Im not letting any traitors back in, declared Ian, slamming the kitchen door.
And wheres Billy? We havent seen Billy at all! a murmuring crowd of relatives gathered on the steps of St.James Maternity Ward asked, looking halflost.
If Billy had actually been the father of the newborn, the confusion would have been far less; but Billy was just a short form of the mothers own name, Victoria Vicky Harper, in this case.
The fact that Vicky herself had vanished, rather than cradling the tiny bundle in her arms, was the real oddity.
Shes run off! That wretched woman! shrieked Vickys mother, Mrs. Harper, as she handed over the birth certificate, the babys first pair of booties, and the last letter from the runaway wife to her soninlaw, Ian, and the infant.
The note read like every other boilerplate missive left by deserting mothers:
Im not ready for this. Dont look for me. I wont abandon my daughter; Ill send maintenance, but thats all. No return address, no explanation why a respectable woman who dreamed of motherhood a halfyear ago would now bolt like this.
Ian, dont worry, Vickys mother tried to console him. Eventually shell pull herself together, realise whats important, and come back.
Emma Harper, Vickys elder daughter, never echoed that optimism. Her gut told her Billy wasnt coming back.
If she ever did something, she did it deliberately. She didnt quit halfheartedly.
Youre talking nonsense, Emma, Vickys mother snapped when the older sister hinted that Vicky might never return. Shell be back. Give it a month or two and her motherly instincts will kick in.
Divorce papers arrived three months later. Vicky never appeared at court, refused custody, and little Lily Harper was left in Ians care.
Emma started visiting Ians flat more often, helping with the baby and keeping Ian company after all, they now shared a common grief. Emma herself had been abandoned by her fiancé a year after giving birth to her son, Jack. Theyd been planning to marry when Jack turned three and Emma finished maternity leave, but then Mark fled, leaving her kneedeep in debt. At least the courts affirmed Ians paternity, and Emma received a modest maintenance cheque.
Shed spent countless nights scanning Ians behaviour for warning signs, never voicing her fears to her sister or mother. In the end, she realised shed been looking at the wrong person.
It turned out Vicky hadnt been forced to have a baby; shed wanted one. Ian had suggested waiting five years to save enough for a threebedroom flat, but Vicky was eager to move in sooner, sooner, sooner
And the result? She walked out on Lily, a helpless, newborn babe who needed a mum.
Perhaps it was the fact that Emma had already become a mother herself, or that Lily was, in fact, her own blood relative, that made Emma start treating the little girl as her own.
Ian, on a few occasions, tried to hand Lily over to Emma, saying, Take her to mum for a cuddle. He even offered Emma to move in with him, Lily, and himself, arguing there was space and she could rent out rooms to cover the mortgage instead of mooching off her own mother.
When Vickys mother discovered Emma had moved in with Ian, she launched an impromptu lecture.
Its scandalous to cozy up with your sisters husband, she warned, though Ian promptly shut the door on his former motherinlaw, declaring shed mind her own business.
But Vicky didnt deny anything. After a few drinks, she confessed shed be happy to marry Ian and even adopt his son as her own.
Everything will be above board, Emma. You raise my child like yours, Ill treat your son as mine. I wont drag you into my baggage; you decide what to keep, and well stick together. Its easier for both of us.
I can earn a decent wage, but Ive no clue how to handle nappies, doctor visits, porridge
Youre great with kids, even if you dont earn much at work. Before maternity leave you were a preschool assistant at a private nursery not exactly a sixfigure salary.
Ians proposal was pragmatic, almost mercenary. Yet Emma realised the fairytale romance shed chased hadnt delivered any lasting happiness, apart from the love for her son.
Maybe it was time to be practical. Ian was decent, wellmeaning, didnt drink or smoke, and always helped with money. Lily, now two years old, even called him Mum for the first time.
Perhaps everything happens for the best?
Mrs. Harper didnt attend the wedding she wasnt exactly expected. The couple toasted with a single shot, took wellmeaning wishes, and returned to Ians fourperson flat. Life stayed pretty much the same, except the kids now shared a bedroom while the adults claimed the other.
After all, Emma and Ian are people too; they deserve a slice of happiness and a dash of personal life.
Vickys sudden reappearance was like thunder on a clear day. Emma was in the kitchen, so Ian opened the front door. He didnt even glance up; hed been expecting a delivery and thought the courier was at the door. Instead, his exwife barreled in, shoulders hunched, eyes blazing.
Darling, Im back! she announced. When Ian brushed her away with a firm hand, she blinked, smoothed her hair, and asked, almost cheerfully, Arent you pleased to see me?
Should I be? Ian replied, dripping sarcasm.
Hed rehearsed a dozen lines for this moment, but when it finally happened he could only ask why shed returned at all.
I want to see my daughter. And maybe we can sort out our relationship.
I know my actions werent ideal, but we can fix things, like a proper family, cant we?
No. Ive already built my own family, and Im not letting traitors back in.
Are you talking about Emma? You never really loved her, did you? How could you trade me for her?
Emma, just out of the shower, first noticed the ajar nursery door, a tiny crack through which the children peered like curious squirrels.
Vicky spotted the toddlers too, slipped past Ian, and lunged for the little girl.
Lily, my dear, look how tall youve gotten!
She grabbed Lily, and the babys brother, Jack, let out a highpitched squeal, lunging at Vickys hair.
Let go of my sister, you witch! he shouted, biting her ankle.
Vicky, dressed only in stockings and a short skirt, winced as the bite hit, let out a shrill yelp, and nearly dropped Lily onto the floor.
Seeing the chaos, the children scurried behind Emmas legs. Vicky glared at the little tableau, hissed,
You serpent! Youve turned my own daughter against me. I wont let this stand!
In the end, Vickys attempts to reclaim Lily failed. She had once refused custody, and Lily had never known her mother, so any court bid to win her back fell flat. Even Mrs. Harpers desperate pleas to reverse the situation came to nothing.
Ian and Emma finally cut ties with Vickys mother, moved to another town, and never left an address.
Now they live happily in a new city, raising three children. Lily sometimes tells her closest friends that shes actually the daughter of a real witch, while her goodheart mum Emma is a fairy who rescued her.
Jack swears the story is true, insisting his dad must be an evil sorcerer for abandoning a kind fairy.
Fortunately, a decent dad turned up, and the family now enjoys the happilyeverafter that every good story deserves.
