Alright, so heres the thingeither you help me strip Vicky of her parental rights, or I walk out, and you lot can sort this mess yourselves.
«Nat, have you no shame? Shes your sister! My daughter!» Mum threw her hands up, then clutched her chest like it ached.
«And what am I? Not your daughter?» Nats voice cracked with hurt. «Sometimes I think Im not even a person to you Cant you see whats happening? Ive grown to love little Alfie, and you lot just Either help me, or Ill do it alone. But I wont let this slide.»
Mum looked away, torn. Dad just scowled into his dinner, stirring his mashed potatoes like theyd wronged him. Nat got the message loud and clear. She stood and walked to her room.
Obviously, her parents hadnt chosen her. Not her, not Alfie.
Nat started packingnot that she had much. Her chest felt heavy, but she knew this had to be done.
Then came the hardest part. A tiny hand grabbed her leg, clinging tight.
«Mummy, dont go» Alfie sobbed, watching her shove clothes into a bag.
*Mummy.* That word cut deep every time. Nat sighed, knelt, and forced a smile.
«Im not leaving *you*, Alfie,» she whispered, pulling him close. «Im leaving so things can be better for us one day. I *will* come back. For good.»
Alfie wailed, not understanding why his auntthe woman he called Mumwas abandoning him. He clung to her jumper so tight she couldnt leave until hed cried himself to sleep. Only then did she slip out, quiet as a mouse.
Right then, Nat hated Vicky. This was all *her* fault.
Vicky had been wild since sixteen. First it was late nights, then «sleepovers at a mates»though everyone knew what that meant. Shed stumble home drunk, smudged mascara, slurring through tears. And Mum and Dad? They coddled her like she was some fragile thing.
A pregnancy was inevitable. At seventeen, Vicky got knocked upno idea who the dad was. Just some bloke from a party.
Alfie arrived. Vicky quickly decided motherhood wasnt for her. First, shed ditch him overnight. Then she vanished completely.
«Im still young. Im not ruining my life for this,» shed told Nat over the phone.
So the «ruin» fell on Nats shoulders. Grandad barely cared, tossing Alfie a toy now and then. Grandma helped when she could, but she worked.
Nat was eighteen. She switched to part-time uni to raise a baby. Nights spent feeding him, days dragging his pram up stairs, exams on zero sleep. She studied after tucking him in, handled the househer parents were too busy.
Just as she adjusted, guess who waltzed back in? Vicky, all tears and apologies.
«I was so stupid Ill do better now,» she sniffled.
They all believed her. Even Nat. For a month, Vicky played mumthen vanished again, this time nicking Mums jewellery.
«Shes just struggling,» Mum defended. «Shell come round. Give her time.»
Nat stopped believing. Once was bad luck. Twice? A pattern. But what choice did she have? Her parents lived in some fantasy where Vicky got infinite chances.
Nat carried onuni, raising Alfie, nursery runs, doctor visits. She prayed Vicky stayed gone.
No such luck. Four years later, Vicky reappeared.
«I thought he loved me,» she lied, batting her lashes. «I was alone, no job, no money Had to *survive*.»
«Survive? Youve clearly not missed meals,» Nat scoffed.
A sharp look from Mum shut her up. The spotlight was back on poor, tragic Vicky.
Then came the worst bit. Nat brought Alfie home from nursery. Grandma nudged him toward Vicky.
Alfie cried, hiding behind Nat.
«Dont be silly,» Grandma cooed. «This is your mummy.»
«*Shes* not Mummy! *She* is!» Alfie clung to Nat.
«Natalies just your aunt. Vickys your *real* mum.»
Nats heart shattered.
And history repeated.
Vicky leeched off them for two months, jobless.
«Ive got Alfie. No onell hire me,» she whined.
Thengone again. No warning. Just a new Instagram post with some bloke twice her age.
Nat knew the drill. Another deadbeat.
She confided in her mate, Nina.
«Just get her rights stripped. Its not hard,» Nina shrugged. «Theyll see shes never here. Then you sort it.»
Nat hesitated.
«But what if they take Alfie? And Mum and Dadll go spare.»
«Or you wait till she wrecks Alfies head *again*. That better?» Nina lowered her voice. «Nat, when do *you* get a life? Youre stuck in this loop. What about *you*?»
Nat had forgotten she existed outside Alfie. Shed dated briefly, but blokes bolted when they heard she had a «kid.» Only Liam, her uni mate, knew the truthand still stuck around.
After that chat, she gave Liam a shot.
And it was easy. No drama. Just *her*.
The night she gave her parents the ultimatum, she went to Liams.
«Ive told youmove in with me,» he said.
«I cant. Alfie»
«So we take him too.»
Nat gaped.
«Hes not even yours»
«Nat,» Liam cut in. «Im not thick. If hes yours, hes mine.»
Something melted in her chest.
The next six months were hellsocial services, paperwork, court. Worst of all? She couldnt take Alfie straight away. He cried, begged for her.
«You *stole* her kid!» Mum hissed.
«Like she ever wanted him,» Nat shot back.
Her parents shut her out. Only Liam and her mates stood by her.
But after the storm comes the calm.
Years later, Nat sat on a bench, watching Alfie teach his little sister, Lily, to kick a football. Liam squeezed her shoulder.
She hadnt heard from Vicky in agesdidnt care to. Same old story: men, parties, chaos. Losing Alfie just gave her another sob story for Mum and Dad.
Speaking ofthey never forgave her. Fine. If they wanted to coddle Vicky forever, let them.
Nat would focus on the ones who *actually* needed her.
