“Right, heres how it is. Either you help me strip Vicky of her parental rights, or I walk away, and you lot can sort it out yourselves.”
“Lucy, for heavens sake! Shes your sister! My daughter!” Mum threw her hands up before clutching at her chest.
“And what am I? Not your daughter?” Lucys voice cracked with hurt. “Sometimes I think Im not even a person to you Cant you see whats happening? Ive grown to love little Alfie, and you Either help me, or Ill do it alone. But Im not backing down.”
Mum looked away, torn between them all. Dad just scowled into his untouched dinner. Lucy, reading the room, stood and marched to her bedroom.
Clearly, her parents hadnt chosen her. Or Alfie.
She started packingnot that she had much. Her heart ached, but she knew this was necessary.
But how do you stay strong when a tiny child clings to your legs, sobbing?
“Mummy, dont go” Alfie hiccuped, watching her stuff clothes into a bag.
Mummy. That word twisted like a knife every time. Lucy sighed, knelt, and forced a smile.
“Im not leaving you, Alfie-love,” she whispered, hugging him. “Im leaving so that one day, things will be better. Ill come back. For good.”
Alfie wailed, not understanding why his auntthe woman he called Mumwas abandoning him. He clung so tightly she couldnt leave until hed cried himself to sleep. Only then did she tiptoe out into the night.
At that moment, Lucy hated Vicky. She was the one whod forced this horrible choice.
Vicky had started her wild streak at sixteen. First, late nights, then “sleepovers at friends”though everyone knew what kind of friends. Shed stumble home smeared with makeup, sometimes in tears. And Mum and Dad would fuss over her like she was some delicate china doll.
A pregnancy was inevitable. At seventeen, Vicky got knocked upno other way to put it, since she didnt even know the blokes surname. Just some “mate from a party.”
Alfie arrived. Quickly, Vicky realised motherhood wasnt her calling. First, shed vanish overnight, then altogether.
“Im still young. Im not throwing my life away,” she told Lucy over the phone when confronted.
So the “throwing away” fell to Lucy. Grandpa barely acknowledged Alfie, buying him the odd toy. Grandma helped, but work kept her busy.
Lucy was eighteen. She switched to distance learning to care for a baby. She became his second motherliterally, since shed even stood as his godmother.
It was brutal. Night feeds, sleepless stretches, hauling a pram up stairs, exams on no sleep. She studied after tucking Alfie in and kept the house running while her parents worked.
By six months, shed adjusteduntil Vicky waltzed back in, tearful and repentant.
“Sorry, I was such an idiot Itll be different now,” she sniffled.
Everyone believed her. Even Lucy. For a month, Vicky played mumuntil the novelty wore off. Then she bolted again, this time nicking Mums jewellery.
“Shes just struggling to adjust,” Mum excused. “Shell come round. Give her time.”
But Lucy was done. Once was chance; twice was a pattern. Still, what choice did she have? Her parents lived in a fantasy where Vicky deserved endless chances. But she couldnt just take Alfie and vanish.
So Lucy carried on. Studying, raising Alfie, juggling nursery runs and doctor visits. She prayed Vicky wouldnt return.
No such luck. Four years later, Vicky reappeared.
“I thought he loved me. Thought wed live together, take Alfie But he used me,” she sniffed, wide-eyed at their parents. “I was alone, jobless, friendlesscouldnt even afford the train back.”
“Mustve been starving, judging by how much weight youve put on,” Lucy muttered.
Mum shot her a glare. The spotlight swung back to poor, tragic Vicky.
Worse came when Lucy brought Alfie home from nursery. Granny nudged him toward Vicky. Alfie, baffled, burst into tears and hid behind Lucy.
“Dont be silly,” Granny cooed. “This is your mummy.”
“Thats not Mummy! She is!” He gripped Lucys leg.
“Lucys just your aunt. Vickys your real mum,” Granny corrected.
Lucys heart shattered. Alfies terror, Mums words, the sickening déjà vu.
And it all repeated.
Vicky leeched off them for two months, jobless.
“Ive got Alfie. Whod hire me? Its like Im on maternity leave,” she scoffed when Lucy asked her plans.
Then she vanished againno explanation. The truth came via photos with her new “beau,” who looked old enough to be her dad.
“Right. Another drinking buddy,” Lucy thought.
Hope that Vicky would leave them alone died. But what now?
She confided in her best mate, Nina.
“Convenient, isnt it? One mum loves him, the others real Just get her rights stripped,” Nina shrugged. “Theyll check, see shes never around, and youll sort the rest.”
Lucy hesitated.
“Its scary. I live with my parentstheyll flip. And what if Alfies taken? He might not even end up with me.”
“Then wait for Vicky to waltz back and wreck his head again. Worth it? She could even demand money from him later. And honestly?” Nina lowered her voice. “Sis, parents, Alfie Wheres your life? Its about time you had one.”
“Where would I go? Ive got Alfie”
“And? Youll live his life? Hell grow up and fly the nest, and youll be alone. Jakes been asking after you, but you keep dodging him.”
“When would I even date? And whyd he want me? Ive got a kidnot even mine.”
“If hes asking, he doesnt care.”
Lucy had forgotten about her own life. Dates fled when they heard she had a kidno time to explain he was her nephew.
Jake, her uni mate, knew and still sought her out. But shed been too buried in family chaos. After Ninas chat, she gave it a shot.
No regrets. With Jake, she felt normal. He listened. Helped.
She went to him after her ultimatum to her parentsjust to vent. But Jake surprised her.
“Ive said it beforelets move in. Maybe nows the time?”
“I cant. Alfie I cant leave him.”
“Whats the issue? Well make it three.”
Lucy gaped.
“But hes not yoursyou dont have to”
“Lucy,” Jake cut in. “Im not stupid. I knew what I was signing up for. If hes family to you, hes family to me.”
Something in Lucy thawed. A flicker of hopeher life didnt have to be all sacrifice.
The next six months were hell. Social services, courses, paperwork. Worse, she couldnt take Alfie yet. He cried, missed her, waited.
“Stealing your sisters child! Shame on you!” Mum spat.
“Like she ever wanted him,” Lucy shot back.
Her parents shut her out. Only Jake and her friends stood by her.
But after the storm comes the calm.
Years later, Lucy sat on a park bench watching Alfie teach his little sister, Emily, to kick a football. Jake wrapped an arm around her. For the thousandth time, she thought: worth it.
She hadnt heard from Vicky latelydidnt want to. Same old: men, parties. Losing Alfie probably just gave her a new sob story for their parents.
Speaking of, they never forgave her. Fine. “If they want to coddle Vicky forever, let them,” Lucy thought. “Ill take care of the ones who actually need me.”
