The Flower Child - Katherine Churchill (reading cloud ebooks txt) 📗
- Author: Katherine Churchill
Book online «The Flower Child - Katherine Churchill (reading cloud ebooks txt) 📗». Author Katherine Churchill
go, my funds are soon going to run out, I just need to get back on my feet.” Zoe replied, between tears.
“You know what - call up that father of yours. It’s about time he stepped up and actually helped out“, her mother quipped sharply.
“You know I don’t know his number, you would never tell me it.” Zoe muttered.
Zoe’s mother grabbed an old receipt off the cluttered coffee table. She scribbled a number on it and thrust it towards Zoe. Zoe manoeuvred her way over to where her mother was sitting, Aelan still crying in her arms.
“Would you even like to hold her?” Zoe asked her mother tentatively.
“No,” she answered sharply.
“Well, okay then. Thanks I guess”, Zoe said as she grabbed the receipt from her mother, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She made her way out of Jeff’s house, stopping on the way out to gather up her things once more. Jeff briefly nodded at her as he shut the door behind her.
Zoe walked down the street in the direction of Mrs. Sullivan’s house, Aelan wailing in the wrap. A lady coming the other way gave Zoe a dirty look as she passed. “I must look pretty ridiculous, carrying all my possessions and a crying baby”, Zoe thought bitterly. She walked about a kilometre until she came to Mrs. Sullivan’s house, and, tired, rang the doorbell. After a few minutes, Mrs. Sullivan came to the door.
“Well oh my soul, is that you Zoe? And who is this little bundle of joy?” Mrs. Sullivan said, peeking at Aelan.
“Oh Mrs. Sullivan, I, I- It’s me, and everything has gone wrong!” Zoe blubbered as she dropped her bags and hugged Mrs. Sullivan, pressing Aelan between them.
“Well come in dear, come in, no sense standing out in the rain,” Mrs. Sullivan said, guiding Zoe inside and picking up the backpack and guitar case. “Now, why is this sweet little baby crying?”
“Her diaper is wet and I don’t even have any clean ones left for her,” Zoe said, still crying as Mrs. Sullivan gently pulled Aelan out of the wrap.
“You stay here dear, I will be right back,” Mrs. Sullivan soothed, motioning towards the sofa.
Shortly afterwards, she returned carrying Aelan, who had a dishcloth tied around her bottom.
“I know it’s not the best, but it will do until we get yours cleaned. I put the one she was wearing in the washer, you can go add the others if you like,” she said to Zoe.
“Oh, thank you,” Zoe said, standing up to comply.
“Not a problem, dear!” Mrs. Sullivan called after her.
After a short while, Zoe returned with a relieved smile on her face.
“Sorry I took so long, I called my father,” she said to Mrs. Sullivan, who raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. “He booked me… well Aelan and I… a flight out to Ontario for tomorrow.”
“Aelan? That’s a pretty name.” Mrs. Sullivan answered, nodding.
“Thanks, it means flower. Aelan Raine. So... is it okay if we stay here for the night? It’s just... we have nowhere to go. I went to visit my mother - she’s with our neighbour Jeff now and, well, she wanted nothing to do with either of us. She did give me my father’s number though, and I had a good talk with him. He’s going to let me stay at his place until I get back on my feet. I love Aelan, I really do, and she’s the best thing that ever happened to me. It was just unexpected, and I wasn’t prepared, and I couldn’t have a child in my old lifestyle.” Zoe said.
“You don’t need to justify yourself, it will all be okay”, Mrs. Sullivan said. “Of course you can stay here for the night, don’t ever feel like you can’t. I’m glad you’re in touch with your father, he’s a good man. It broke my heart when your mother cut him out of your life. He did love you.”
“Thanks so much,” Zoe sighed. “Anyway, I had better feed Aelan and put her to sleep. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”
“And I think you’d better put yourself to sleep shortly too, you look exhausted”, Mrs. Sullivan said, handing Aelan back over to Zoe. “I’ll bring your things into the guest bedroom, if you can make your way there.”
Inside the guest bedroom, Zoe fed Aelan and laid her on the double bed. Lying down beside her, she drifted off to sleep immediately.
The next morning, Mrs. Sullivan helped Zoe pack up all her things, including the clean diapers. She drove Zoe to the airport, and gave her one last hug goodbye.
“Don’t worry, everything will work out. You’re a strong girl and you have a beautiful daughter too”, Mrs. Sullivan said warmly. “She takes after her mother. Just have faith in the future - I know you can do anything you put your mind to.”
“Thank you so much… words can’t express what you have done for me,” Zoe said with tears in her eyes.
“Hush, now go on, and hold your head high,” Mrs. Sullivan said as she left.
Zoe checked in and checked her bags. She made her way through security and sat down on one of the benches, facing towards the window. She held Aelan close to her as she looked out at the sky. The clouds were beginning to clear up and sun rays were peeking through. The rain had finally stopped, and off in the distance, Zoe could see a rainbow forming.
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“You know what - call up that father of yours. It’s about time he stepped up and actually helped out“, her mother quipped sharply.
“You know I don’t know his number, you would never tell me it.” Zoe muttered.
Zoe’s mother grabbed an old receipt off the cluttered coffee table. She scribbled a number on it and thrust it towards Zoe. Zoe manoeuvred her way over to where her mother was sitting, Aelan still crying in her arms.
“Would you even like to hold her?” Zoe asked her mother tentatively.
“No,” she answered sharply.
“Well, okay then. Thanks I guess”, Zoe said as she grabbed the receipt from her mother, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She made her way out of Jeff’s house, stopping on the way out to gather up her things once more. Jeff briefly nodded at her as he shut the door behind her.
Zoe walked down the street in the direction of Mrs. Sullivan’s house, Aelan wailing in the wrap. A lady coming the other way gave Zoe a dirty look as she passed. “I must look pretty ridiculous, carrying all my possessions and a crying baby”, Zoe thought bitterly. She walked about a kilometre until she came to Mrs. Sullivan’s house, and, tired, rang the doorbell. After a few minutes, Mrs. Sullivan came to the door.
“Well oh my soul, is that you Zoe? And who is this little bundle of joy?” Mrs. Sullivan said, peeking at Aelan.
“Oh Mrs. Sullivan, I, I- It’s me, and everything has gone wrong!” Zoe blubbered as she dropped her bags and hugged Mrs. Sullivan, pressing Aelan between them.
“Well come in dear, come in, no sense standing out in the rain,” Mrs. Sullivan said, guiding Zoe inside and picking up the backpack and guitar case. “Now, why is this sweet little baby crying?”
“Her diaper is wet and I don’t even have any clean ones left for her,” Zoe said, still crying as Mrs. Sullivan gently pulled Aelan out of the wrap.
“You stay here dear, I will be right back,” Mrs. Sullivan soothed, motioning towards the sofa.
Shortly afterwards, she returned carrying Aelan, who had a dishcloth tied around her bottom.
“I know it’s not the best, but it will do until we get yours cleaned. I put the one she was wearing in the washer, you can go add the others if you like,” she said to Zoe.
“Oh, thank you,” Zoe said, standing up to comply.
“Not a problem, dear!” Mrs. Sullivan called after her.
After a short while, Zoe returned with a relieved smile on her face.
“Sorry I took so long, I called my father,” she said to Mrs. Sullivan, who raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. “He booked me… well Aelan and I… a flight out to Ontario for tomorrow.”
“Aelan? That’s a pretty name.” Mrs. Sullivan answered, nodding.
“Thanks, it means flower. Aelan Raine. So... is it okay if we stay here for the night? It’s just... we have nowhere to go. I went to visit my mother - she’s with our neighbour Jeff now and, well, she wanted nothing to do with either of us. She did give me my father’s number though, and I had a good talk with him. He’s going to let me stay at his place until I get back on my feet. I love Aelan, I really do, and she’s the best thing that ever happened to me. It was just unexpected, and I wasn’t prepared, and I couldn’t have a child in my old lifestyle.” Zoe said.
“You don’t need to justify yourself, it will all be okay”, Mrs. Sullivan said. “Of course you can stay here for the night, don’t ever feel like you can’t. I’m glad you’re in touch with your father, he’s a good man. It broke my heart when your mother cut him out of your life. He did love you.”
“Thanks so much,” Zoe sighed. “Anyway, I had better feed Aelan and put her to sleep. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”
“And I think you’d better put yourself to sleep shortly too, you look exhausted”, Mrs. Sullivan said, handing Aelan back over to Zoe. “I’ll bring your things into the guest bedroom, if you can make your way there.”
Inside the guest bedroom, Zoe fed Aelan and laid her on the double bed. Lying down beside her, she drifted off to sleep immediately.
The next morning, Mrs. Sullivan helped Zoe pack up all her things, including the clean diapers. She drove Zoe to the airport, and gave her one last hug goodbye.
“Don’t worry, everything will work out. You’re a strong girl and you have a beautiful daughter too”, Mrs. Sullivan said warmly. “She takes after her mother. Just have faith in the future - I know you can do anything you put your mind to.”
“Thank you so much… words can’t express what you have done for me,” Zoe said with tears in her eyes.
“Hush, now go on, and hold your head high,” Mrs. Sullivan said as she left.
Zoe checked in and checked her bags. She made her way through security and sat down on one of the benches, facing towards the window. She held Aelan close to her as she looked out at the sky. The clouds were beginning to clear up and sun rays were peeking through. The rain had finally stopped, and off in the distance, Zoe could see a rainbow forming.
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Publication Date: 10-12-2009
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