A Dream Come True

Chapter 4

After getting ready and changed Eloise quickly packs some underwear and pjs as long with some spare clothes. Carefully creeping down the stairs she puts her shoes on and runs out the front door. All the way to the other side of the stream crossing the handmade bridge towards the more isolated houses.

Coming to a stop outside a cottage which has overgrown vines surrounding it and overgrown grass hiding the spring flowers. Adjusting her bag Eloise makes her way to the door and lifts the heavy door knocker. But no answer well what was she expecting. It was 06:03 in the morning.

Looking in the windows for any sign of life but it seems like everyone is still asleep.

Reaching into the window flower pot after a while of digging around in the soil she finds what she is looking for.

The silver house key.

Unlocking the door she creeps in locking it again behind her she carefully navigates through the living room and into a hallway. Taking the door on the left in the hallway. It creeks as she opens it revealing a bedroom still dark due to the curtains still being closed. On the right was a bed with a lump surrounded by covers.

"Hey, wake up." Eloise whispered, tapping the lump.

"mmm"

"Come on. wakey wakey." This time she claps the lump, shaking it gently.

"No not yet"

Thinking it more violently and ripping the covers off. "Wake up now, come on." She got a slap in the face. Tingles of pain filling her right side of her face.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Abby yells in a hush tone.

"Surprise." Eloise smiles at her best friend.

“I am going to ask again, what are you doing here?” Abby as she sits up and checks her phone on the nightstand for the time. “for goodness sake El it's 06:05 in the morning.”

“Do you think I can stay here for a bit?”

“Well I guess so as you just invited yourself in.” Abby rolls her eyes. “Sometimes I can’t believe you El.”

“Thank you!” Eloise says with a cheesy grin. “You’re the best!”

“Yeah yeah, I know.” Abby waves her off as she scoots in her bed making room for Eloise to lay down as well.

curling into the bed Eloise lets out a sigh.

“What is it?” Abby asks, turning to face Eloise.

“Well I got it started when I got home ...”

Eloise fills her best friend in with all that went down with moving and the letter. “I am just tired, you know?”

“Yeah.”

“We’ve moved so many times throughout my life. I am just tired of it. tired of saying goodbye. tired of not having a place to call home. I really thought this was the one. the one that I could call home.” Eloise tells Abby as she gets more comfortable in the single bed. Pulling the covers over them both. “We’ve stayed here the longest, since we first moved and started moving, and by longest you know that is only around about three years. I am just so sick of it.” Eloise says as she turns in the small bed to face abby. “Though I don’t know what’s worse the first time I had to move or this time.” “The first time was hard, as I didn’t know it was coming. I didn’t think it was possible for us and people to just up and move away from their home. it really never once crossed my mind that we could move and leave. I was just like any other morning....” Closing her eyes and clearing her throat Eloise continues. “We were walking back home from doing the weekly shopping.”

***

The Lake District, Grasmere Village. Eloise age seven.

Walking down a grey cobbled path, with orange leaves falling from the trees that line the path, was a family of three, a mother, father and daughter. The parents holding bags of shopping with the child skipping in front of them, without a care in the world.

“mammy! mammy!” The girl dressed in a cream dress and a fox orange cardigan. Her blonde hair in ringlets around her face bounced as she skipped along. “Mammy, can you believe that I’ll be starting year three soon. I am so excited!” The girl turned around to face her parents with a big smile, a smile only children can hold a one they truly mean. “I am going to be a big girl.” “Not that I am not a big girl already.” “Oh! I’ll get to see Sophie and Jay again.” “Though I am more best friends with Jay. but Sophie did share her pack lunches with me and has invited me to her birthday party.”

“That's good to hear baby.” “It's really nice that you have some friends.” The mother said with a sweet smile at her daughter.

“Of course my darling girl would win over the hearts of everyone and steal all their pack lunches!” The father said as he picked up his daughter and started twirling her in the air and kissing her face all over. Making her let out squeals in-between giggles.

“Careful Eddie! Don’t hurt her!” The mother said panic in her voice and on her face. as she reached out just in case the little girl was to fall.

“I will never hurt my little baby girl!” He said while giving the sloppiest kiss to the daughter’s cheek as he put her down. “Come on let's get inside before it starts raining.”

Racing up the path to their home both Eddie and Lillian slow down short of the front door letting Eloise win.

All piling inside, taking off their coats and shoes they quickly head into the kitchen.

“Right! Eddie, you do the freezer and fridge things. I’ll do the cupboard and Eloise, why don’t you help by folding the bags once they are empty.”

After packing all the shopping away it was soon dark outside. The family all cuddled up in the living room, fire ablaze and covers are all around with the medical drama ‘Casualty’ on the television.

As the credits play Lillian turns towards a sleepy Eloise. “baby how would you like it if we went on an adventure?”

“what now? but I am tired.” Eloise says with a pout.

“No not now” Eddie chimes in with a chuckle.

“oh! Then when?”

“The end of this week, Sunday.” Lillian continued.

“Will we be back in time for me going back to school and going to see Jay and Sophie?”

Not answering her both Eddie and Lillian shared a concerned look.

“I am sorry honey but we won’t be.” Lillian said not able to make eye contact with Eloise.

“Why not? I am going to be starting year three though.” Eloise asks as she sits up pushing the covers away from her.

“Because honey we are moving away to a new home, an adventure.” Lillian said, trying to deliver the news as smoothly as possible.

“Why?” “Don’t you like living here? I do I’ve got friends and I’ll be starting year three soon. I am going to be a big girl.” Eloise says as tears start running down her chubby rushy cheeks.

“Oh! Honey please don’t get upset. it will be all fine since daddy has received a job offer from somewhere else so we have to move.” Lillian jumped from her seat holding Eloise tightly in her arms.

“But I don’t want to go and leave.” “Mammy please.” Eloise begged as she looked up into her mothers eyes that now were pooling with their own tears.

“It's going to be okay baby. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.” Lillian hushes as she rocked Eloise in her arms in hopes to soothe her. “Mammy promises.” She says planting a love filled kiss on Eloise’s forehead.

***

“That’s one of the last times that she hugged me.” Eloise says through her sob as Abby strokes her arm. “Ever since then we were moving from place to place, never staying enough time to get settled in, at the shortest was a week and the longest being a couple months, and she changed and she became less motherly and more .... well I don’t know what to call it. but I miss her.” Eloise sobs.

“Oh El I am so sorry.'' Abby says trying her best to comfort her best friend.

“That is why I thought this was it. that this was my new home now. staying here for three years, how could I not think that it’s all over and that I am safe here, safe from having to say goodbye.” “But I guess I was wrong.” Close says getting rid of the tears streaming down her face. And swallowing the big bitter hard lump in her throat. “I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to leave you. I’ve finally found a friend again.” She says with a sweet smile as she looks at Abby. “You will be the reason why this time saying goodbye will be hard. And I am thankful to you for that.”

Without saying anything Abby engulfs Eloise into a tight big bear hug as her own tears escape her eyes.

‘knock ! knock’

Came from Abby’s bedroom door waking the girls. “Abby, wake up now. I am heading out soon.” Abby’s Mam’s voice comes from the other side of the door.

Both groggy and tear stained the girls fall out of the single bed. Eloise opens the curtains as Abby answers her Mam.

“Okay mam, I am just getting ready now.”

“Alight sweetheart.” Her Mam said back.

“Ugh, what time is it?” Eloise asks as she squints her eyes at the bright sunlight coming through the window.

“It’s 08:56.'' Abby answered as she picked up her phone from the bedside table.

“Oh jeez.” Eloise groaned as she stretched her back. Letting out a yawn. “I guess crying really tires you out.” She says with a light small chuckle and a faint smile on her lips.

“Right, you go get some breakfast while I get ready.” Abby says as she opens her wardrobe.

“Okay.” Eloise says as she looks in Abby's full length mirror on the back of her door redoing her hair and adjusting her clothes. “All done.”

Eloise walks out the bedroom into the living room then towards the kitchen where she spots Mrs Glover at the circle table drinking a cup of tea while she packs her handbag ready for going out.

“Oh! Dear you scared me El! I didn’t know you were staying over.” Mrs Glover says nearly spilling her cup of tea down her new dress.

“Oh sorry Mrs Glover I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Oh no it's alright dear, and how many times must I tell you to call me Cecilia.”

With a smile on her face Eloise walks over and takes the box of golden nuggets cereal out the cupboard. “So Cecilia, where are you off to today?”

“Just meeting up with the bookclub in the library. We’ve just finished a book and we will be getting a new one to read.” “I keep bringing it up with your Mam but she never comes.” “Oh how is you Mam and Dad anyway?”

“Oh yeah sorry about that she is just really busy and Dad is doing fine though he could do with some more work.” Eloise answers as she pours the milk in on top of her cereal.

“Well, tell him he is free to come here and do some work. This old place is falling away all around us. I can’t keep on top of it all.”

“I will surely put in a word for you.”

“Oh thank you dear. right I better be off now. Tell Abby that I should be back around one o’clock.”

“Will do.”

Picking up her handbag and book Cecilia gives Eloise an air kiss on both cheeks before rushing out the door.

Getting her cereal Eloise takes a seat at the round table as she looks out into the woodland behind Abby's home watching the birds and seeing them fly high and free. She lets out a sigh just as Abby's bedroom door closes.

"She is gone already?"

"Yeah, She left a couple minutes ago."

"Charming couldn't even be bothered to say goodbye."

"She told me to tell you that she should be back by one o'clock."

Shaking her head, Abby takes a seat next to Eloise with a plait of two slices of toast on her hands.