cheered on her saddened then six year old. She watched Evelynn get off the floor, brush herself off and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her; straight into her mother's arms.

Emily was still proud of her even though she finished last, to her; Evelynn was a winner no matter what. And she took her to a toy shop to pick out her prize.

Evelynn put her books back into her bag and bit her lip.

"What's wrong?"

"Can we look at baby photos?" Evelynn asked

Emily smiled and took Evelynn to her room where she went into the chest at the bottom of her bed and pulled out some photo albums. She joined Evelynn who was sat cross legged on her bed and opened the first book to a baby scan.

"This was my first picture of you, I was six weeks pregnant,"

Evelynn looked at the scan "Wow, were you scared?"

"In one way yes, but in another no, after everything that had gone wrong, you were the one thing that gave me hope, after I had this scan, I would sit and read to you or just talk, even though you couldn't hear me just yet, I wanted you to know my voice as early as possible,"

Emily turned the page to another baby scan but this time it was at twelve weeks, under it, Emily had a photo of herself and her slight bump that was developing.

"Even back then I knew I'd fight to keep you safe," Emily mused

Turning the pages, there were more scan pictures and bump photos until Emily stopped on one.

In the centre of the page was a photograph of Evelynn, she was an hour old and had just been dressed in a baby onesie (or footies) that was pale yellow with little white bunnies dotted around it. She had a dusting of light brown hair and her little eyes were shut. Clutched in her little fingers was the wing of Crumbles the penguin. She was all snug in her bassinet with a pink blanket covering her.

"This is my favourite baby photograph of you, you were an hour old and already loved Crumbles,"

Evelynn smiled "What was I like?"

"You were a happy baby, as long as you were near me and had Crumbles with you, you would always fall asleep to me singing to you or on my chest,"

Smiling again; Evelynn turned the page to a photograph of John and Claudia holding her.

"They've loved you since the day you were born,"

"They were there?"

"Not in the room but they were there waiting, they started taking you for days out and evenings when you were four months old, it was to help make it easier on the both of us, you adored them, John was wrapped around your little finger,"

Emily fell silent and Evelynn looked at her "But it wasn't easy for you,"

"It wasn't, I carried you for eight months and raised you for six, making the choice to give you up was never easy for me, if I could have kept you, I would have without any second thought, until we go to Court to have custody given back to me, it won't be easy because theoretically they can force you to go back with them until you're eighteen, then you're an adult and the choice is yours,"

"I already know what I want, I have since I can remember,"

Evelynn cuddled her mother "I want to be with you,"

"I know you do and I want that too but in seriousness, if the Judge says you have to stay with them, you must promise me you will stay with them until you turn eighteen and then if you still want to come back to me, I'll buy the first ticket I can and I'll come get you,"

Emily looked her daughter in the eye.

"You think they'll make me go back?"

"There is a chance,"

Evelynn looked at her lap, Emily scooted closer to her daughter and wrapped her in her arms.

"If it happens, I will get you back, I promise you that and I'll come see you as much as I can,"

"It's not the same momma,"

"I know,"

And boy did Emily know that. She had a call before Evelynn's school phoned her; the Judge had decided that Evelynn had to go back to John and Claudia. Emily was just gathering her time to tell her.