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The headteacher is waiting in the reception area, talking quietly with Ollie’s social worker. Mrs. Ball smiles warmly. “Rosey, this is Jill, Ollie’s social worker.” We shake hands.
“I hope it’s okay, I brought Kilian Maverick, Ollie’s half-brother. And this is my . . .” I pause, wondering how to introduce Albert, but he steps forward, holding out his hand.
“Albert Taylor, Rosey’s partner.” I smile, enjoying how the words sound coming from him.
We’re shown into the office where Ollie is waiting. My heart pounds in my chest, and he stands, rushing to me and embracing me. Relief floods me. I’ve been so worried he’d not want to see me or he’d blame me for his situation, I hadn’t allowed myself to relax and think he’s been missing me as much as I’ve been missing him.
I pull back slightly and brush his messy hair from his eyes. “How are you?”
“I want to come home,” he mutters, still holding onto me. “I’m so sorry for being a shit.”
“Don’t curse,” I say, kissing him on the cheek. “And this isn’t because of you, Ollie. This is my fault for trusting Mum again.”
“If we could avoid talking about the situation,” Jill interrupts, and I glare at her.
“You don’t want me to explain to him that it isn’t his fault?”
“Of course, it’s fine, but let’s not discuss Ollie’s current carers.”
“I respect you, your job is hard,” I say, trying to remain calm, “but trust me when I say you have this whole situation wrong.”
“We can discuss that away from Ollie, after your visit,” she says firmly.
I take a seat beside Ollie. Mav, Albert, and Mrs. Ball step out of the office, leaving me alone with him and Jill. “What have you been doing?” I ask, taking his hand and stroking it gently.
“Nothing. Nan said I can’t leave the flat apart from going to school.”
I frown, glancing at Jill to see her making notes. “Why?”
“She’s scared you’ll come and take me, or I’ll run back to the clubhouse.”
“As much as I would love that, you know you can’t. Hadley is sorting it. I’m really trying to get you home where you belong.”
“Will it take long?”
I shrug. “I don’t know how long these things take. I hope not.”
“Dougie said Nan should go for full custody.”
I sigh. “I don’t know why he’s encouraging it. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Am I allowed to speak to Maverick?” Ollie asks Jill, and she nods. “I mean alone. Without you or Mum?”
She ponders it before nodding. “I don’t see why not. He’s not down as needing supervised access. I’ll give you five minutes with him at the end.”
“What happens next?” I ask.
“There’s a multiagency meeting after this. We’ll discuss Ollie’s needs and if you’ve been meeting them and what you’d need to do to meet them.”
“I didn’t know about the meeting,” I say, confused.
“Lucy was supposed to inform you. I know she’s been busy. It’s in the school, if you’re free to stay on?”
“Of course.”
Mav puts a call into Hadley, asking her to join us in the meeting. He then spends five minutes alone with Ollie, but he’s unable to fill me in because the meeting is directly after and we’re called into a bigger room where the headteacher, Jill, Lucy, me, and Maverick sit around the table. Hadley bursts in five minutes late, but they allow it seeing as they never told me about the meeting.
Jill begins by telling me that Ollie seems happy and settled at his nan’s. She’s provided new clothes for him and is decorating her bedroom for him to stay in. “Why is she doing that?” I ask. “He isn’t staying there.”
