No One But You

“Now you’re just being a rude little madam.” I snapped the top of the case shut. Her shudder making me feel guilty. “Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you?”

She rolled her eyes again as she whined, “It’s nothing.”

The affronted attitude rolling off her was so me it was frightening.

“You tell me what it is or I’m taking those tutus to the charity shop.” I circled my open hand over the discarded colourful pile of tulle next to us. “And don’t think that I won’t do it, because I will. Remember last time?”

She let out a massive huff and as her chest deflated her shoulders hunched. Her eyes focused on the floor as she whispered, “Elsie said that bad people blow up planes in America.”

I knew it was wrong to hate a child, but that little brat was the Devil. She was a nasty piece of work just like her horrible, psycho gossip of a mother. “Well, Elsie doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” If only it were okay to bitch slap sense into a child…

“She showed me and Molly on her iPad and she said that we’re going to die and that I’ll never see you again.”

“Did she now?” I pulled her onto my lap and wrapped her in my arms. I was already dreading the moment I waved her off, but now I was also thinking about the little shit’s words. “You listen to me, nothing is going to happen. I wouldn’t let you go if I thought that anything bad was going to happen. So you don’t listen to jealous little brats like Elsie.”

“But what if it does happen and I never see you again?” She looked up at me, her teary eyes wide like saucers. “Maybe I should just stay with you and Uncle Jamie.”

“Hey,” I turned her to face me on my lap so I could see her face. “Princess Pippa can’t miss the big day. You have your amazing dress and your tiara. Your daddy would be so sad. Plus, I heard you and Molly have the big task of looking after the rings. That’s a very important task to pass up.” I thumbed her tears away. My insides burning up like firewood. “I promise you that you’re going to have the best time. I bet you won’t even want to come back!”

“You promise?” She looked at me warily.

“Pinkie promise.” I lifted her hand and hooked my little finger around hers. “I thought you weren’t allowed to take phones and tablets into school?”

“You’re not.” She looked down at her lap like she’d said too much.

I tilted her face up with my finger under her chin. “Then why did she have it?”

“It wasn’t at school.” She whispered.

“What do you mean?”

“Jenna took me to Daisy’s house with Molly and Elsie was there.”

I was going to be having words with Jenna and the other two mums. I was aware that the demon child and her trolls weren’t exactly the nicest to Pippa, but this was too far. I’d listened to Richard and given them a chance to sort things out between them, now I was getting involved. I don’t care how old you are, if you mess with my child you’re going to hear from

me.

“I see. Well, you don’t listen to Elsie Rodgers or her horrible little friends. You got that? Better yet, next time she shows you anything nasty on her iPad you make sure you break it.” Big mistake. I should not have said that, but I did and I couldn’t take it back. Oh well.

“Got it, mummy.”

“I love you so much.” I squeezed her to my chest as I buried my nose in her hair taking in a lungful of her soft strawberries and vanilla sugary scent.

“To the moon and back again like Little Nutbrown Hare loves Big Nutbrown Hare?”

“More than that, baby, so much more.” Which was why this whole situation was heart-breaking. My little girl was going to have a big first without me. She was going to get on a plane with her dad and I wasn’t going to be there to make sure she was sucking on her lolly as the plane took off and as it landed so her ears didn’t pop. I wasn’t going to be there to hold her hand if she got a little scared. It was hard and it was painful for me, but I had to suck it up because it wasn’t her fault. “Do you think we should go and do our last little bit of Christmas shopping? We still need to get Molly a present from you and me.”

“Can we get some gingerbread and a babycino too?” Her lips stretched into a wonderful smile as she looked up at me. “A chocolate one with the Flake on the side so I can dip it in?”

“I don’t see why not. We’ll pick up some dinner on the way home and maybe go see Uncle Jamie?” I stood awkwardly with her still attached to me like a baby chimp.

“That sounds like a good plan.” She unwrapped her legs from around my waist and pushed herself onto the floor. Her pale pink tulle skirt sticking to the top of her taupe tights with light pink hearts.

“You need to put something warmer on, it’s so cold outside.” I pulled the hairband from around my wrist and pulled her hair into a messy ponytail.

“This is ok with my glitter boots and my fur coat.” She pointed at the fluffy cream lined rose gold Doc Martens by her Converse rainbow. She’d somehow convinced her grandmother to replace the black laces with light pink satin ones. Again, nothing like me.

“Okay.” I tucked a few loose curls behind her ears. “You know you can’t wear those on your holiday? You’ll be far too hot. Maybe we should buy you some flip flops instead?”