Alphabet Steps

Missing You Part 6

Faye sighed softly as Grace turned her head to the window and pressed her nose against it as the taxi made it's way through the leafy suburbs where Claire's Mum lived. "Sweetheart, I know you liked them bu..but I have to go back home. You'll get to see all your friends again darlin', you must have missed them." Faye said gently hoping to pep her little girl up. She hated seeing Grace upset.
"But Mommy, those people are your friends an...and don't you miss them?" Grace said wide eyed as Faye bit her lip. ""I do yeah, but I can't stay because I miss them."
"I didn't get to say bye to Lee though, he might be mad." Grace mused as Faye ran her fingers through her daughter's soft blonde curls biting her lip slightly as she wandered how Lee would react to them simply up and leaving.

"H you can't take people's passports." Lisa said finally after she had giggled for several minutes at his rather quick thinking. "You don't want her to go back to the USA do you?" H asked as Lisa shook her head. "Of course not but well maybe if she needs to clear her head it's for the best."
"Clear her head and not come back. It took her four years and Clara been ill before she even came back this time." H said as Claire frowned.
"I hate to admit it but he's right. Who's to say she'll ever come back." She sighed as they sat in the living room rather dejected about the fact Faye had chosen to leave. "Can you get the door love." Nina asked as was in the kitchen and her hands were messing from the dough she had been rolling out for cakes. "Yeah." Claire said as she got up and went to the door. She was all ready to give her usual spiel to any door-to-door salesman and was a little taken aback to see Lee's mother. "Stella, you..you should come in." She stammered as Stella mustered a weak smile. "How are you love, I'm sorry to come over like this."
"No it's fine, is Lee okay?" Claire said suddenly worried that Stella was there because Lee had taken a turn for the worse. "Well he's stable. No doubt rowing with Sophie right now. What he saw in that girl I'll never know. But I was hoping th..that perhaps Faye was still here."
"He asked for her?"
"Not in so many words but I know my son. He might not say it but he wants her by his bedside. Her to hold his hand not that gold-digger. Sorry." Stella said as Lisa smirked slightly that Stella thought the same as she did about Lee's latest partner. "I wish we could help Stella bu...but Faye's gone." Claire said.
"And she'll be back I told you, take Grace's passport and she'll have to come back." H said as Stella looked at H oddly. "Grace?"
"Faye's daughter. Didn't Lee tell you?" Lisa ventured as H nudged her.
"Oww what was that for!" She winced. Stella shook her head slightly.
"Why...why would Lee need to tell me about Faye having a daughter unles...unless..." She paused. "There's a possibility." Claire said softly as she wished that Lisa hadn't mentioned Grace. This made everything seem so much more awkward. 

"Wait so, I could have a granddaughter." Stella said as Claire nodded.
"It's not definite, Faye is doubtful as by all accounts it was a one night thing. But there is a chance. She was upset before the wedding, A bottle of wine an..and well Lee and Faye were always verging on flirty with one another. We all noticed it, I'm still amazed that they were pretty oblivious to it. Lee adored her, that much was obvious to us." Lisa said as Stella sat down unable to fully comprehend what she was been told. "Where are they now? Passport, I guess she's going back."
"Well no doubt trying to. Won't get too far without this though." H said with a smile as he waved Grace's passport in his hand.

"Miss, I'm very sorry but we can't let you take a child abroad without her passport, for all we know you've taken her from her legal guardian." A border force officer said as Faye looked as if she could cry. "But can't you see, she's my daughter, she's my double. I swear I had her passport." Faye said as she bit her lip desperately. "I live in New York, she goes to school there." She said flustered as tears pooled in her blue eyes as Grace played idly with her doll. "That she might but unfortunately whilst I have no passport then I can't let you board any plane." The man said as Faye looked about ready to burst into tears.
"Mommy don't cry." Grace said softly as she tugged on Faye's hand.
"Darlin' I'm sorry but I really can't let you board. I suggest you retrace your steps and see if you can find her passport." The man said as Faye sniffed but nodded.
"Come on sweetheart, I need to ring Auntie Claire and then what's say we go stay with Nana and Grandad hmm." Faye said as Grace smiled slightly. "We were going to see them hopefully anyway weren't we." Faye said as she dialled Claire's number. 

"It's her." Claire said as Faye's name displayed on her phone. Answering it hoping she sounded normal and unflustered. "Hi Faye, you okay?" She asked as she listened to Faye who asked hopefully whether Grace's passport was anywhere. "Erm I haven't seen it, you sure you packed it hun?" Claire said as she sighed. "Why don't you come back here with Grace, we'll have a decent look for it and well there's no point you both staying at the airport if you can't fly anywhere."
"I can't it was hard Clara saying bye to you all, I can't do it again and I won't do it to Grace," Faye said softly as she sat on a metal bench, Grace half asleep on her lap. "My dad's driving to pick us up so we'll be there. If...if you find it ca...can you let me know. I'll pay for you to mail it to me." Faye said as Claire sighed softly.
"Don't be daft, I'll bring it to you." She said as Faye thanked her and ended the call. 

"Faye sweetheart." Angus said gently as he looked at his little girl, all 29 years old and seemingly like a little girl again. Grace was sound asleep on her lap and dark blonde curls were slipping out of the bobble Faye had put Grace's hair up in. "Wh..what's happened? I thought you were going to come to ours next week?" He said as Faye's blue eyes teared up. 
"I....I don't what to do Dad. I only came to see Claire an...and...." She trailed off.
"I tell you what, why don't I treat us to a coffee before we set off and you can let me know what's caused these tears hmm." Angus said as Faye nodded slightly. Grace rubbed her eyes tiredly waking up, and smiled spotting her grandfather. "Grandad!" She shrieked loudly as she scrambled out of her mother's arms and ran hugging Angus's legs. "Hello princess, why you look more and more like your Mummy every week hmm."