The Cast-Off Kids Read Online Free PDF

was glad they were letting us have her.
    ‘More often than not, the mother does come forward. But this is an unusual case.’
    ‘Yes, that’s what I thought.’ I paused. ‘They said in the paper that she has a head injury. Is that something that would need treatment?’
    ‘I believe it wasn’t as bad as they feared; just superficial, with no fracture or anything. It’s been stitched up and Laurel is making good progress. She’s still in the
hospital at the moment, but the place is surrounded by the press and we need to get her away from all that. Can you take her today?’
    ‘Yes, we’d love to have her. Today will be fine.’
    As I put the phone down and returned to the supervised mayhem in the kitchen, I had a brainwave. This would be just the thing to take Daisy’s mind off her father’s no-show. So I told
all the children we would be having another new baby in the afternoon. Then I took Daisy aside.
    ‘And Daisy, I’d like you to help me look after her when she comes. Will that be all right?’ I smiled to encourage her.
    She paused for a moment, then smiled back. ‘Yes please.’
    I prepared the cot for baby Laurel and piled up some soft, white nappies, ready for use. Then I took Daisy to choose a cuddly toy from my secret store. She chose a floppy dog
and I lifted her up to place it lovingly into the cot.
    When the social worker arrived with baby Laurel, Lizzie had all the other children outside in the garden, but Daisy was with me as I opened the door. The social worker handed Laurel over to me
and I knelt down for Daisy to stroke the baby’s downy hair.
    ‘Soft,’ she said, with a sense of wonder in her voice. Then she noticed the white dressing on one side of the baby’s head and pointed at it in puzzlement, almost prodding it,
but not quite. ‘What that?’
    ‘It’s where baby Laurel hurt her head. Now it’s getting better.’
    Daisy nodded solemnly. ‘Getting better, baby.’
    The social worker handed me some paperwork, full of blank spaces, and left.
    ‘Come on, Daise. Let’s take baby Laurel into the sitting room and talk to her a bit, so that she can get used to our voices,’ I said.
    We sat on the sofa, laying the babe between us and told her who we were.
    ‘I’m Trisha,’ I said. ‘I’m your mummy for a little while.’
    ‘I Daisy, I your fwiend,’ she said proudly.

4
Promises
    S ix months after Daisy and Paul joined us Rocky rang for only the second time, as if nothing had happened. ‘I want to come and see the
children.’
    ‘What happened last time, Rocky? You said you were going to come and take them out. You asked me to tell them and get them ready, which I did.’
    ‘Really?’
    ‘Yes. They were all dressed up and ready, sitting on the stairs so they could see you come through the front door when you arrived. I sat with them. We waited . . . and we waited. But you
didn’t come and you didn’t phone. What happened?’
    ‘When was that? I can’t remember. I expect I got caught up in something. Maybe I was working.’
    ‘You could have let us know.’
    He was silent. I imagined him shrugging his shoulders.
    ‘Look, Rocky. You’ve got to try and come when you say you will.’
    ‘OK. I’m coming on Sunday afternoon. Three o’clock.’
    ‘Will you definitely come this time?’
    ‘Yes, definitely.’
    ‘Or let us know if you can’t.’
    ‘Yes. I swear I will come this time.’
    ‘Good. Daisy and Paul will be really excited that you are coming. They’ll sit on the stairs waiting for you in their best clothes, like last time . . .’
    ‘Yes, I know. I’ll be there.’
    Sunday came, the children sat ready for him. We went through the same build-up as last time, choosing outfits and doing a time count-down.
    Three o’clock came and went. They waited . . . and waited, but again he didn’t turn up – and no apology or excuse either. Yet again I had to take Daisy and
Paul upstairs to bed, crying and upset to be let down so badly.
    There were a few