Рейчел Уэллс - Alfie And George

It had taken a while, but Polly and Matt had ironed their issues out. They both worked now and they both loved their jobs, but they made their family life work too and had employed a nanny, who the others shared sometimes. Lucy, the nanny, was so nice and we all liked her. Polly and Matt also made sure they spent time together once a week. They were all lovey-dovey like they used to be. Polly looked so much like her old self, beautiful and happy. Matt was relaxed and he enjoyed the time he spent at home — even the tidying. They were planning a big family holiday, but I was pretty sure that George and I weren’t going to be invited. Martha was getting bigger, as was Henry. He now refused to play with Martha and Summer and was relieved when Aleksy and little Tomasz returned from Poland and he had boys to play with again.

Claire, Jonathan and Summer were all great too. George and Summer were so close, and I liked that, because I wanted her to have that relationship the way I did with Aleksy. We both loved all the children but we did have an extra closeness with those two, because I felt as if I had grown up with Aleksy and Summer was growing up with George. Summer had turned three recently and we’d had a lovely family party, and it was then that Claire and Jonathan told us their big news. It hadn’t happened overnight, but it didn’t matter, because today was a big day. Everything was about to change yet again, only this time I hoped it was going to change for the better.

We were all very nervous and excited at the same time. My stomach fluttered. We were all looking our best: Jonathan wore a pair of smart trousers and a shirt; Claire was wearing a pretty floral dress; and Summer was wearing a princess costume that she’d got for her birthday, which she insisted was her best outfit ever. To be honest, she barely took it off, but she did look very cute. I had made sure George groomed himself thoroughly and I had done the same. We both looked incredibly handsome, even if I did say so myself.

We all waited, fidgeting and not quite knowing what to do with ourselves. Time crawled by so slowly, which it always did when you were waiting for something.

Claire and Jonathan had met him, of course — our potential adoptee. They’d had lots of visits and trips with him, but now he was coming to our house to see if we were all going to live together. He couldn’t move straight in, he had to be happy here, but why wouldn’t he be? Our home was so full of love it radiated out of every room. He would fit right in, once he had time to get used to it. Just like me, and like George.

I stretched as the doorbell went.

‘Oh goodness, they’re here. Do I look OK?’ Claire patted her hair and looked flustered. Claire’s mood had been so great lately, she was so happy and excited about the future. She kept saying that this was fate and she knew it was meant to be. And I think Jonathan believed her, finally.

‘You look lovely,’ Jonathan said, taking her hand. I could see he was sweating a bit as they made their way to the front door.

‘Me too!’ Summer shouted as she followed them, George and myself on her heels.

Jonathan opened the door, and in walked a lady holding the hand of a boy about Henry’s age. He looked terrified, and clutched the lady’s hand tightly. My heart went out to him; if anyone needed a cat it was this boy, I could immediately tell.

‘Hi, Marie,’ Claire said, shaking hands with the lady.

‘Hi, guys, Summer,’ Marie said.

Claire knelt down on the floor.‘Hello, Toby, welcome to our house,’ she said gently. The boy looked at her and smiled uncertainly.

‘Toby.’ Summer jumped forward and smiled at him.‘I’m a princess.’

‘Hi, Summer.’ He seemed a bit more at ease with her, but still shuffled from foot to foot. I watched Claire kneeling before him, with Summer next to her. Jonathan hung back slightly.

I decided to introduce myself. He must have been feeling so mixed up, and he was so young to have to handle such emotions. I lost my first home when I was too young to fully understand and it had been the hardest time of my life. I wanted him to know I knew how he felt, in my own way.

‘Miaow,’ I said, rubbing his legs.

‘A cat!’ he exclaimed, and sat down on the floor to stroke me. Claire followed suit as did Summer. George joined us.

‘Another cat!’ Toby said, even happier to see George, who crawled into his lap. This boy was all right, he clearly loved cats. Summer giggled, and Toby looked at her and giggled too. I felt choked up as I saw Claire’s eyes fill with tears. We were both thinking the same thing, I was pretty sure. This is our boy.

We all played on the floor for a while. Marie the social worker hung back but Jonathan still seemed rooted to the spot. I decided to go and give him a little nudge.

‘Who’s hungry?’ he asked finally, looking at me and then at them.

‘Me!’ Summer shouted.

‘Toby?’ Jonathan asked. Toby nodded shyly. We all looked at Jonathan. He had tears in his eyes, which was rare, and his voice was choked. I was so proud of all of them, but especially him, at that moment.

He reached out his hand to Toby. Toby looked at it for a few seconds, but then he put his hand into Jonathan’s. Jonathan pulled him gently to his feet and held onto that little hand so tightly.

‘Come on, son,’ he said.

When Toby had to leave, he said he didn’t want to go, and nor did anyone want to say goodbye. Although he was still shy and uncertain, he had enjoyed being with us, I could tell. I found it hard to accept that a boy who was five years old had to come and live with a new family. It was part of life that I would always find upsetting, confusing and just wrong. But then I also knew, watching how Claire, Jonathan and Summer were with him, that if he had to go to a new home, ours was the best.

Marie took Claire and Jonathan aside and said the visit had gone very well and so they would be increasing the time Toby spent with us until it was decided he could come and live here, which she hoped would be sooner rather than later. Claire looked relieved and Jonathan beamed, proving us right, he could love a child that wasn’t biologically his. His eyes were already full of love. After Toby left, with many hugs and kisses and promises that he could come back soon, we were all emotionally drained.

‘So Toby’s going to come and live with us?’ George asked when I was trying to settle him in bed.

‘Yes. Claire will be his mummy and Jonathan will be his daddy.’

‘Like you and Tiger are to me?’

‘Yes, just like that.’

‘Because I love you, Dad, and I love Tiger-Mum too.’ I kissed him goodnight: there was only so much emotion one cat could take in a day and I had reached my happiness limit.

‘Jonathan, I didn’t want him to go,’ Claire said when we were alone later, after Summer and George were fast asleep.

‘Me neither, I almost couldn’t bear it. You were right. The minute I saw him, I knew he was my son. I don’t understand it but I looked into his eyes and I loved him. Right away, I loved him.’ Jonathan was crying again — this was a regular occurrence today.

‘Oh, Jon, I love you so much and Toby will be the luckiest boy having you as a father.’

‘He deserves it after what he’s been through.’

‘Jon, don’t talk about that, let’s look to the future.’

‘Can’t wait to take him to the football.’ Jonathan tried to laugh.

‘Summer might want to go too,’ Claire pointed out.

‘Of course. I’m not being sexist, I’ll take them both. But I think you’re right, you know, it feels as if our family is complete now. Us, Summer, Alfie, George and now Toby. It feels right. It feels really wonderful, in fact.’