I also knew about special guardianship orders and child protection plans, and I had a family solicitor expecting my call this afternoon to prepare a case for me to become Tobias’ legal guardian, all thanks to Genevieve. Toby needed routine and stability. He needed to know who was collecting him from school each morning and what his day looked like.
He needed to know that his mother loved him too, even if she wasn’t the best at looking after him.
“I think I have all the information I need. Do you understand what’s happening with me being here?” Emily put her notepad back in her oversized bag.
I nodded. “You’re doing an initial assessment to see what needs to be done for Toby’s sake.” I kept my voice low, not wanting Toby to overhear.
“It’s a Common Assessment Form, or something like that. From everything I’ve got I’m going to push for Toby’s case to meet the threshold for Child Protection. I don’t know if you’re aware, but his school made a few referrals before the holidays as they were concerned about your sister picking him up late and a few other things that Toby said about her not being around. Were you aware she would leave him on his own sometimes?” Emily zipped up her bag. “I know she had her own place with Toby before she moved in with you.”
I shook my head. “Toby didn’t say. And my sister never really wanted to give me a straight answer sometimes.”
Emily nodded. “I don’t know what your position is, but you can put in a request to the courts for a special guardianship order, which gives you parental responsibility, although this is only the start of the process. I can report back to my supervisor that Toby’s safe and happy here, so we don’t have to look at emergency foster care or anything like that. I do need to make an appointment to see you again and give you notice that I’ll be carrying out an unplanned visit to check on him.”
“That’s fine. You have his schedule, so you now when he won’t be here. I may take him out for dinner or when I’m not training so we might not be in then.” Anxiety wrapped itself around my throat making swallowing hard.
Emily smiled. “If you’re not in, that’s fine. What time’s bedtime?”
“Eight in the holidays. If I have to be out or I’m away overnight, he’ll either have a babysitter or stay with Megs Butler or my friend.” I gave Genevieve’s details as my in case of emergency person, and let Emily reassure me about what was happening. Toby would stay with me; they would do regular checks while she did the assessment and they’d try to make contact with my sister.
It was the first time in my life I hadn’t tried to defend Joanne. I didn’t make excuses for what she’d done; I didn’t try to persuade Emily that she still loved her son. I didn’t try to guess when she’d be back or what would make her come back, although I did tell Emily one thing.
“She will come back here when she runs out of money.”
Toby came through the door at that point, carrying at least five different toys.
“Pick one, Toby. You can show me more next time I’m here.” Her voice was firm but kind, the sort I associated with really good primary school teachers.
“Do you have siblings?” I asked Emily, curious why she’d done this as a job, possibly one of the most difficult and challenging roles there was.
She laughed. “Loads. I was my mum’s eldest and I’ve got three sisters. My dad had two kids before he met my mum, then they had two more kids together. My mum died, but my dad got with someone else, and they have three more children, so I’m one of eleven. The youngest is four.”
“Tell me you don’t all live at home?” I knew my jaw had dropped.
Emily laughed, admiring the toy car that was one of Toby’s prized possessions. “No, I live with my flatmate. Dad’s first two are older than me and both live abroad. There are only six at home now. At one point it was nine. Social care were involved with us when my mum was ill and I had a really good social worker. So I’m here with you. That’s a fab car, Toby. Who gave it you?”
Toby grinned, pushing the car over the carpet. “Auntie Dee. Am I staying with Auntie Dee now?”
“Do you want to stay with Auntie Dee?” Emily had already asked him if he was happy living here and other things about what he ate and what he did. She’d had nothing but the truth from him because he was a child who found it impossible to lie.
“All my toys are here and she knows Rowan Reeves.” His smile was gorgeous. His words were not.
I hadn’t thought Rowan had made that much of an impact on him in the few days Toby was at football school.
Emily looked at me and gave me a knowing smirk.
I shook my head. She could be an Athletic fan, or a Rowan Reeves fan and have seen the photo on the website. A photo that could’ve been printed anywhere since yesterday.
“Toby did the club’s soccer school last week. Rowan was one of the coaches.” I made my eyes wider which made them look like they were sparkling, a tactic I used to give the impression that I was always happy.
“Ahhhh. Lucky you, knowing Rowan Reeves. Me and my flatmate have him in our top ten.”
I didn’t need to ask what that top ten was. I already knew it wasn’t the top ten attacking midfielders for the upcoming season.
It was ten minutes after Emily left when Toby reacted. I was in the kitchen, putting together a packed lunch and whispering words of thanks to Genevieve for somehow making sure I didn’t come home to an empty fridge, when he came in and wrapped himself around my legs, clinging on as if I was a life raft.
I supposed I was.
“What’s up?” I bent down and hugged him tight to me, feeling his little boy’s body shake.
