nothing but a burden | buddy & monkey: double the trouble
summary: monkey has a bad day at school with bullies, leah and jordan are both equally furious when they find out. jordan comes up with an idea that ends up being absolute carnage.
double the trouble masterlist
word count: 12121 words.
“Bet you she’s freaking out because her mums won’t want her anymore when the real baby comes along,” Tahlia’s sharp voice cut through the classroom from where she sat a few tables away with her friendship group.
There were three of them—Tahlia, Lacey and Madison. You considered them the mean girls at your school, who liked to pick on people’s insecurities.
Today, unfortunately, they chose you as their target.
Lacey, the girl next to her snickered, “Right? Now they’ll be having their own kid, it won’t matter. She’s basically the practice child.”
“Watch them ship her back to her dad’s,” Madison, the third girl chimed in as well on the conversation, “Less work for them.”
Tahlia was the ring leader and everyone in the school seemed to be scared of her, yourself included. She had a perfect ponytail and a loud mouth, voicing her opinions so that everyone knew about them.
Lacey was her sidekick with no independent thought, most of the time she laughed before she even knew the joke, she had a thing about repeating the same word constantly and yes, she would absolutely shove past you in the corridor.
And Madison, she was considered the hype girl or instigator, whichever one you would prefer, constantly egging Tahlia on, she always seemed to have a constant snapchat flash and you’re pretty sure that she had a vape hidden in her blazer sleeve ninety nine percent of the time.
“Why would they keep her? They’ve got a proper baby on the way now,” Tahlia smirked, glancing your way, “She came pre owned.”
The girl’s comments cut through the classroom—loud enough for everyone to hear, and certainly loud enough for you to know they meant every word. You sat there stiffly, hands clenched tightly around the pen in your hands as your stomach twisted so hard it seemed like you were going to be sick.
You tried your hardest to block them out, you wish you could have just got up and walked away from them—but you also couldn’t help but think about the fact that there might be some truth behind their words… right?
Your throat tightened as that horrible burning feeling returned behind your nose, meaning you were seconds away from crying if anyone so much as looked at you.
That couldn’t happen. Not here.
“Imagine being replaced by a baby,” Madison snickered.
Lacey smirked, “She’s basically a lodger at this point. I’d start packing my bags now if I was her.”
You tried to keep your eyes glued on your book in front of you, pretending to read the same sentence repeatedly.
It was starting to become impossible to ignore them though. Your fingers dug hard into your pen as the plastic creaked.
Don’t react. Don’t cry. Don’t let them see.
The teacher started to hand out worksheets, oblivious as you dropped your pen to hide your shaking hands. It was a dumb attempt that didn’t shield anything.
Could it be true? The whole time Leah and Jordan have reassured you that wouldn’t happen… but words hardly mean anything these days, do they?
It would be so easy to just dispose of you, wouldn’t it? Swap you out for an actual baby of their own. Not just… you.
Not just some kid they took in because they felt sorry for you.
You were adopted, it was made official last year but things could still change in the blink of an eye.
“Oi,” A quiet voice from the next table broke through, “Ignore them. They’re being horrible cows.”
You stiffened, startled and looked up through blurry lashes.
“Oh, I’m Mal by the way. I just moved here,” The girl quickly introduced herself, “Them girls over there don’t know anything. They’re just being plain bitches.”
“Plain bitches, right,” You snorted, sniffling as your chest squeezed, “I’m… uh—Monkey. Technically Maeve. But my Mums’ call me Monkey. Everyone does, really.”
Mal grinned, twirling her pen, “Well technically my name is Amalia, but that’s… yeah. My parents spelt my name wrong on my birth certificate and they could never be bothered to change it. So now I just live with the consequences.”
Despite your initial feelings twisting inside of you, a tiny laugh escaped.
“Parents, huh?” You mumbled.
“Yep,” Mal nodded firmly, “Disasters. Neither of mine are as cool as two mums who actually like each other.”
You bit the inside of your cheek, the words stinging in a way that was never the intent.
“Look, right…” Mal leaned in slightly, lowering her voice, “Whatever them girls said? It’s pure bullshit. Families don’t chuck you out because a new baby shows up. That ain’t how love works—I’m the eldest of five, and that’s never happened to me. Still here, still loved.”
You wanted to believe her.
Honestly, you truly did. But the knot in your chest didn’t loosen.
What if they were right, though?
Your new friend, Mal, was trying to reassure you but there were so many questions running through your brain right now—what if you were just a trial run until their real child arrived?
The rest of the lesson crawled. Despite Mal trying to distract you and make you laugh, you felt like you were drowning inside. You couldn’t focus, you couldn’t eat and nor could you stop hearing the voices echoing in your head.
Practice child. Pre-owned. They’ll send me back one day.
By the time the bell went, your body felt completely hollow.
You know you should have gone to your next class but you couldn’t face it. Instead, you made a left turn and headed for the toilets, locking yourself in a stall.
And finally letting go of everything.
Hot, ugly sobs shook your whole body as you sat on the hard, plastic toilet seat. You made sure to keep your hand pressed over your mouth to avoid anyone coming in and hearing you, but that still didn’t stop the sound ripping out of you anyway.
It felt like it was endless.
Surprisingly, none of your teachers seemed to clock the fact that you hadn’t turned up to any of your lessons… or they did, and they just didn’t care.
Maybe it was the latter.
Was it the same way that Leah and Jordan felt too? Were you just… a burden now?
“Hey little one!” Jordan greeted warmly, leaning over to open the passenger door with a kind smile, “Had a good day?”
All you could muster was a single grunt as you climbed into the passenger seat, tossing your school bag on the floor and fixing your seatbelt.
“Ookay then,” Jordan murmured, furrowing her brows, “So me and Mum were thinking that we could get takeaway tonight for tea? One off treat—besides, your Mum is really craving it right now. And you know, happy life, happy wife and all that jazz, right?”
“Whatever,” You mumbled, pulling at a loose string on your blazer.
“You seem to be in a… cheerful mood this afternoon,” Jordan mumbled, instantly noticed your fidgeting with your blazer, “Oh no, Monkey, little one, don’t pull that or you’ll make a hole in it and then we’ll have to get Grandma Berny to break out the sewing kit—speaking of your Grandma, we’re going round this weekend for Sunday lunch. Everyone will be there.”
You huffed, reluctantly letting go of it, “... Cool.”
The drive home was mostly quiet, other than the odd few sniffles while you stared out of the window, the drizzly rain matching your sour mood.
“Monkey, what’s wrong?” Jordan questioned in concern, taking a moment to glance in your direction as she pulled up at a set of traffic lights.
“M’fine,” Your answer came out way too quickly and way too sharp.
Jordan definitely didn’t believe that but knew it was not wise to press for answers you clearly didn’t want to give.
You bottled it all up, letting your feelings gnaw at you the entire ride home.
“Little one, do you want to talk about it?” Jordan tried again once she had parked the car on the drive, reaching for your shoulder, “Monkey Moo… did something happen at—”
“M’fine, Mama!” You grumbled, shrugging her hand off before quickly undoing your seatbelt and throwing the door open to make a swift exit.
You stomped up the path and shoved open the front door—only to immediately freeze, being met with Leah in the hallway, her phone still in her hand and one eyebrow raised high. She didn’t look impressed at all.
“Monkey,” Leah’s tone was razor sharp, “Why have I just had your head of year on the phone telling me you didn’t attend any of your classes this afternoon?”
Jordan caught up, hearing the tailend of the conversation, “Wait… what? You didn’t go to class?” She asked, shutting the front door behind her so the rest of the street didn’t hear the conversation, “Why didn’t you go, little one?”
“Dunno,” You stared at the floor, feeling your chest tighten.
“Dunno?” Leah repeated, unimpressed, “Monkey, your school called me. Twice. They said you failed to attend three lessons in a row. Forgive me if I’m reluctant to just let that slide. Come on, talk to us, please.”
Your throat closed up because you could hardly tell her the truth.
So you did what you usually do and snapped, “I said I don’t know!” Your voice cracked on the last word and you instantly regretted it, but it was too late.
Leah’s expression shifted, she didn’t look particularly angry but her look was sharp enough to make you feel guilty, “Excuse me?”
“I said I don’t know,” You murmured, less confidently than before—you weren’t about to budge and tell her.
Jordan frowned behind you, “Monkey—”
“I already said I don’t want to talk about it, god sakes!” You fired back, clenching your hands around the strap of your backpack.
“Hey, uh uh, nope,” Leah levelled you with her usual death stare, “This attitude stops now. I’m asking you a simple question. Why didn’t you go to your classes?”
You swallowed hard, your knuckles turning white as you continued to tighten your hands around your school bag, “Fuck sakes, I don’t know—will you just leave it?”
“Monkey!” Jordan gasped.
“Pardon?” Leah said in a tone of voice that was dangerously calm, “Do you want to try that again, Maeve?”
You bit your bottom lip, thinking about it, “... No?”
“Right,” Leah said, pointing up the stairs, “Since you’ve decided that you don’t want to speak to me or Mama respectfully, you can go upstairs until you’re ready to talk.”
Your chest tightened painfully, “Mum—”
“No,” Leah didn’t raise her voice, she didn’t need to, “Upstairs. Now. And you can fix your attitude while you’re up there. You know you don’t speak to us like that.”
“Fine!” You stomped up the stairs, each footstep louder than the last until you reached your bedroom and slammed the door hard enough to rattle the frame on the wall.
The house shook with the force of your bedroom door slamming upstairs.
Leah winced, “Brilliant,” She muttered under her breath, rubbing the side of her bump, “Just what my nerves needed today—has she been like this since you picked her up from school?”
Jordan hovered awkwardly in the hallway, still holding her car keys, “You could say that,” She deflated, unzipping her coat, “She barely spoke a word the entire way home unless it was the occasional grunt. Is that… normal?”
“Babe, she’s a teenager. Grunting is practically their entire vocabulary at this point,” Leah remarked, huffing as she shifted her weight with a small groan, “What’s not normal is the fact that she skipped her lessons.”
“She never skips lessons normally,” Jordan noted, confused.
Leah furrowed her eyebrows, shaking her head, “I know, there’s something wrong that she’s not telling us about.”
“One of us needs to go and talk to her,” Jordan suggested, thoughtfully.
“By one of us, you mean me, don’t you?” Leah asked, raising her eyebrow.
“Well… you’re not afraid of getting your head bitten off,” Jordan admitted sheepishly.
“Please,” Leah snorted, shaking her head as she slightly waddled after her, “Her teenage angst mood is no match for my pregnant hormones.”
“That sounds like a challenge if there ever was one,” Jordan murmured, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise, “I wish you luck.”
Leah was gearing up to fire back a sassy comment when Jordan stepped closer, her hand resting on Leah’s growing bump at twenty nine weeks, “So how’s our little puddin’ doing in there? She’s not been giving you any trouble, has she?” She asked quietly, her thumb brushing over her stomach gently.
“She’s currently dancing on my bladder like she’s having a solo party in there,” Leah groaned, rolling her eyes with affection tugging at the corners of her mouth, “I swear it’s like she’s doing the bloody Macerena in there.”
Jordan snorted, leaning in to kiss her cheek, “Dancing, huh? I would’ve presumed she would be kicking like the future footballer she’s going to grow up to be.”
“We are not forcing football on her,” Leah reminded, wagging her finger, “She can grow up to be whatever she wants.”
“Course not,” Jordan murmured, leaning down to speak directly to Leah’s bump, “Hi little ‘un. It’s Mama… remember me? I hope you’re not causing your Mummy too much trouble right now because we’re already dealing with your big sister being in one of these moods.”
“Don’t tell her that,” Leah swatted Jordan’s hand lightly.
Jordan lifted her head with a dramatic gasp, her hand flying to her chest, “What? She is causing trouble! I’m being honest with our daughter. Honesty is important in our family, babe.”
“Jord, she’s literally the size of a mango right now,” Leah side eyed her partner, “She’s hardly going to understand that.”
“Don’t you listen to your Mummy,” Jordan narrowed her eyes, whispering conspiratorially to Leah’s growing bump, “You and I have a special bond. You understand me, don’t you, puddin’?”
Leah snorted unimpressed, “Special bond? She understands nothing right now other than how to use my bladder as a trampoline.”
“Well then,” Jordan kissed her cheek again, her fingers brushing soothing circles over Leah’s stomach, “It’ll all be worth it when she’s finally here.”
“Course,” Leah let out a soft huff as she nudged Jordan’s hand away from her bump, though the fondness in her eyes betrayed her annoyance, “Only eleven more weeks to go before I can stop being used as a human trampoline,” She muttered, rubbing her side where the baby had just taken another enthusiastic kick.
“She’s getting her practice in early,” Jordan laughed under her breath, “We have a future Lioness, remember?”
Leah gave her a flat look, “Right now she’s currently doing somersaults on my bladder. I’m starting to think she’ll prefer gymnastics over football.”
“Well,” Jordan offered with a helpless shrug, “That’s… uh… it’ll be great core strength development—you did gymnastics at one point, she’s following in your footsteps!”
“Typical you think that,” Leah muttered, rolling her eyes, “Right, as lovely as this debate about our baby’s future career, I can sense that our eldest really needs one of my hugs right now.”
“That we can both agree on,” Jordan replied in agreement, “You always know how to make things better. You might get a breakthrough with her.”
Leah smirked in amusement, “So… in other words, you’re afraid of getting your head bitten off?”
“Excuse me,” Jordan’s eyes widened, offended, “I’ll have you know that it is certainly not—okay fine… maybe, just a little bit. Monkey’s in one of her moods, and you and I both know that you can handle her better than I can.”
“Mhm, that’s what I thought,” Leah teased, exchanging a gentle kiss with her girlfriend and waddled in the direction of the stairs, “Right, brace yourself, bubba. Mummy’s about to walk into another crisis—Jord, get the ice cream ready if needs be!”
Jordan snorted, “Oh so your plan is to bribe our daughter with ice cream?”
“Well when you put it like that… that’s exactly the plan. You know as well as I do that our girl loves her ice cream,” Leah remarked, shrugging her shoulders before she popped another Mini Egg in her mouth, “Strawberry sauce—oh, and don’t forget the rainbow sprinkles either!”
Jordan scampered off into the kitchen muttering something under her breath about rainbow sprinkles fixing emotional trauma.
Leah braced one hand on the banister and began the slow and careful climb upstairs. She paused halfway up the stairs, sucking in a breath as the baby delivered a hard kick, “You too, huh?” She whispered, rubbing her bump, “Why do I have a feeling when you’re old enough, you and your big sister are going to be running rings around us?”
There was another forceful kick to her stomach in response.
Leah rolled her eyes, “Yeah, that tells me all I need to know.”
Reaching your bedroom door, Leah took a moment to breathe out any of the frustration you had left her downstairs and wrapped her hand on the door.
“Monkey?” Leah called, her tone still carried a touch of earlier irritation, “We need to talk about your behaviour at school. Can I come in, please?”
There was zero response from the other side of the door.
Leah’s jaw tightened, she was not in the mood to get the silent treatment today, “Monkey, I know you can hear me. I’m coming in,” She didn’t give you a chance to respond before she pushed the door open, “What in the—”
Leah expected your usual delightful teenage attitude, or even you having your headphones in and scrolling through TikTok dramatically, pretending that you didn’t care.
She certainly didn’t expect the sight of heartbreak, seeing you curled up in a ball on your bed, crying into your pillow with your room completely distraught—everything had been thrown, your clothes were in a pile on the floor with a suitcase that looked like it had been attempted to be packed.
“Oh my girl,” Leah murmured, her eyes softening as her frustration melted away, “Monkey…”
You were yet to look up from your pillow, not interested in another lecture that you were expecting. You just cried even harder.
Leah walked in fully, shutting the door with her hip as her eyes darted around, landing on the open suitcase, “Are you… planning a trip?” She tried to joke, keeping her tone soft and coaxing compared to earlier.
Finally, you looked up from your pillow with tear stained cheeks, “S’not funny, Mum.”
Leah stepped closer, lowering herself slowly onto the bed beside you, “Monkey,” She tried again, her voice sounding more gentle now, “Why is your suitcase out, baby?”
You curled further away, burying your face in your pillow again, “Cos’ maybe… maybe I should just go.”
Leah blinked in confusion, “W… what?”
“I’m gonna go move in with Auntie Kim,” You sniffled.
“Auntie Kim?” Leah repeated, the statement knocking the air out of her, “Why on earth would you do that?”
You shrugged helplessly, “Cos…”
“Talk to me, Monkey,” Leah leaned closer, the concern was heavy in her voice, “I know there’s something wrong. What’s going on?”
“It… It doesn’t matter,” You mumbled, refusing to tell her.
“Yes it does,” Leah insisted, her voice breaking slightly despite her attempt to remain steady, “It matters if you’re this upset—and you’re telling me you want to go and live with Auntie Kim, who's a lot stricter than me and Mama put together.”
You hiccuped, wiping your face with your sleeve, “You’re not gonna want me around… I know I’ll be safe at Auntie Kim’s.”
“Safe?” Leah reeled back, “Why wouldn’t you be safe here?”
“Cos I won’t be here…” Your throat caught and tears poured faster, “You and Mama aren’t gonna want me around when the baby is born.”
Leah froze, “That’s not true, Monkey—of course we’re going to want you around.”
“No, you’re not!” You cried, “I’m not your real daughter—you won’t want me around when you have your own baby to take care of!”
“Come again?” Leah stared at you, stunned.
“You only adopted me out of pity,” You murmured, spilling the truth of what you were told.
Leah’s voice cracked, “No. Absolutely not. That is not true, baby girl.”
“Yes it is!” You insisted, wiping your eyes angrily, “I’m not your real daughter! You won’t want me anymore!”
“Monkey—” Leah tried to talk.
“There’ll be a real baby!” You sobbed, “One that’s actually yours… and Mama’s. I’m just… I’m practice. Pre-owned. So… you won’t need me anymore.”
Leah sucked in a harsh breath, horrified, “Monkey, who told you that?”
“It… It doesn’t matter,” You shook hard, “It’s the truth!”
“No it is not,” Leah said, her voice shaking with protective fury that she could barely contain, “Who the fuck told you that?”
Your bottom lip trembled, “It was just… some girls in my class at school. They were saying stuff, like how you and Mama will ship me back to Marks—I don’t want to go there. Please don’t make me go back there. I’ll stay with Auntie Kim instead! Or Auntie Katie!”
Leah exhaled slowly through her nose, steadying her emotions before she spoke, “Right, come here, baby,” She pulled you gently into her arms, pressing a kiss to the top of your head, “I want you to listen to me very carefully, Maeve Rae.”
Your head snapped up at the use of your full name—that was only used in serious conversations.
“You are ours. Not temporarily. Not until something better comes along. Not until your sister is born,” Leah stated pointedly, “You are our daughter—permanently. We made that decision the day we adopted you. It definitely wasn’t out of pity. Understood?”
“But…” You shook your head, trembling, “You’re having a baby—”
“And you think that replaces you?” Leah pulled back just enough to look at you directly in the eyes, “My girl, families don’t replace their children. They make space for them. We’re a family.”
“But…” You tried to speak.
“No, no, listen baby,” Leah whispered, brushing away a tear on your cheek, “Mama and I didn’t rescue you. We didn’t take pity on you. We chose you. We fought for you. We signed the papers. We said yes to loving you for the rest of our lives. You’re not ever getting sent back. Not today. Not in eleven weeks. Not ever.”
You swallowed hard, “But… at school, they said—”
“Sweetheart,” Leah soothed, guiding your forehead to her shoulder, “The girls at your school are children with loud mouths and absolutely no clue of what they are talking about. They don’t know our family. They don’t know you. They don’t know anything.”
Your bottom lip wobbled, “What if… what if they’re right, though?”
Leah pulled you back into her chest, her hand stroking your hair rhythmically, “Baby, if I could show you how wrong they are then I’d do it a thousand times over,” She murmured, tears in her own eyes, “I love you. Mama loves you. You are our daughter—our eldest. The one that made me us parents. That love is unconditional. It will never, ever disappear.”
You tucked yourself closer, quietly breaking against Leah’s shoulder as she held you tighter, “I… I really believed them, Mum.”
“Monkey,” Leah whispered into your hair, her voice cracking slightly for the first time, “You’re not going anywhere, okay? This is your home and you are my girl. That doesn’t change because we’re having another baby.”
“P… Promise?” You sniffled miserably.
Leah didn’t hesitate, holding out her pinky finger, “I pinky promise.”
There was a beat of silence.
“Is this why you skipped your lessons?” Leah asked softly, using her free hand to rub your back in soothing circles, “Because of those girls?”
You gave the smallest nod in response, “Uh huh. I hid in the toilets the whole time. I… I couldn’t face my lessons.”
Leah exhaled a sigh, “Oh… my darling,” She murmured, her voice thickening as she was a mere two seconds away from crying herself, “You could’ve told us, sweetheart. You didn’t need to hide something like this from us.”
A small knock on the door broke the moment apart, “Is it safe to come in?”
“It’s safe,” Leah looked up just in time to see Jordan standing in the doorway of your bedroom with a bowl of vanilla ice cream in hand, topped with strawberry sauce and a ton of rainbow sprinkles that were recommended.
Jordan’s eyes landed on you curled against Leah with blotchy cheeks and swollen eyes, “”Oh Monkey,” She whispered, walking in slowly, “What happened—and what on earth happened to your bedroom?”
You sniffled, not lifting your head, “I tried to pack.”
“Pack?” Jordan repeated, confused, “Pack what? Like… emotional baggage?”
“Jord!” Leah shot her a glare.
“Right, right. Sorry…” Jordan corrected quickly, kneeling beside the bed with the ice cream still in her hand, “Why are you packing, little one?”
You didn’t answer, you just clung tighter to Leah.
Leah stroked your back, “We’ve sorted it, love. She just needs cuddles right now.”
Jordan didn’t ask any further questions as she set the ice cream down on your bedside table before she reached out gently, brushing your hair back from your forehead, “You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to,” She whispered, kissing the top of your head, “I’m here, little one.”
Leah slid back until she was sitting against the headboard, “Come here, my girl,” She murmured, guiding you gently onto her chest, “We’ll just have some cuddles. We’re here. You’re safe. You’re not going anywhere.”
You curled up, exhausted as you hiccuped into her hoodie. You refused to speak.
Within five minutes, your breathing had softened.
Within ten minutes, your weight grew heavy and slack—a telltale sign that you were fast asleep, clutching Leah’s hoodie with your fist and not prepared to let go any time soon.
“She’s shattered,” Jordan noted, sitting on the edge of your bed as she watched the rise and fall of your shoulders, “And she didn’t even touch her ice cream… I guess I’ll have to eat it myself then.”
Jordan had just begun to scoop a triumphant spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.
“Jord, seriously?” Leah hissed through clenched teeth.
“What? It’s melting!” Jordan exclaimed, confused.
“Really?” Leah gave her a well known look.
“Fine… I’ll mourn it later then,” Jordan set the bowl back down on the table and leaned forward to press a gentle kiss on your temple, “What happened?”
Leah didn’t answer straight away.
She just shook her head, refusing to look away from your sleeping form.
“Did something happen at school?” Jordan whispered again.
Leah’s jaw clenched, “I’ll tell you downstairs,” She murmured, keeping her voice low so she didn’t disturb you, “Help me get her into bed first.”
Jordan nodded immediately, her playful energy from earlier had vanished instantly as the two of them worked together—something well rehearsed by now, Leah gently easing her arm out from under you while Jordan slipped her hands under your shoulders.
“Careful, don’t wake her up,” Leah whispered, guiding your limp body so your head didn’t loll forward, “Careful… careful.”
You didn’t stir one bit, you were physically and emotionally exhausted.
“I’ve got her,” Jordan said quietly, lifting you just enough for Leah to pull the duvet back, “She’s still in her school uniform… and she’s not even had a chance to eat dinner.”
Leah hummed in response, “It’s the weekend, it’ll be fine. She can eat something when she wakes up.”
“She’s cried herself to sleep,” Jordan added, worriedly.
“I know,” Leah agreed, her jaw clenched, “Come on… lay her down.”
Jordan eased you down on the mattress gently as Leah pulled the duvet over your shoulders, tucking it around you.
You made the tiniest noise, something that sounded like a sleepy, broken whimper as the two of them froze.
“You’re okay, Monkey. We’re here,” Leah leaned over carefully, brushing your hair back, “You’re safe with us.”
Your breathing settled again.
“Whatever happened at school…” Jordan exhaled shakily, “I swear I’m gonna—”
“Jord,” Leah cut her off sharply, though she didn’t take her eyes off you, “Not here. We’ll talk about it downstairs.”
Jordan nodded, understanding the tone instantly, “Okay.”
Leah pressed one more kiss to the top of your head, “Sweet dreams, my girl.”
The second the bedroom clicked shut behind them, Leah let out a shaky breath that she had been holding in.
“You alright?” Jordan asked, wearily.
“We’ll talk about it downstairs,” Leah murmured, her jaw clenched tight as she leaned against the wall in the hallway, “I don’t want her waking up and overhearing us talk about it.”
“Le, what happened—was it something at school? Talk to me!” Jordan urged as Leah paced the floor in the living room, “What happened?”
“I’m going to bloody throttle those kids at her school,” Leah seethed, her jaw clenched in anger.
Jordan’s brows furrowed in confusion, “Easy, easy, calm down. Breathe… what’s happened?”
“She was packing, Jord,” Leah exclaimed, spinning on her heel, “Packing!”
“I know that, I mean her room literally looked like a bombsite… but why?” Jordan asked, confused.
“She wanted to go move in with Kim,” Leah replied stiffly, “Thought she’d be better off there than with us.”
“What?” Jordan blinked, bewildered, “Why… Kim? Kim doesn’t even let her sit on her sofa if she’s got crisps!”
“I know that,” Leah dragged a hand through her hair, “She genuinely thought—she thought we didn’t want her anymore.”
Jordan froze on the spot, “What?”
“Those bloody kids in her class—they told her that she’s not going to be wanted when the baby is born. She’ll be replaced. She believes that we only adopted her out of pity. That we’d ship her back to Mark,” Leah’s voice cracked as the emotion spilled out, “Like we would ever let that happen to her. We’ve fought tooth and nail for her and she’s our daughter!”
“Oh my God,” Jordan whispered, horror dawning across her face.
“She was sobbing, Jord. Sobbing. She was begging me not to send her away. She thought if she moves in with Kim then she’d be safe,” Leah paced the floor, anger radiating off her, “Those bloody kids have convinced her she’s pre-owned, Jordan. Bloody pre-owned! Told her that families get rid of kids.”
Jordan’s mouth dropped open, “… What the fuck.”
“I swear… I’m going to kill those kids at her school,” Leah muttered, gritting her teeth, “How dare they put those thoughts in her head! What the hell do they know about our family?”
“Le, babe,” Jordan stepped closer carefully, “You’re literally heavily pregnant. You cannot go to Monkey’s school and threaten the year nine kids… again.”
“Try me,” Leah shot her a look, “I’m willing to do it when it comes to our daughter.”
“Easy, easy, calm down,” Jordan murmured, trying to regain control of the situation, “You need to think about your blood pressure. Think of the little ‘un.”
“She’s convinced herself she’s not our real daughter,” Leah admitted through gritted teeth.
Jordan shut her eyes, “Oh, Monkey…”
“She said now there’ll be a real baby—one that is mine and yours,” Leah’s voice wavered, “She genuinely thinks we won’t want her anymore.”
Jordan shook her head in disbelief, “That is absolutely not the case. Right, we’re fixing this… tomorrow. I have an idea!”
“Do I want to know what this idea is?” Leah looked at her wearily, narrowing her eyes, “And is this idea going to bankrupt us?”
“Oh, just you wait and see, Le,” Jordan remarked, smugly, “Just you wait and see… and potentially?”
“This is a terrible idea,” Leah muttered, staring Jordan down across the kitchen, “I’m telling you, I think it’s a bad idea.”
“It is not a bad idea,” Jordan insisted, still annoyingly chipper, “It’s a yes day. It’ll reassure her and cheer her up. We can let her choose what she wants to do, we make her feel secure and we can remind her that she’s our girl. Easy peasy.”
“It’s never easy with our child, Jord,” Leah deadpanned, “She’s thirteen, remember?”
Jordan grinned confidently, “It’s going to be fine. What’s the worst that will happen?”
“I’m telling you, Jord,” Leah repeated, rubbing her temples, “This is really a bad idea—you do realise that if Monkey asks for literally anything at all then you have to say yes?”
“It won’t be that bad,” Jordan waved her off, “It’ll be a bit of lego, maybe some sweets… and new clothes.”
“And what if she asks for a pet?” Leah questioned, one eyebrow raised.
Jordan blinked, “Well… let’s hope she doesn’t ask for that—we’ll start small, take her out to breakfast and spoil her a little. Let her choose what she wants. We show her that she’s loved.”
Leah scoffed, shaking her head, “Right, well as much as I would love to see how this pans out, I’m needed elsewhere. I’m trusting you with this one, Jord.”
“Then it’s just me and the little one, we’ll have fun,” Jordan declared, nodding solemnly.
“Right… fun,” Leah echoed flatly, not convinced in the slightest bit, “I’m still saying that this is a terrible idea. I’m telling you, Jord. Monkey will hear the word yes and take full advantage.”
Jordan waved her hand dismissively and grinned, "Nonsense. It’s going to be absolutely fine. What’s the worst that can happen?”
Leah looked at her girlfriend like she had grown two heads, “Famous last words right there, babe. Famous. Last. Words.”
Jordan was still smiling confidently that Leah knew meant absolutely nothing good.
Leah opened her mouth to speak again when footsteps approached—heavy, dramatic and unnecessary,
You padded into the kitchen with oversized black shorts, a random graphic tee and Adidas branded socks.
A classic comparison to Adam Sandler if there ever was one.
“There’s our girl,” Leah greeted, smiling softly as you walked into the kitchen, “Morning, baby.”
You responded with a small grunt, a telltale sign that you were very much still half asleep.
“Morning, little one!” Jordan greeted you cheerfully.
You completely blindsighted her, heading straight for the cereal cupboard and reaching for the box of Coco Pops. Only for you to pour the cereal into a bowl—the only fault being the fact that the bowl wasn’t under the cereal properly and half of it ended up all over the kitchen counter and the floor.
“Wonderful,” Leah blinked slowly, turning to look at Jordan, “Still feeling confident about your genius plan?”
“There’s no harm! Kids spill things all the time,” Jordan forced a smile, “Hey, little one, do you want milk with that, or do you plan to eat it and vibe with the dry crunch?”
“What?” You finally spoke, confused. Your eyes were still puffy from crying last night along with your voice sounding scratchier than ever.
Leah didn’t await your answer, exhaling a sigh and pouring the milk into your cereal, “Sit down at the table, my girl. Mama has an idea for today that she wants to run past you.”
“What is it?” You asked, furrowing your brows together, “Last time you said somethin’ like this then you tricked me into going to the dentist!”
Jordan chuckled, shaking her head in amusement, “It’s nothing like that, little one. It’s something fun that I think you’ll love.”
You paused mid bite and blinked in confusion, “What is it?”
“Well…” Jordan beamed, leaning both of her elbows on the table, “How would you like it if we had a yes day? We can do anything you want, it’s all yours to decide!”
Leah visibly cringed behind her, already regretting each and every single second of this.
Jordan ignored her completely.
“Anything at all?” You wondered, mischeviously.
“Anything,” Jordan confirmed, nodding solemnly.
“That sounds cool,” You mumbled in agreement, shoving a mouthful of Coco Pops in your mouth, “I’ve got ideas.”
“There’s only one rule… I have to say yes,” Jordan explained with a coy smile, “What do you think about that?”
There was a dangerous beat of silence.
Before your mouth slowly curled into a smile, “Oh, really? That sounds wicked!”
Jordan beamed a wide smile, “That settles it then. Today is your day, anything you want—”
“Within reason, of course,” Leah chimed in, automatically regretting every second that passed.
“Can I get a puppy?” You questioned, beaming an excited smile.
“Ye—” Jordan reluctantly began to agree.
“Don’t you dare, Jord,” Leah swiftly cut in, glaring at her partner, “We already have Blu, we don’t need another one—God, this is turning out to be a disaster already. Right, I’m off out shopping with Mum. I don’t want to come back home to find our girls hair a different colour or any piercings either, alright?”
“Leah, darling,” Jordan clasped a hand over her heart, “Light of my life. I would never—”
“You absolutely would,” Leah cut in, not believing that lie as she reached for her car keys, "Remember what I said. Don’t let her burn the house down, don’t let her join a cult and definitely no puppies.”
“Yes, yes, I know,” Jordan followed Leah out of the kitchen, waving her off with her hand, “I know what’s allowed and what’s not. Everything will be fine.”
Leah arched her eyebrows, pursing her lips together, “I mean it,” She stated firmly, reaching for coat and purse, “No matter how much she asks or how much she tries to use those puppy dog eyes you always fall for, no puppies!”
“Blu needs a friend though, Mum,” You wandered into the hallway with a pout on your face.
“Blu is perfectly fine on his own,” Leah remarked, shaking her head fondly, “Now can I get a hug before I go out or are you too cool to do that now?”
“Bye Mum, love you,” You mumbled, immediately sinking into her embrace.
“I love you too, monkey chops,” Leah kissed the top of your head, “Have fun today, my girl,” She cupped your cheek for a moment, her thumb brushing over the dark circles under your eyes—proof of the previous nights meltdown as her expression softened, “And be good for Mama today, yeah?”
You didn’t respond verbally but just hugged her tighter than before.
“We’ll have the best time, don’t worry! You have my word on that,” Jordan grinned, wrapping her arm around your shoulder as she stood in the doorway of the front door, “Have a nice time out with your Mum.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Leah muttered wearily, quickly pecking Jordan on the lips before she waddled out to her car, “Remember, no puppies!”
“Right then,” Jordan clapped her hands together, “Shall we get this show on the road—what do you want to do first?”
There was no hesitation whatsoever.
“Can we go to the Sealife centre? I want to look at the Sharks!” You insisted, excitedly.
“Yes!” Jordan agreed instantly, her relief palpable that you hadn’t gone anything too extreme yet.
“And then can we go to McDonalds afterwards?” You asked eagerly, eyes wide in anticipation, “I want a McFlurry!”
Jordan blinked.
Twice as a matter of fact.
“... Yes?” She said slowly, “Although, I think we should probably keep this between the two of us ‘cos if your Mum finds out that’s all you’ve eaten for your lunch then she’ll have my head.”
“Deal,” You grinned, already plotting your next idea out in your head.
“Right, you go up and get dressed,” Jordan encouraged once you had eaten your breakfast, “Something warm, it’s still March after all.”
“Alright, Mama,” You nodded instantly and ran back upstairs.
“This is easier than I thought it would be,” Jordan thought to herself, humming contently as she rinsed your bowl out and placed it in the dish washer, “And Leah thought this was a bad idea. Just goes to show that I’m the fun parent in this house.”
There was a sudden thud from upstairs.
“... Monkey?” Jordan winced, calling out nervously—there was no disastrous cry though so it couldn’t be that bad…
Could it?
“I’m fine!” You chirped, followed by the noise of drawers opening and slamming shut, and open again, “Mama! Can I wear shorts?”
“What? No, little one that’s not what I meant when I said something warm,” Jordan caught herself mid instinct, “Actually, wait… yes?” She croaked, dying inside.
“Wicked!” You shouted in response.
“Leah’s going to bloody kill me if you catch a cold,” Jordan muttered to herself, pinching the bridge of her nose, “Just make sure you wear a hoodie—and socks as well! And a hat!”
You partially listened to her words. You put on some socks and you found a lovely hoodie in your wardrobe that wasn’t actually yours—it was the one that Leah let you borrow once and you never gave it back.
And a hat as well, of course.
Only it turns out that the hat you decided to wear was not your own but Leah’s favourite cap.
A pristine white Nike cap that you were under strict instructions to not ever go near it.
Jordan paled, “Little one, is that your Mum’s favourite Nike cap?”
“Yep!” You beamed, jumping off the last step on the stairs, “Before you say out, she won’t know I’ve borrowed it and I’ll put it back before she realises, I swear!”
“I hope you're right for both our sakes,” Jordan muttered wearily, “Are you sure you don’t want to wear something else? If we’re going to the sealife centre then it might get lost… or ruined.”
“Nope,” You agreed, popping the p, “It’s my yes day and you said I could do and have whatever I wanted, right, Mama?”
Jordan exhaled a sigh, “... Yes, Monkey. I… did say that.”
“And I wanna wear Mums’ hat!” You insisted, adamant on the idea of it, “She never lets me wear it!”
“There’s a reason for that,” Jordan murmured, shaking her head, “Little one, listen… the hat was on before I even said yes—never mind, at least you look… warm enough?”
You definitely were not warm enough.
“Alright, very well. Come on, let’s head out. The sharks await us.” Jordan gently pushed you out of the front door in the direction of her car.
“Yes—Mama, I want to touch a starfish!” You decided, hopping into the passenger seat of Jordan’s car.
Jordan blinked, baffled, “... Seriously? I… I don’t think that’s even allowed, Monkey.”
“You said you have to say yes, Mama!” You instantly declared.
“This is turning to out to bite me in the ass—dare I say it that your Mum was right,” Jordan muttered to herself, shaking her head as she put her key in the ignition.
“Mama! After we’ve been around the sealife centre, can we go into the gift shop?” You questioned, bouncing up and down in your seat.
“Yes, baby,” Jordan agreed with a tight lipped smile.
“And I can get whatever I want in there?” You added, your eyes shining with excitement.
Jordan immediately winced, “... Yes.”
“I want a massive shark!” You exclaimed, set on the idea of it.
“Your wish is my command,” Jordan sighed, turning her head as she reversed out of the driveway.
“And I want a slushie as well—all the different colours they have, and I want—” You declared without a second thought.
“Monkey, sweetheart, my darling girl, one request at a time please,” Jordan mumbled, concentrating on the road in front, “Mama can’t remember all of it at once.”
“Okay! I’ll save the rest of my ideas for when we’re almost there!” You rambled, already having ideas panned out in your head.
Jordan looked almost ready to combust, “That sounds like a wonderful idea…”
The day had yet to even start.
“So, how’s it going?” Leah asked casually, her phone perched between her shoulder and cheek as she watched Amanda look through more clothes in another shop.
On the other end of the phone, Jordan sounded breathless.
Panicked.
Possibly even traumatised.
“Oh yeah, everything is absolutely great, babe—NO, NO, Monkey, do not even think about climbing on that,” Jordan hissed away from the phone before snapping back, “Yeah we’re really bonding, we’re having a lovely day just the two of us—GET AWAY FROM THE WATER—so how’s shopping with your Mum?” She asked, her voice wobbling.
“She’s taken the opportunity to spoil both of the girls, of course.” Leah murmured, side eyeing Amanda holding up another adorable outfit, “A bit too much, if you ask me…”
“That’s my job as Nana, bubba,” Amanda replied without shame, “I found a top that Monkey would love!”
Leah rolled her eyes, “Are you sure everything’s fine? It doesn’t sound like it is.”
It certainly didn’t sound fine.
“Miss, please don’t allow your daughter to do that,” A member of staff could be heard politely telling Jordan on the other end of the phone.
“Of course she has,” Jordan chuckled, followed by another panicked moment, “Monkey! Come away from there—you can’t touch the stingrays!”
“What?” Leah barked from her end of the phone, alarmed by the situation, “Where even are you right now?”
“We’re in London at the Sealife Centre,” Jordan explained, dutifully, “Little one wanted to see the Sharks—Monkey, put it down. Now.”
Leah furrowed her eyebrows, already feeling her blood pressure rising, “What is she doing now?”
“Well she couldn’t get to the stingrays, so… she’s currently trying to pet a jellyfish,” Jordan mumbled, rubbing her temples.
“You’ve got to be joking,” Leah stated, dumbfounded.
“Mama! Can I have one as a pet?” You yelled in the distance.
“Say no, Jord. Say no!” Leah insisted firmly, “Do not even think about agreeing to that!”
“I’m legally obligated to say yes today,” Jordan admitted, wincing slightly.
Leah scoffed, “You’re not legally obligated to buy her aquarium wildlife.”
“But Le—” Jordan tried to speak.
“Jordan, I swear to god if you let her talk you into buying a jellyfish then you can find yourself sleeping on the sofa for the foreseeable,” Leah remarked, blunt as ever.
Jordan gasped, “But our bed is ridiculously comfy.”
“Then I’d consider your words carefully,” Leah encouraged through gritted teeth, “No jellyfish.”
“Sorry, little one… no jellyfish,” Jordan told you, shaking her head, “… Mum said no.”
You groaned, “But it’s my yes day.”
“Mum said no, sorry, Monkey,” Jordan repeated.
“Sure, sure, make me out to be the bad one,” Leah muttered.
“You literally said no,” Jordan whispered into the phone.
“I told you this was a very, terrible idea!” Leah exclaimed, outraged.
“She’s out of control, Le—she just conned me out of a shark plushie that cost thirty eight pounds,” Jordan admitted, sheepishly, “Thirty eight, Leah. It’s bigger than her. It’s bigger than me.”
Leah snorted, “Do you want me to come and rescue you?”
“No, no, I’d like to believe that I am capable of handling our daughter on my own,” Jordan wasn’t sure whether she was trying to convince herself or Leah, “I am a strong, competent parent.”
“... And?” Leah prompted.
“And I want to go home,” Jordan whimpered.
All of a sudden, there was a splash.
“Oh my God—Leah, I have to go…” Jordan said in a panicked voice.
Leah furrowed her eyebrows “... Jordan, what was that sound? It sounded like water.”
“I have to go and rescue Monkey out of the water,” Jordan rambled without even considering what she had said.
“WHAT? Jordan! Are you being serious? Jordan!” Leah shouted into the phone.
“See you in a bit. Love you, bye—Monkey! What on earth were you thinking? Get out of there! You can’t swim with the stingrays!” Jordan hurried the phone call along, sliding it back into her pocket before rushing over to pull you out of the water, “Honestly, an ice bath is one thing but this is… next level.”
Leah stared at her phone in absolute horror.
“So, I assume that the yes day is running smoothly then?” Amanda joked sarcastically, shaking her head as she loaded yet another outfit into the shopping trolley.
“We’re only getting a few things. Nothing crazy. We just need dry clothes since your… adventure,” Jordan announced as she ushered you into the busy shopping centre, every step your soaking wet trainers squeaked across the polished floor.
“Why?” You asked suspiciously, your head tilted.
“Well… it’s your birthday in a couple of months, isn’t it?” Jordan said casually, “I have no doubt you’ll be spoiled then by the whole entire family. Turning fourteen is a big deal.”
That was a serious, rookie mistake to even mention.
“So, this could be like an… early birthday shopping trip?” You questioned, bouncing on your toes as your eyes gazed over the shops in each direction, “I can spot the LEGO shop!”
“Monkey, no… that’s not what I said—Monkey, come back here. Your clothes are still wet!” Jordan hurried after you, grabbing your hood and gently steering you away from sprinting off like you had been known to do in the past.
“I’ll be fine! Mama, look, it’s LEGO!” You insisted, pointing proudly in the direction.
“I’m aware, darling,” Jordan said through clenched teeth, “But we need to get you some new clothes first and then maybe, we’ll check out the LEGO… if you don’t run off anywhere else.”
“Deal!” You agreed cheerfully.
“Right, come on you, troublemaker…” Jordan steered you in the direction of another shop.
“I’m not a troublemaker,” You pouted.
“Oh, really?” Jordan raised her brow, “Says the one that jumped into water at the Sealife centre because you wanted to get up and close with the stingrays.”
“I didn’t jump in there,” You tried to argue, “I fell in there… accidentally.”
“It’s the same thing,” Jordan humoured you.
Your gaze was suddenly pulled in the direction of a hoodie that you liked, “Mama! Mama! Can I get this? I like it!”
Jordan was already bracing herself for an expensive shopping trip, “Yes,” She replied weakly.
Two seconds later, you spotted a tee-shirt you liked, “And what about this?” You asked, testing how far you could go.
“Yes, okay,” Jordan replied, cautiously.
Your eyes lit up in excitement, “And… this as well?” You wondered.
Jordan hummed thoughtfully, “Yes, little one. Fine, go on.”
“I like those trainers,” You spotted the pair as you walked past the rows of them, “Can I get them ones?”
“Hm yes, they’re nice, aren’t they?” Jordan remarked, careful of her next response.
“Can I get them?” You questioned, ominously, “Please?”
“... Yes,” Jordan agreed, dutifully.
“And I want those ones as well in the green!” You insisted, pointing to a matching bar in an emerald colour, “They would go with those joggers!”
Jordan could already feel the impending headache starting to appear, “… Alright, yes. You can get both of them.”
“Woo! Get in there!” You grinned from ear to ear.
Only it didn’t end there.
“Mama! I want my ears pierced,” You decided out of nowhere, “Mal at school has piercings and they look wicked! Can I?”
Jordan froze on the spot—who on earth was Mal?
She started to sweat, wide eyed and panicked.
“Um… are you… are you sure?” Jordan stuttered.
“It’s my yes day, remember, Mama?” You smirked, gleefully.
“I do…” Jordan murmured, tight lipped.
“You hafta say yes then!” You insisted, cheekily.
“... Yes,” Jordan replied weakly.
That was all the clarification that you needed before you raced in the direction of Claire’s.
“What the hell have I just agreed to?” Jordan mumbled, hurrying after you before you could get into any more chaos, “Just wait a second, little one—“
“Come on, Mama! Hurry up!” You grew impatient as she trailed behind.
“Oi, cheeky madam,” Jordan grumbled, shaking her head, watching as you ran into people, “Monkey, watch where you’re going! Sorry, sorry. She’s just… excited.”
“Come on, any slower and the shop will be shut before we get there—“ You added, frustrated.
Jordan was hasty, immediately apologising to people that you had almost knocked over, “Monkey, come back here, please,” She pleaded, cautious in case you knocked anyone else over.
Finally, you both made it to Claire’s. You were all but vibrating with excitement as you stood inside the store, “It all looks so cool, Mama!”
Jordan on the other hand, was apprehensive about your decision, “Little one, are you really sure about this? It might hurt when you have it done.”
“I want it, Mama!” You didn’t want to hear anything more about it, already settled on your decision.
“If you’re sure?” Jordan checked, cautiously.
“Positive!” You exclaimed, already rushing your way over to the counter.
Jordan exhaled a sigh, “Alright, little one. Don’t say I didn’t try and stop you.”
You instantly realised you made a bad call on getting your ears pierced the minute that you saw the instrument that the Claire’s worker was planning to use, “Is… Is that it?”
“It is,” The employee smiled sweetly, being patient as ever.
You paled, “Is it going to hurt a lot?”
“It’s a quick pinch and a bit of pain but then it’ll be over,” The employee explained the process gently, “Have you decided which earrings you’d like, sweetie?”
“Uh huh,” You mumbled nervously, “The small diamond ones.”
“Did you want to squeeze my hand, little one?” Jordan offered, gently as she saw your paled face, “It might help.”
“Okay,” You reluctantly agreed, clasping a tight hold of Jordan’s hand.
The employee didn’t even count down before she begun, “Okay, deep breath.”
Click.
You shrieked, clamping Jordan’s hand even tighter, “Ow, Mama it hurts!” You whined.
“I told you it would, little one,” Jordan exhaled a sigh, “You’ll be okay, it’s just a bit of pain.”
“Okay, now the second one…” The employee hesitated, spinning around on her chair and getting ready to pierce your left ear, “Another deep breath.”
Click.
Another horrified shriek.
“THAT HURT MORE THAN THE FIRST!” You wailed, breaking out into floods of tears, “I don’t like it. Get it out—Mama, it hurts! It hurts!”
“You’ll be okay, little one,” Jordan cooed, smiling sympathetically at the employee, “Just breathe, sweetheart. Just breathe. Your earrings are in now, Monkey. They look beautiful.”
“They hurt,” You whined, trying to grab your ear lobes to take away the pain.
“I did try and warn you, Monkey Moo,” Jordan explained, soothingly as she rubbed your back, “It’ll be better soon.”
“You didn’t warn me properly,” You scowled at Jordan, like it was her fault you were in this pain.
Jordan sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, “Okay, alright. I think I know something that might make you feel better…”
“What?” You looked at her suspiciously.
Jordan smirked faintly, “The LEGO store.”
“Okay, maybe this was a mistake bringing you in here,” Jordan spoke aloud as she waited in the queue with the numerous Lego sets in her arms—while you held the largest, expensive one in your own hands.
“I have so much LEGO!” You remarked, eyeing all of it with a wide grin.
“Yep, your Mum is most definitely going to crucify me when she finds out how much we’ve spent today… not to mention in here alone,” Jordan mumbled, grimacing at the reaction she knew Leah was bound to have.
You giggled slightly, “It’ll be alright when she sees what we’ve got though, Mama.”
“Oh, I hope so, little one. I really hope so,” Jordan mumbled, quietly as she made the payment on the card machine and almost went as white as a ghost, “Crikey.”
“I can’t wait to build all this LEGO—there’s so much,” You happily skipped out of the LEGO shop with your bag in hand, “Which should I build first?”
“Oh… don’t I know it. I think we’re going to need to get a bigger house at this rate, Monkey,” Jordan remarked, shaking her head in amusement, “Right, let’s go and get a bite to eat. Where do you want to go?”
“McDonalds, duh!” You instantly fired back, “You promised I could have a McFlurry for lunch.”
“Right, of course I did,” Jordan thought to herself, “Nice one there, Jord—okay, little one. Let’s head there then.”
“My ears feel better now, Mama,” You chirped, walking alongside Jordan in the direction of McDonalds.
Jordan snorted, “Oh I bet they do. Remember, you’re going to have to cover them when you play sports at school, yeah?”
“I know, Mama!” You told her, automatically rolling your eyes.
“Cos it’ll hurt if you knock them,” Jordan continued to explain, “And you can’t take them out for six weeks.”
“Yep, yep, I know!” You agreed, walking into McDonalds, “Now can we get a McFlurry? You promised!” You reminded her, again.
Jordan exhaled a sigh, “... I know I did.”
“I want that McFlurry,” You declared, pointing confidently at the menu, “Actually, wait… can I have two?”
“... Yes,” Jordan knew she would later learn to regret this agreement.
You beamed, fidgeting in your seat, “Thanks, Mama. You’re the best.”
Jordan weakly saluted, “God help me when your Mum eventually finds out.”
“Can I get nuggets to dip in my McFlurry?” You asked, eagerly.
Jordan grimaced, “Gross… but I mean if it gets you to eat something other than ice cream then sure, yes.”
“Awesome!” You exclaimed, “This is the best yes day ever!”
“I’m glad you think that, little one,” Jordan remarked, squeezing her eyes shut, “I’m not so sure my bank balance feels quite the same, though.”
“Mama! I have an idea of what I want to do next,” You declared, chewing a nugget in your mouth.
“Oh God, really—?” Jordan immediately responded, “I mean… I think we should probably call it a day before the bank phones and thinks that someone has stolen my credit card.”
You groaned in annoyance, “Ah, come on, Mama! One more thing!”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea, Monkey,” Jordan tried to tell you.”
“Please, please, Mama!” You whined, pouting in disappointment, “You said I could do anything that I wanted to do!”
Jordan eyed you skeptically, “Go on… what is it?”
You grinned cheekily, “I want purple streaks in my hair.”
“Come again?” Jordan’s eyes widened, “I… I don’t think your Mum will be very happy if I bring you home looking like Barney the purple dinosaur—and what about school?”
“It’s only streaks though, it’ll hardly be noticeable, I swear! Please, Mama?” You insisted, keen on the idea.
“Baby—” Jordan began to speak.
“You hafta say yes today, Mama! Remember?” You reminded her, knowing that was the important detail.
“... Bloody genius idea I had… I should keep these ideas to myself,” Jordan grumbled to herself, rubbing her temples.
“Mama? Please?” You begged, fluttering your eyelashes.
“... Yes,” Jordan responded weakly.
“Get in!” You exclaimed, triumphantly.
Jordan grimaced, “Your Mum is going to murder me when she sees it.”
“It’s alright, Mama. I’ll bring flowers to your grave,” You remarked innocently, finishing the rest of your nuggets.
“Oh cheers little one, that’s very… supportive,” Jordan stared at you, her eyes flicking between your pleading expression and your hair, trying to figure out what she would exactly say to Leah about it.
“Please?” You pleaded.
“Right,” Jordan dragged her hand down her face, “If we do this—and that’s a big if—I want you to be perfectly clear to your mother that this was not my idea.”
“Okay—come on, Mama. We need to go and get the hair dye,” You started to tug Jordan’s hand in the direction of another shop.”
“Oh no, no, we’re doing this the right way,” Jordan immediately shook her head, “I’m taking you to the hairdressers to have it done professionally… and god help us what your school will say when they see this.”
“They’ll probably phone home and stick me in isolation… but at least I get out of double English then,” You shrugged carelessly, failing to see the problem.
“God, I’m going to regret this massively,” Jordan mumbled, rubbing her temples,” “Come on then, let’s go to the hair dressers and get this done.”
“To the hair dressers we go!” You ran past strangers, ignoring their staring.
“Wait, Monkey—little one, stay where I can see you… Maeve! Ah forget it,” Jordan grumbled, fastening her pace as she ran after you, “Slow down or you’ll rip your new earrings out!”
“I absolutely love it, Mama!” You admired your reflection in the mirror that Jordan was sure it was probably the tenth time, turning your head left and right so your new purple streaks could be well seen, “It’s so purple.”
“Good, I’m glad that you do, little one,” Jordan smiled weakly, “Right, we’re going to meet your Mum at Nana’s house. And when we get there? Let me take the lead, okay? I will do the talking.”
“Deal!” You chirped, “Do you think that Mum and Nana will like it?”
“Oh, I’m sure they will… once they recover from the shock first,” Jordan mumbled, grimacing, “Your Mum might not be so forgiving for a few days… or weeks… or you know, ever.”
You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion, “But she’ll see how cool it is and love it, right Mama?”
“Prehaps, baby,” Jordan muttered, flicking on the indicator, “We’ll just… have to see.”
“What about her hat?” You questioned, innocently.
“Definitely do not mention her hat,” Jordan hissed, shaking her head frantically, “That will end up with us both in the dog house.”
“You’re silly, Mama. Mum could never be that mad,” You insisted, giggling as you found the funny side of it.
However, Jordan did not, “I’m not sure about that, little one.”
“We’re here!” You announced, excitedly as Jordan parked on Amanda’s driveway, “I can’t wait to show Mum my hair and piercing!”
“Whoa, whoa—not so fast,” Jordan’s reflex was quick as she gently pulled you back before you made a break out of the car, “We need to talk about it first.”
You groaned in frustration, “Talk about what?”
“We need to find a way to keep you looking like Barney from your pregnant, very hormonal Mum before she goes berserk and causes herself to go into early labour,” Jordan explained, cautiously, “Because she will freak out about it if we don’t… explain it carefully.”
“Mum’ll love it—and Nana will as well!” You beamed a wide grin, “Come on, Mama! Let’s go in! I want to see Bella, too!”
Jordan wasn’t so keen though, “Put your hood up for now, little one,” She gently encouraged, “We’ll… keep it under wraps until I’ve broken the news gently to her.”
You rolled your eyes, not understanding why it was such a big deal, “You’re overthinking it, Mama.”
“Hood up,” Jordan declared, yanking your hood onto your head in an aggressive fashion that caused you to yelp in protest.
“Ow, Mama!” You whined in complaint, “That hurt!”
“Sorry, sorry, little one,” Jordan immediately apologised regretfully, “Just… keep your hood up for now, please?”
“Fine, but I can’t wait to show her everything we got today!” You insisted, already reaching for your new Shark friend.
Jordan winced, already imagining Leah’s reaction, “I’m sure you can’t… let’s just wait a little bit first, yeah?”
But you already had a plan of your own in mind, rushing out of the car and bounding up the path with your new Shark plush in your arms, eager to find Amanda, “Nana! I’m here!”
Amanda popped her head in the hallway and instantly smiled, “Hello, darling girl. Oh, I have missed seeing you this past week!” She engulfed you in a warm hug, “You seem like you’re in a good mood, did you have a lovely day with your Mama?”
“Missed you too, Nana—look, look! I got a new Shark to put on my bed!” You beamed a smile, gesturing to the oversized Shark stuffed in your arms, “We went to the Sealife Centre and got it!”
“Wow, that is certainly big isn’t it,” Amanda gazed over the plush Shark, “I’m pretty sure that’s bigger than you, sweetheart. Are you sure it’s going to fit on your bed?”
“Yep, definitely!” You agreed confidently, “He can have the whole bed to himself!”
Amanda chuckled in fond amusement, “Is that so? I heard about your time at the Sealife centre. What’s this about you falling in the water?”
You huffed, traipsing through the hallway of Amanda’s home, “I only wanted to pet the stingrays but then I ended up falling in the water. The staff were really mad about it.”
“Oh, I can imagine they might have been,” Amanda teased, guiding you further into the house just as she caught a glimpse of your new hair colour, “Oh, my, what on earth has happened to your hair?”
You beamed a wide smile, instantly brightening, “Do you like it?”
“Well, it’s very… purple,” Amanda said delicately.
“Uh huh! And look, I’ve got my ears pierced as well!” You insisted on telling her, showing off your new earrings, “Proper diamond ones!”
“I was backed into a corner,” Jordan admitted, holding her hands up in mock surrender.
“Oh, is that so?” Amanda hummed knowingly, “I don’t think that Leah will see it that way, but I’ll let you tell her yourself, love.”
“Thanks, Amanda,” Jordan winced.
“Where is Mum?” You asked, furrowing your brows together.
“Through the living room, sweetheart,” Amanda explained, gesturing in the direction, “She’s having a bit of a rest on the sofa. I think all of that shopping has worn her out—and your baby sister has been dancing on her bladder most of today.”
You pushed straight past Amanda and Jordan in favour of finding Leah.
… until your attention was preoccupied with spotting Bella, curled up beside her on the sofa.
“Bella!” You squealed, dropping down to your knees on the floor in front of the sofa where the dog was peacefully snoozing away, “Hi, girl!”
Leah playfully gasped, “Hey, don’t I get a hug first, or does the dog take up precedence?" She teased from her spot on the sofa as you bounded over to the cocker spaniel.
“Mum! I had such a great day!” You beamed a huge smile, “Mama and me went to loads of places and spent loads of money!”
“Did you now?” Leah shared an unimpressed look with Jordan, “Go on then. Tell me about your day—I see no sign of a pet so I’ll take that as a good sign and you actually listened to me this time.”
“Well, Mama took me to the Sealife centre so I could see the sharks… I only fell into the water because I wanted to stroke the stingrays—” You began to explain.
Leah jerked back slightly, “You fell in?”
“Uh huh… and then,” You continued dramatically, ignoring the small detail, “I saw the jellyfish! I wanted one but Mama said no, because you said no. But that’s not fair because it’s my yes day.”
Leah blinked, “What do you want a jellyfish as a pet, when you have a perfectly adorable dog?”
“Yeah, but jellyfish are pink,” You argued, shrugging your shoulders, “They’re cool—I could terrify some of the kids at my school if I tell ‘em I have a jellyfish as a pet, couldn’t I?”
“I suppose so,” Leah let out a small laugh, “You certainly do have a wild imagination sometimes, baby. Carry on then, tell me what happened after that.”
“Then we went shopping for clothes ‘cos mine were all wet with seaweed water,” You rambled on.
Leah snorted, “Oh, so you got a whole new wardrobe out of Mama, huh?”
“Technically both of us,” Jordan corrected sheepishly, “It’s on the credit card.”
Leah sucked in a breath, “Right… I look forward to getting that bill through then.”
“I got loads of clothes—oh and two new pairs of trainers!” You exclaimed.
“More trainers?” Amanda called out from the doorway, her eyebrows raised, “You have more shoes than anyone else I know!”
“You can never have too many pairs,” You shrugged confidently, “Right Mama?”
“That’s right, little one,” Jordan mumbled, smiling apologetic at Leah, “She asked. I couldn’t say no.”
“Jord, her birthday is in two months,” Leah reminded her girlfriend, exhaling a deep sigh, “Where did you go after that?”
“Then we went to the LEGO shop!” You announced proudly, “I got so many new sets. You have to see—oh wait, Mama! They’re in the car, can you get them out?”
“In a bit, little one,” Jordan murmured, “Finish telling Mum about your day first.”
“Oh yeah! Then we went to Claire’s!” You brightened dramatically, “And look what I got!” You tucked your hair behind your ear to reveal your new shiny studs, “Look, look!”
Leah gasped in surprise, “You got your ears pierced?!”
“Yep!” You beamed a wide grin, “Do you like them?”
“They are lovely,” Leah said softly, brushing her thumb over your earlobe, “They certainly make you look a lot more grown up my girl.”
“That’s what you said as well, right, Mama?” You grinned, looking at Jordan.
“I did indeed,” Jordan sighed, knowing the next part of the conversation was coming up that she wasn’t ready for.
“Does this mean I can get a cannon earring now like you have, Mum?” You asked eagerly, “I like your ones!”
“We’ll have to look into that, won’t we? I’m sure it can be arranged,” Leah mumbled, smiling affectionately, “It sounds like you’ve had a great day with Mama, sweetheart. Do you feel better now?”
You were almost about to answer before you remembered the rest of your eventful day and gasped dramatically, “Wait, Mum! That’s not everything!” You insisted, “After that we went to McDonalds and Mama let me get two mcFlurries!”
Leah’s head snapped towards Jordan fast, “Jord! Please tell me she’s eaten something proper other than ice cream for lunch?”
“... She had nuggets as well,” Jordan whispered.
“Oh, right then that makes it okay,” Leah remarked sarcastically, pinching the bridge of her nose, “Honestly, unbelievable. You take her out for one day and let her just eat ice cream and nuggets.”
“Hey, bubba. That’s nothing to worry about. You’re all having dinner around here, it’s fine,” Amanda waved her hand, “Look at Monkey, she’s happy. That’s what matters.”
“Unbelievable,” Leah groaned into her hands, “Absolutely unbelievable—dare I ask what else you’ve done today with our daughter?” She asked, wearily with a tint of annoyance in her voice.
Jordan’s expression faltered, “Um…”
Leah arched her eyebrow, “What is it?”
“Don’t freak out, Le,” Jordan insisted, cautiously.
“Oh dear God, what have you done?” Leah questioned, impatiently almost bracing herself for what she was told next.
“Ta-da!” You dramatically threw your hood down to reveal your purple streaked hair.
Leah’s eyes widened, inhaling sharply.
There was a full two seconds of silence.
“Jordan,” Leah started slowly, “Wha… how could you let this happen?”
“It was her yes day!” Jordan pleaded, “I had no choice, Le. I had to say yes.”
“Yes, yes you did!” Leah snapped, “You’ve let her dye strands of it—what the hell are we supposed to say when the school phone us and ask why our daughter’s hair is the colour of Ribena? Did you even think about that one?”
“It’s… not so bad, Le,” Jordan tried weakly, “It looks nice… when you get used to it.”
“When you get used to it,” Leah scoffed, shaking her head, “Brilliant, that’s absolutely fantastic—I swear that this is the most idiotic thing you’ve ever done! She’s ruined her hair. Her perfectly good, healthy hair! Why? Now she looks like she went ten rounds with Barney the bloody purple dinosaur!”
“So does your hat as well, Mum…” You chose the perfect moment to speak up.
Leah faltered, turning to look at you, “What hat?”
“Monkey, no, no, we said we wouldn’t tell her about that,” Jordan tried to interrupt, shaking her head.
“What hat?” Leah repeated, glaring daggers at Jordan now.
Jordan gulped.
“You know,” You continued brightly, “Your white one that you never, ever let me wear or even touch… Mama said I could wear it!”
“What? No I didn’t— she had it on before I even realised, Le!” Jordan squeaked in protest, “And unfortunately, it’s now… got specs of purple over it.”
“Jordan!” Leah exclaimed in disbelief, “How could you let this happen—”
“I’m sorry, love. I swear… I’ll buy you a new one,” Jordan pleaded immediately.
“Just remember this yes day was your brilliant idea,” Leah seethed.
“I know, I know… I just thought—” Jordan tried to speak.
Leah scoffed, shaking her head, “The next time you have a genius idea like this again, Jord? Don’t even entertain it,” She told her, firmly, “Oh… and if you hadn’t already guessed, you’re sleeping on the sofa tonight, babe.”
Jordan gasped, “Le, please… I’m begging for my life here.”
“I think the purple makes it look better, Mum. It adds… style to it now,” You add innocently.
Leah tried her best to look upset but she couldn’t help but fight a smile.
Before you leaned forward, resting your cheek against Leah’s bump to whisper to your unborn sister, “Mum’s a bit mad with Mama right now and she’s making her sleep on the sofa… but don’t worry, it happens a lot. You’ll get used to it when you’re out here.”
Jordan groaned into her hands, “I’ve been thrown to the wolves. Cheers, little one.”
“Cheeky girl,” Leah laughed, shaking her head fondly as she softened in an instant, “What am I going to do with you, huh? My purple haired, teenage terror.”
© foreverinred
