Mia nodded, looking a little bit less nervous. “Yes. I like staying with Heidi and Romy.”
“Do you feel safe here?”
Mia nodded, this time with a ferocity that made me even more worried about what was going on back at home.
“That’s good. Do you know when you’re mum’s coming back?”
Mia shook her head. “She said she’d leave me the key, but she forgot it.”
“Does she go away a lot?”
Mia looked at me, unsure of what to say. I gave her a smile that I hoped reassured her. We needed some truth here if we were to be able to look after her more.
“Sometimes. She told me not to tell.” She shook her head vehemently.
Sue looked over at me, letting me see the concern there. “Okay, I’m sure your mum will be happy you’re here with Romy though. Do you want to show me where you’re sleeping?”
Mia looked at me again, uncertain. “Why don’t you show Sue the bunk beds? Me and Heidi will wait down here.”
My daughter was looking confused now, if not a little worried too. I sent her a smile over.
“It’s okay, Mia. Sue’s a safe person. She’s just making sure I’m looking after you okay and that means checking where you're sleeping’s okay.” I also knew Sue would want to speak to Mia on her own, knowing a little about what social workers did. My housemate from university had gone into social work for a few years. It was a hard job and she’d burnt out eventually, changing careers and becoming a vet nurse instead.
Mia slowly pushed herself off the sofa and traipsed out of the room with Sue, who was being as reassuring as possible. I waited until I heard them walking up the stairs and sat down next to Heidi.
“Is Mia in trouble?”
“Not at all. We’re just worried because her mum’s left her and parents aren’t meant to leave children on their own.” That seemed like an okay explanation.
“Ever?”
“Well, maybe when you’re about fourteen I’ll be able to leave you for a couple of hours. If you’re not likely to set the house on fire.” I frowned, not sure what state I’d return to if Hurricane Heidi was left unsupervised. Her father had been impossibly untidy and she’d inherited that gene.
Heidi fiddled with her fingernails, a nervous habit. “Can I go and see if Mia’s okay. She doesn’t like new people.”
Which was telling. “Sure. But knock first and if Sue tells you to wait, you do that.”
She bounded off and I wasn’t sure if she heard me or not.
It was another hour and a half before Sue had gone and we’d had a snack and some warm milk with cinnamon in it because Heidi insisted. Bedtime followed, with a closer supervision of brushing teeth and washing hands and faces, then combing hair – I got the girls to do each other’s.
I heard them giggling with each other while I sat outside Heidi’s bedroom door, wondering if Mia would say anything to Heidi that we hadn’t already found out. Both the social worker and I were convinced there was more going on that Mia hadn’t disclosed. If Cara didn’t reappear tomorrow, she’d be registered as a missing person and a strategy meeting would be called with the police on Monday. In the meantime, Mia would stay with me. There would be checks that needed to be carried out which weren’t a problem, and Sue would need to speak to other members of Cara’s family to see if it’d be more suitable for Mia to stay with them if Cara didn’t come home soon.
Nothing was said by Mia. In fact, it didn’t take too long before there was silence, the gentle breaths of tired, sleeping children.
It was at these times when I missed Joel the most. We’d never really gotten to be parents together, apart from the first few months before Joel didn’t come back from a night time rescue.
I’d been on my own when Heidi teethed, when she had colic, when she was poorly with a virus that nearly had her hospitalised. But it was times like now when it was only me awake that I missed having a partner.
Cassian.
Why he should pop into my head I didn’t know, but I had promised him an update and we had an update of sorts. It was only nine, a late bedtime for Heidi and Mia, too early for me.
Not too late to drop Cassian a text. He could well be back in the Puffin Inn now, or maybe he’d met someone – there’d be no shortage of women hoping for some extra tutoring.
Me:Social worker has been. She’s called Sue and she was really lovely. Mia is staying with me for at least tonight.
Me:It’s Romy McAllister, by the way.
