Another Forgotten Child (34 page)

‘Yes, that’s right,’ I said. Now Aimee could read she read everything in sight, and she’d read the street sign as we’d come into the road.

I cut the engine and climbed out of the car and then opened Aimee’s door. As I did so the front door to number twelve burst open and Jason, Jenny and Emily spilled out.

‘Hi! How are you both?’ they called, coming down the garden path.

As I’d thought might happen Aimee fell silent, again overcome by shyness and apprehension – that was until she saw that Emily was holding a lead and on the end of the lead was a rabbit!

‘Look! There’s Peter Rabbit,’ Aimee cried, now leaping from the car and running up the path. ‘Their rabbit’s on a lead!’ There couldn’t have been a better icebreaker. Aimee rushed to Emily’s side and, squatting down, began petting him.

I followed her up the path and hugged Jason and Jenny. Emily was busy showing Aimee how to stroke Peter – ‘From his ears down to his tail,’ she said.

‘I know,’ Aimee said. ‘My mum’s got a dog but he bites.’

‘Peter doesn’t bite,’ Emily said a little defensively. ‘But he does lots of poo-poos.’ As if to prove the point Peter took a couple of hops along the path and left a trail of pellets in his wake. Emily giggled.

‘Yuck,’ said Aimee, screwing up her nose.

‘Don’t worry,’ Emily said. ‘Mum will clear it up.’

‘She will,’ Jenny said with a laugh. ‘She usually does! I’ll get the dustpan and brush later.’

‘Let’s go inside,’ Jason said. ‘It’s freezing out here.’

‘Does Peter come into the house?’ Aimee asked.

‘He’s allowed in for a little while,’ Emily explained. ‘But we all have to watch him to make sure he doesn’t nibble through the wires.’

‘As he did once!’ Jenny put in. ‘It was the television cable, so there was no television until it was repaired.

‘Does he do poos in the house?’ Aimee now asked, which had crossed my mind too.

‘No,’ Emily said.

‘He’s house-trained,’ Jason explained, and I was as impressed as Aimee. A house-trained rabbit on a lead wasn’t something I’d come across before!

In the hall Jason took our coats and hung them on the hall stand, and we went through to the lounge-cum-dining room, which ran the depth of the house. It was a light and spacious room with a sofa, armchair and child’s beanbag at one end, and a dining table and chairs at the other. In an alcove by the fireplace were bookshelves containing DVDs, CDs, books, games and puzzles. To the side of the shelves were large brightly coloured toy boxes overflowing with Emily’s toys. It was a child-friendly house with a relaxed and inviting family atmosphere.

‘Can I hold the lead now?’ Aimee asked Emily.

I saw Emily hesitate, and then Jenny said, ‘It’s nice to share, Emily.’

A little reluctantly Emily passed the lead to Aimee. ‘That’s a good girl,’ Jenny said. Clearly Emily would be getting used to sharing with Aimee just as Aimee would have to learn to share with Emily. For until now Emily had been an only child and, with all her older half-siblings in care, effectively so too had Aimee.

Peter Rabbit flopped on the carpet and then stretched out his back legs just like a small dog, and both girls knelt beside him and stroked and petted him. I was as fascinated as Aimee was by the rabbit, who seemed to think he was a dog, but to Emily he was simply a much loved pet. Jenny made us drinks and then suggested we have a look around the house. One of the reasons for this first short visit was so that Aimee could familiarize herself with her new home before she stayed for longer, overnight, and eventually moved in. Jason said it was time for Peter to go back into his hutch, and the girls gave him a last stroke before Jason took the lead and led Peter out of the room.

‘I want a rabbit,’ Aimee said.

‘So do I,’ I said, laughing. ‘He’s lovely.’

‘You can both share Peter with me,’ Emily said, which was very sweet.

‘Thank you, love,’ I said.

Jenny began the tour of the house in the kitchen, which was at the end of the hall and looked out over the back garden. From the window we could see Jason lifting Peter into his hutch. ‘On a warm day Peter stays in the garden,’ Jenny explained. ‘But when it’s cold, like today, he comes into the house for a while – for some exercise – and then goes back to his hutch, where it’s nice and warm.’

‘Does he poo in his hutch?’ Aimee asked.

‘Yes, but only in one corner. He’s very clean.’

From the kitchen window we could also see a swing and some climbing apparatus, similar to the ones we had at home. ‘It will be lovely to play out there in the summer,’ I said to Aimee, and she nodded.

We left the kitchen and followed Jenny upstairs, where she first showed us the bedroom where she and Jason slept. I was pleased Aimee just looked and didn’t make a silly comment about sex, as she had when I’d first shown her my bedroom. Moving to the next door that led off the landing Emily proudly said, ‘This is my bedroom. You can come in if you like.’

‘Yes please,’ I said.

We followed Emily into her room. It was a lovely room, beautifully furnished with Cinderella wallpaper and similarly themed accessories. A goldfish bowl stood on a small table in one corner with one goldfish in it.

‘Is that fish yours?’ Aimee asked Emily, clearly impressed and a little envious.

‘Yes, he’s called Chips,’ Emily said. ‘Dad gave him his name. I won him at the fair.’

‘So we had to rush out and buy a bowl, weed and fish food,’ Jenny added.

‘Will I be able to have a goldfish in a bowl in my bedroom?’ Aimee asked Jenny.

I was about to rescue Jenny and say that one goldfish was enough when Jenny said, ‘I don’t see why not if you’d really like one, but we’ll be sharing the rabbit. The hutch isn’t big enough for two.’ Clearly Jenny had anticipated Aimee’s next question and didn’t need any help from me.

‘Thank you,’ Aimee said, very excited. ‘I’d like a goldfish of my own, I really would.’

We left Emily’s room and followed Jenny across the landing, where she showed us the bathroom and then a smallish bedroom, unused at present, with a built-in wardrobe, bed and chest of drawers.

‘And this,’ Jenny said, pausing outside the last door leading off the landing, ‘will be Aimee’s bedroom. I hope you like it.’ Looking at me she crossed her fingers and then opened the door. Aimee went in first and I saw the look on her face before I saw the reason for it.

I stepped in and gasped in amazement. The room had been freshly decorated in pink with the theme of the Disney Princesses, which were Aimee’s favourite. It was incredible, a work of art, and Aimee stared, open-mouthed and speechless. Images of the three beautiful princesses were on the wallpaper, duvet cover, curtains and bedside rug. A pink cushion with the same images was on her bed, and beneath the window were three large new toy boxes with a Princess sticker on each.

‘How wonderful!’ I exclaimed. ‘You have been busy! However did you know it was Aimee’s favourite?’ Aimee was still standing in the centre of the room, saying nothing and completely overawed.

‘You mentioned it at the permanency planning meeting when you were talking about Aimee’s likes and dislikes,’ Jenny said. ‘You probably don’t remember.’ I shook my head. ‘Well, Jason and I remembered and on the way home we stopped off and bought the wallpaper. Jason decorated the room the next day, and then last weekend we bought all the accessories. Do you like it, Aimee?’

‘You’ve got princesses and I’ve got Cinderella,’ Emily said.

Aimee, still overwhelmed, managed a small nod, but it was obvious she liked it. Although her bedroom at home with me was comfortable I had to keep the colours neutral to accommodate the different tastes and ages of the children I fostered, boys and girls. This room was beyond Aimee’s wildest dreams and I could tell from her expression she was as touched as I was by the thoughtfulness and hard work that had gone into making her room so perfect.

‘You’re a very lucky girl,’ I said to Aimee. ‘Say thank you to Jenny.’

‘Thank you,’ Aimee said. ‘It’s lovely. I can’t believe I’m so lucky.’

‘You’re very welcome,’ Jenny said.

Emily and Aimee wanted to stay upstairs and play in Aimee’s bedroom, which Jenny said was fine. So Jenny and I went downstairs to the lounge, where Jason was, having returned from putting Peter Rabbit into his hutch and also clearing up the rabbit droppings on the front path. ‘Thanks, love,’ Jenny said. She then told Jason that Aimee’s bedroom was a great success and he was pleased and relieved. I thanked them both for all their hard work and thoughtfulness.

Jason then took out their copy of the timetable of the introduction and move, and suggested we ran through it to confirm times, for although the days had been decided at the permanency planning meeting some of the times had been left for us to arrange. The following day Jenny, Jason and Emily were due to come to my house again, but this time it would be for three hours and they would take Aimee out while I stayed at home. This was to start getting Aimee used to being with her new family, without me present. It would include a light lunch out.

‘Shall we arrive at eleven thirty?’ Jason suggested.

‘Yes, that’s fine with me,’ I said. ‘There are plenty of eating places on the high street. I’ll give you directions.’

‘Thanks.’

The day after I would bring Aimee to their house again and leave her for three hours so that she could begin getting used to her new home without me being there. Then it would be the weekend and we would all have a break from seeing each other, to give everyone involved time to reflect and consolidate the changes that were happening. Then on Monday I was to bring Aimee to Jenny and Jason’s again and leave her for the whole day. It wasn’t worth me making the two-hour drive home, so I planned to go shopping locally or, if it was a nice day, visit the coast, which was only a couple of miles away. ‘I’ll aim to arrive at ten o’clock,’ I said.

‘Yes, that’s fine with us,’ Jenny confirmed.

We were then timetabled to have Tuesday off. On Wednesday, if everything was going to plan, I would bring Aimee and she would stay the night. If that went well she would stay again on Thursday night, and if everything was still going well she’d move in on Saturday. This type of introduction is typical for most children in care who go to live with a forever family and it is vital for everyone involved. Not only does it prepare the child, but also members of the child’s forever family and the foster family that the child is leaving. The schedule takes a lot of time and energy and is emotionally draining, and takes over the lives of those involved. Aimee was having time off school and Jason had booked time off work; fortunately his employers had been understanding and accommodating when he’d explained why.

Today’s hour’s visit soon passed and when I called upstairs to Aimee and said it was time to go, she called back that she didn’t want to leave. This was a good sign; however, what wasn’t so good was the face she pulled and the way she stamped her foot when I went up to her room and told her again it was time to leave. Jenny had followed me up and stood behind me at Aimee’s bedroom door, and saw Aimee scowl and stamp her foot. ‘Not going yet,’ Aimee said, her face set, and her chin jutting out just as it used to when she’d first come to me.

‘That face isn’t going to impress Jenny or Emily,’ I said, trying to make light of it.

‘Don’t care,’ Aimee said rudely.

‘You’ll come here again the day after tomorrow,’ Jenny said. ‘And tomorrow we’re going to take you out for some lunch.’

But Aimee was having none of it. Her scowl deepened and I could see she was determined to have her own way. She was still sitting on the floor and she pointedly turned her back on me and carried on playing with the toys she and Emily had brought into her room. Emily, clearly worried by Aimee’s abrupt change in behaviour, stood up and went to stand beside her mother.

Jason and Jenny knew that Aimee’s behaviour had been ‘challenging’ with her mother and when she’d first come into care, but at the permanency planning meeting I’d reassured them that with routine and firm boundaries Aimee had responded very quickly. They also knew that during the introduction and just after the move Aimee might become unsettled and revert to some of her previous bad behaviour. I thought it was just as well she was doing it now rather than suddenly after the move, which could have caught them unprepared.

‘Aimee, I think you need some quiet time,’ I said evenly, ‘so you can think about the right decision you need to make.’ This was one of the strategies I used with her at home if she resisted what I’d asked her to do, although recently it hadn’t been necessary. ‘We’ll go downstairs and you can come down when you’ve thought about what I’ve asked you to do, and have come to the right decision,’ I said. Turning, I left the room and then followed Jenny and Emily downstairs.

‘Aimee will be down soon,’ I said to Emily as we entered the lounge, for she still looked worried. ‘She’s had such a good time playing with you, she doesn’t want to leave.’ Which was true, but Aimee knew she needed to do as the adult looking after her said.

‘Emily understands that it’s going to be a bit strange for us all to begin with,’ Jenny said as Emily sat on her father’s lap.

I smiled and sat on the sofa with a stoical expression, hoping that Aimee would appear soon and not let me down. At home a few minutes’ quiet time usually did the trick, but of course we weren’t at home now and Aimee might be thinking she could do what she pleased here with Jason and Jenny. Jason began reading Emily a story while Jenny made light conversation with me, but I think we were all listening out for any movement upstairs. I didn’t think Aimee would let me down, but of course she was testing the boundaries here in front of Jenny and Jason so I couldn’t be sure. I was beginning to consider an alternative strategy when a couple of minutes later, to my relief, we heard footsteps on the stairs, and then Aimee appeared at the lounge door.

‘I’m ready to go now,’ she said a little sheepishly.

‘Good decision.’ I smiled. ‘Well done. Now let’s say goodbye nicely, and we’ll see everyone again tomorrow.’

That evening Adrian, Lucy and Paula were in for dinner all at the same time – an increasingly rare occurrence in our house now they were all older. It was like old times as we sat around the table talking, eating, laughing and sharing our news, although Aimee did most of the talking: about Jenny, Jason, Emily, her new home and bedroom, and Peter the house-trained rabbit who went for a walk on a lead.