| Part 27 (Derek) The alarm clock went off at 7, I sleepily reached over and turned it off. "Why the hell is that set so early?" Sam muttered, pulling the pillow over her head. "Because I'm going to pick the kids up at Marks." I yawned. "Oh yeah, just the week, right?" I nodded. "A week, not longer?" "No." "Thank God." She muttered. "Come on, they're not that bad, Sam." "You think? Sorry, Derek, but me and kids don't quite get on. I'll survive a week, if I have to." She sighed. "Yeah, sure you will." I laughed to cover up my disappointment. If she was serious, it would be impossible to keep her if I wanted to take the kids, permanently. I went downstairs and had some breakfast, then decided to go and get some shopping for when the kids came over. I thought about asking Sam to come with me, but saw that she was sleeping again, so decided to go alone. At about 11am, I drove around to Mark's to collect the kids. Maybe I would ask exactly what had happened to Bryan, maybe why Robyn, the childminder, oh, sorry, make that girlfriend wasn't looking afer them. Maybe I would just keep quiet. I pulled into the drive, and walked up to the door. Mark's wife Michelle answered, she knew me quite well by now. I had met her way back before Dylan was born, man, even before Bryan had met Ally. "Hey Derek, come in." "Thanks." I walked inside. "Where are they?" "In the other room with Mark, watching a video I think." "Oh ok." I follwed her through. "Hi guys." "Hi Uncle Derek." They both said, looking up from the video for a moment, then going back to watching it. "Hi Mark." "Hi Derek." He looked up, I could tell I wasn't his favourite person. "So, you guys nearly ready to go, or do you want to finish the video first?" I asked them. "Can we finish the video? It's my favourite." Jess said, not looking away. "of course you can, I'm just going to talk to Michelle, ok?" We walked back out again. "Do you have stuff here for them for the week?" "Yeah, just some clothes and toys that Mark picked up for them. It should be enough." She explained and pointed to the bags with their stuff. "How bad is Bryan? Is it serious?" I asked, sitting down. "Umm, he's getting better. They just want him in for a week to keep an eye on him." "What's wrong?" I looked up and saw Mark standing at the door, looking at Michelle, as if he was warning her to keep quiet. "Kids ready?" "Yeah." Mark stuck his head towards the other room. "Dyl! Jess! Come and get your coats on." A few minutes later they arrived downstairs. "Ready?" They both nodded. "Are we going to have fun this week?" They both nodded. "Come on then!" They walked to the front door. "Thanks for looking after them last night." "No problem. I'll see you guys later." Michelle said, giving the kids a hug. "Be good for Derek, ok?" Mark said. "We will be." Jess said, happily. "Ok, let's go." I grabbed their bags and walked out to the car. We drove back to my house. "When can we go and see Daddy?" Dylan asked, impatiently. "Yeah, when?" Jess added. "Ummm, when he's home from the hospital." They both looked disappointed. "Hey, come on, you can get to see Sam." "Yeah." Dylan looked down. "You don't like Sam?" I asked him, he just shrugged his shoulders. I looked at Jess, she just shrugged as well. "You'll get to know her better this week." We pulled up to the house and got out, the kids ran up to the front door and started to ring the doorbell. I walked up, ready to open the door with my key, when Sam opened the door, still in her pyjamas, looking very annoyed. "Hi kids." She said, trying to sound happy, but failing miserably. "Hi." They both said quietly, and turned around as if to ask me if it to ask if it was ok to go in. "Go on in. Put your stuff in your room." They both ran upstairs, not saying anything else to Sam. "Ok, I made some chicken sandwiches for them for dinner." She said, and walked into the living room. "Ummm, Dyl doesn't like chicken." I said, careful not to upset her. "Well, you make them something then! I tried!" She cried, and I believed she was genuinely upset. "I know you tried." I gave her a hug, and she kissedme, I looked up to see the kids standing staring. "God, can't they give us 2 seconds?!" She muttered, and stood up. "Give them a break Sam." I looked over at them. "Hungry?" They both nodded. "Jess, you like chicken?" "Yeah." "I don't." Dylan said, quietly. "Yeah, I know. I'll make you something else." I said. "I want what he's having." Jess said. "Do we really need to feed them?" Sam asked, adding a laugh. I drew her a look. "Joking. Geez." The kids looked up, jess was going to say something, but changed her mind. "Why don't you get ready and we'll go out." I suggested. "I'm trying to watch what I'm eating this week." "Well, you can watch the burger as you eat it." I laughed, the kids laughed too. She drew me a look. "This is going to be a tough week if you don't at least try." I said. "I'm not going to be here 24/7." "Yeah I know." She smiled a little. "I'll go and get ready." The smiled stopped and she disappeared to get ready. "I don't think Sam likes us." Jess said quietly to Dylan. "Did we make her mad?" She didn't think I could hear her. "It's not that Jess, she's just not used to having you guys around." "I want to go home with Daddy and Robyn, Uncle Derek, can we go?" Dylan asked, eyes filling up a little. "Remember Daddy's sick-" "But Robyn looks after us too." "But she's looking after Daddy Jess." "But he's in hospital." "I know, but she's staying with him." "Ok, but we can see them soon, right?"jess asked. "Yeah." Sam appeared at the top of the stairs. She looked over sympathetically at the kids, realsing how unhappy they were. "Ready?" She asked. We all nodded and walked out to the car. |