I’m not letting any traitors back in, I say.
Wheres Tom? someone asks in the crowd of relatives gathered on the landing of the maternity ward at Manchester Royal Infirmary. Hes vanishedwhere has he gone? The whisper cuts through the murmuring family.
If Tom were actually a man, the father of the newborn, the confusion would be far less. In this case, Tom is a pet name for the mother, whose full name is Gwen. The fact that Gwen has simply disappeared, instead of holding her infant daughter in her arms, is downright shocking.
She ran off! That reckless thing, Gwens mother bellows as she hands her soninlaw, Ian, the paperwork and a final note from the fleeing wife. The note reads like the standard template left by fathers in such circumstances: she isnt ready for motherhood, dont look for her, she wont abandon her child, shell pay child support, and thats the end of it. Theres no return address, no explanation for why a respectable woman, only six months ago dreaming of becoming a mother, would suddenly bolt.
Ian, dont worry. Shell come round, realise her mistake, and return, Gwens mother tries to reassure her soninlaw.
Her older daughter, Emma, says nothing, because a voice inside tells her Tom wont be back. Gwen knows how to do things deliberately; when she decides to leave, she follows through.
Dont you talk back, Emma, the mother snaps when Emma hints that Gwen might never return. Shell be back. In a month or two shell remember her motherly instincts.
Divorce papers finally arrive three months later. Gwen never shows up for the hearings, refuses any custody of the child, and little Molly stays with her father. Emma starts visiting Ians flat more often to help with the baby and to keep in touch with him.
It turns out Emma faces a similar fate. A year after her son, Andy, is born, her boyfriend Max deserts her just as they plan to marry once Andy turns three and Emma finishes maternity leave. Max runs off, leaving Emma deep in debt, but the court does confirm his paternity, and she manages to scrape together some maintenance.
She constantly watches Ian for any warning signs that he might abandon his sister, even though she never mentions it to anyone. Eventually she learns that shes been looking at the wrong person all along. Her mother tries to force her into a new pregnancy, but Gwen had wanted it herself. Ian, on the other hand, suggests waiting five years to save enough money to convert his modest twobedroom flat into a threebedroom house, but Gwen pushes him to act sooner.
The result? Gwen finally leaves Mollytiny, defenseless, in need of a mother.
Perhaps its because Emma has already become a mother herself, or perhaps because Molly is actually her own blood, that she soon starts treating the child as her own. Ian, a few times, hands Molly over to Emma, saying, Take her to mums arms. He even offers Emma to move in with him, Andy, and Molly, claiming theres enough space and that she could rent out rooms to pay the mortgage instead of relying on her mother.
When Emma tells her mother that shes moved in with Ian, her mother launches a tirade about the impropriety of being involved with her sisters husband. Ian brushes her off, saying its none of her business. Later, halfdrunk, he admits hed be willing to marry Emma and even adopt Andy as his own.
Everything will be fair, Emma. You raise my daughter like yours, Ill treat your son as mine. I wont force you into any decisions, just lets stick together. Itll be easier for both of us. He adds, I can earn a decent wage, but Im useless with nappies, colic, and soupmaking. You handle the kids well, even if your own job doesnt pay much.
Emma used to work as a nursery practitioner before her maternity leave, earning a modest salary at a private preschool. Ians proposal feels pragmatic, almost mercenary. After a moments thought, Emma realizes she already has a love that feels like a storybook romanceher sonand that practical stability might be what she needs now.
Ian is decent, kind, doesnt drink or smoke, and financially supports both his and Emmas children. Molly has grown attached to her, even calling her mum after two years.
So perhaps everything that happens for the best.
Emmas mother never shows up at the weddingno one really expected her. The couple signs the registers, shares a drink with close friends, receives wellwishes, and returns to Ians flat, now home to four of them. Life changes little except that the children now share one bedroom while the adults occupy the other.
Emma and Ian are still people, entitled to personal happiness.
The day Gwen storms back in, its like a thunderclap in clear skies. Ian, waiting for a delivery, doesnt even look up when Gwen bursts through the front door, hair disheveled.
My love, Im back! she declares. When Ian brusquely pushes her away and steps back, she blinks and, as if nothing happened, asks, Arent you glad to see me?
Should I be? Ian replies with a sneer.
He later tells Emma that hed rehearsed countless replies for this moment, but when it finally arrives he can only ask why Gwen has returned.
I want to see my daughter and sort things out with you, she says. I know I wasnt perfect, but can we be a proper family?
Ive already built a family, Ian says. Im not letting any traitors back in.
And you mean Emma? Gwen shoots back. You never really cared for her. How could you swap me for her?
Emma, fresh from her shower, spots the ajar nursery door, through which the children watch the drama from their little fortress. Gwen sees them too, darts past Ian, and rushes to Molly.
Molly, look how big youve gotten! she coos, scooping the toddler up just as little Andy, hearing the commotion, lunges and bites Gwens leg.
Wearing only tights and a short skirt, Gwen shrieks, the pain sending her into a highpitched wail. She drops Molly onto the floor, clutching her injury.
Andy darts to his sisters side, and the children scramble behind Emmas legs. Gwen glowers at the scene, murmuring, You serpent youve turned my daughter against me. I wont let this stand.
Nothing works for the desperate mother. She once refused custody, and Molly never really knew her, so any attempt to reclaim the child fails. Even Emmas mother tries to coax Ian into a reverse move, but to no avail.
Eventually Ian and Emma cut ties with Gwens mother and move to a new city, leaving no address behind. They now live happily in a suburb of Leeds, raising three children. Only their closest friends hear Mollys occasional confession that shes the daughter of a real witch, while her mum Emma is a kind fairy who rescued her.
Andy adds his own twist, saying his father must be an evil sorcerer who abandoned a good fairy and fled.
In the end, a caring dad finds them, and they form a happy family of mum, dad, a little sister and a brother. After all, fairy tales should always end well.
