«Right, heres how it is. Either you help me strip Vicky of her parental rights, or I walk away, and you lot deal with the mess yourselves.»
«Natasha, for heavens sake! Shes your sister! My daughter!» Mum threw her hands up, then clutched her chest.
«And what am I? Not your daughter?» Natashas voice cracked with hurt. «Sometimes I think Im not even a person to you… Cant you see whats happening? Ive grown attached to little OllieI love himand you lot just… Either help me, or Ill handle it alone. But Im not backing down.»
Mum guiltily looked away, torn between them all. Dad just kept stirring his stew with a sour face. Realising shed lost, Natasha stood and headed to her room.
Clearly, her parents hadnt chosen her. Or even Ollie.
Natasha started packingshe didnt have much. Her heart weighed a ton, but she knew this had to be done.
But how do you hold it together when a little boy wraps himself around your legs, sobbing?
«Mummy, dont go…» Ollie begged, watching her stuff clothes into a bag.
*Mummy.* That word cut deep every time. Natasha sighed, knelt, and forced a smile.
«Im not leaving *you*, sweetheart,» she whispered, hugging him tight. «Im leaving so things can be better for us one day. Ill come back. For good.»
Ollie wailed, not understanding why his auntthe one he called Mumwas abandoning him. He clung to her jumper so fiercely she couldnt leave until hed cried himself to sleep. Only late that night did she finally slip out, quiet as a mouse.
Right then, Natasha *hated* Vicky. Shed forced this horrible choice on all of them.
…Vicky had been off the rails since sixteen. At first, shed stumble home late. Then shed stay out overnight with «friends»though everyone knew what *kind* of friends. Shed stagger back, mascara smudged, lipstick smeared, sometimes in tears. And Mum and Dad would fuss over her like she was some fragile doll, cooing and comforting.
A pregnancy was inevitable. At seventeen, Vicky got knocked upcouldnt even name the father. Just some «bloke from a party.»
Ollie arrived. Quickly, Vicky realised motherhood wasnt for her. First, shed dump him overnight and vanish. Then she disappeared completely.
«*Im* still young. Im not throwing my life away,» shed told Natasha over the phone when pressed.
So the «throwing away» fell to Natasha. Granddad barely acknowledged Olliemight buy him a rattle, nothing more. Granny helped when she could, but work kept her busy.
Natasha was eighteen. She switched to part-time uni to care for a baby. From then on, she *was* his mothereven christened him herself.
It was brutal. Up all night, dragging the pram up stairs, exams on no sleep. Studying by dim light after Ollie finally dozed off. And still, she managed the housebecause Mum and Dad were *so* busy.
By six months, shed adjusted. Thenof courseVicky swanned back in, all tears and apologies.
«I was such an idiot… Itll be different now…»
They believed her. Even Natasha *wanted* to. For a month, Vicky actually spent time with Ollie. Then, once the neighbours stopped cooing over her «change,» she bolted againthis time nicking Mums jewellery.
«Shes just struggling,» Mum excused. «Shell come around. Give her time.»
Natasha stopped believing. Once was bad lucktwice was a pattern. But what choice did she have? Mum and Dad lived in some fantasy where Vicky deserved endless chances. Was she supposed to run off with Ollie into nowhere?
So she carried on. Uni, raising Ollie, nursery runs, doctor visits. Hoping Vicky wouldnt return.
Thenfour years laterthere she was, on the doorstep again.
«I thought he *loved* me. We were going to take Ollie. Then he used me… I was stuck in Leeds, no job, no friendsnot even train fare. Had to… get by.»
«Right,» Natasha scoffed. «Looks like you *really* starved.»
Mum shot her a look, and she shut up. All attention swung back to poor, tragic Vicky.
Worse came when Natasha brought Ollie home from nursery. Granny nudged him toward Vicky. Ollie burst into tears, hiding behind Natasha.
«Dont be silly,» Granny crooned. «This is your *mummy*.»
«Thats *not* Mummy! *Shes* Mummy!» Ollie clung tighter.
«Natashas just your aunt. Vickys your real mum.»
Natashas heart shatteredfor Ollie, for the betrayal, for the cycle starting again.
And it *did* start again.
Vicky leeched off them for two months, claiming no one would hire a mum. «Its like Im on *maternity*,» she sneered when Natasha asked about job hunting.
Then she vanished. Again. No explanationjust a new Instagram post with some bloke twice her age.
«Another drunk,» Natasha thought. Hope was gone. But what to do?
She confided in her mate, Nina.
«Easy. Strip her rights. Social servicesll see shes never here. Then *you* sort it.»
Natasha froze. «What if they take Ollie? Or Mum and Dad kick off?»
«Or you wait for Vicky to wreck Ollies head *again*. Your call.»
Nina leaned in. «Nat, when do *you* get a life? Alex keeps asking after you.»
Natasha *had* forgotten herself. Dates fled when they heard she had a «kid.» Alexher uni mateknew the truth and still stuck around.
After that chat, she gave him a shot. Andfor onceshe *breathed*. With Alex, she wasnt just a caretaker. He listened. Helped.
So when her ultimatum blew up, she went to him. Just to vent. But Alex surprised her.
«Move in with me. Nows the time.»
«I *cant*. Ollie»
«Whats the issue? Well make it work.»
«But hes not *yours*»
«Nat,» he cut in, «I knew what I signed up for. If hes family to you, hes family to me.»
Something melted in her chest. Hope flickeredmaybe life wasnt just cleaning up Vickys messes.
The next six months were hell. Social workers, paperwork, assessments. Worseshe couldnt take Ollie straight away. He cried for her every night.
«You *stole* her child!» Mum screamed.
«Like she ever *wanted* him,» Natasha shot back.
She was barred from home. Everyone turnedexcept Alex and her friends.
But after the storm comes the calm.
…Years later, Natasha sat on a park bench, watching Ollie teach little Lily to kick a ball. Alex squeezed her shoulder, and she thought*worth it*.
She hadnt heard from Vicky in ages. Didnt *want* to. Same old chaosmen, parties, pity parties for Mum and Dad.
And Mum and Dad? Still making excuses. Fine. Let them.
Natasha smiled. *Ill care for the ones who actually need me. The sun warmed her face as Lily shrieked with laughter, wobbling after the ball. Ollie, all long limbs and fierce pride, guided her gently, calling her «my bestest sister.» Natasha leaned into Alex, his hand finding hers. The past was a shadow nowfaint, distant, powerless. She wasnt just surviving anymore. She was home.
