Please Don’t Take My Baby and I Miss Mummy 2-in-1 Collection

‘She’s a big girl,’ I reassured them. ‘She’ll be home soon.’

When it was Paula’s bedtime I helped her with her bath and then saw her into bed, but as I read her bedtime story my heart wasn’t in it. It was now 7.30 and there’d been no word from Jade; I knew I needed to take further action. Although I would feel a complete fool and an incompetent foster carer reporting Jade missing when she had only been with me two days, I knew that’s what I had to do. As soon as I’d finished reading and had kissed Paula goodnight I went downstairs and to the phone in the sitting room. Adrian was at the kitchen table finishing some homework. I dialled Homefinders’ number and it was answered almost immediately by Michael, one of the agency’s social workers, who was on duty and taking emergency calls. I quickly explained the situation.

‘It’s not your fault,’ he said. ‘Try not to worry. I’m sure Jade’s OK. It’s typical teenager behaviour. This is what you do: phone Jade’s mobile one last time and if she doesn’t answer, which I don’t think she will, leave a message saying that if she doesn’t phone you within five minutes you’ll have to report her missing to the police. Say that you’re worried and she’s behaving irresponsibly, especially as she is pregnant and hoping for positive parenting assessment. She should get the message.’

It seemed harsh but I knew that Michael, like Jill, was a highly experienced social worker whose advice I should follow.

‘And if Jade does answer her phone I’ll tell her to come home straightaway?’ I confirmed.

‘Yes, but put a time limit on it. Teenagers work on a different time scale to adults. Tell her she has to be back in half an hour or else you will have no alternative but to call the police and start a missing person.’

‘Thanks for your help, Michael,’ I said. ‘I’m sorry to have troubled you.’

‘No worries. That’s what we’re here for. Give me a ring back either way.’

Having ended the call to Homefinders I keyed in the number to Jade’s mobile, but as before the call went straight through to her voicemail. I left the message Michael had suggested and then replaced the receiver, hoping that contacting the police wouldn’t be necessary. I had just enough time to go through to the kitchen and check if Adrian needed any help with his homework when the phone rang. I returned to the sitting room, picked up the phone, and was relieved to hear Jade’s voice.

‘Hi, got your message,’ she said casually. ‘I’ll be back soon.’

‘Jade, I’ve been really worried about you,’ I said. ‘I phoned three times. Why didn’t you return my calls?’

‘I had me phone off. I’ve only just checked it.’ Which may have been true, although it was a bit of a coincidence that she’d thought to check her phone a minute after I’d left my last message. But I gave her the benefit of the doubt.

‘OK. Where are you, love?’ I asked. ‘It’s dark now and getting late.’

I heard her sigh. ‘I’m at Ty’s,’ she said, irritated by being questioned.

‘How are you getting home?’

‘Bus. Same as always.’

I didn’t like the idea of a young girl riding a bus alone in the dark, but there wasn’t much I could do – I couldn’t collect her in the car, as Paula was asleep – and from what Jade had said she was used to using the buses alone at night. However, following Michael’s advice, I said: ‘Jade, I want you here in half an hour, love. No later. Do you understand? Otherwise I’ll have no choice but to start a missing person.’

‘Fine!’ she snapped. And cut the call.

I replaced the receiver and sat for a moment, feeling a little hurt, but aware I was going to have to become ‘thick-skinned’ and be firm with Jade. Her mother had made the mistake of being a chum to her rather than a parent and I thought Jade now resented me stepping into the role of parent and telling her what to do, even if it was for her own good and ultimately for the good of her baby too.

Forty minutes later, as I sat in the sitting room with the television on low and when Adrian was in bed, I heard the key go in the front door. Relieved, I went into the hall as Jade let herself in and closed the door behind her.

‘I’m pleased you’re back, love,’ I said. ‘Isn’t it cold out?’

Jade shrugged and was about to go straight up to her room. ‘Jade, before you go to bed can we have a little chat, please?’

‘Can’t it wait?’ she sighed, irritated. ‘I’m tired.’

‘It will only take five minutes. Have you eaten?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Let’s go and sit down and have a chat,’ I said, and I went down the hall.

With another sigh Jade reluctantly followed me into the sitting room and then sat in the chair furthest away from me. I knew I must make sure my approach was not threatening or accusatory. I smiled and in a calm even voice I explained that I’d been worried about her, not knowing where she was, as I would any young person I was looking after. I said that in future, for her own safety, I needed to know where she was going, how she was getting home and what time she would be back, which seemed reasonable to me.

‘I’m not a kid,’ Jade said huffily.

‘I know you’re not, love, but at seventeen you’re still a minor and while you’re with me I’m responsible for you. Apart from which I need to know you’re safe or I’ll worry about you. It’s what parents and carers do.’

‘Mum didn’t worry,’ she said moodily.

‘I’m sure she did,’ I said. ‘In her own way.’ Although of course boundaries are a sign of caring and Jackie had admitted she hadn’t put in place enough boundaries with Jade.

I looked at Jade, perched on the edge of the chair and eager to be away. I wasn’t convinced she was receptive to what I was saying, so I upped it a little. ‘Jade, when you didn’t come home or return my calls I phoned my fostering agency for some advice. The social worker there said that soon the social services will be starting an assessment of you, to see if you are responsible enough to keep your baby. You need to make sure you behave responsibly or it won’t look good.’

‘Are you threatening me?’ she said, her eyes blazing. ‘I told you me phone was off.’

‘I understand that and no, I’m not threatening you. I’m just trying to help you.’

‘Well, don’t,’ she snapped. ‘I don’t need your help.’ And hauling herself off the chair she stomped upstairs and to her bedroom.

Well done, Cathy, I thought, that was a successful chat, although in truth I wasn’t sure how else I could have handled it. Jade clearly resented being asked to conform to boundaries and perhaps she resented me.

I gave her time to cool off and fifteen minutes later I went up to her room and knocked lightly on her bedroom door. There was no reply, so I knocked again and then slowly opened the door and went in.

She was changed and in bed, on her side and apparently fast asleep.

‘Jade?’ I whispered. But there was no reply, so I came out, and hoped that in the morning we could start afresh.

Before going to bed I remembered to phone Michael at Homefinders to tell him Jade had returned. He was pleased Jade had made the right decision and said she was just testing the boundaries. I told him I didn’t think I’d handled the situation or our chat well and he said that I shouldn’t worry, as he was sure it would all be forgotten in the morning.

I didn’t sleep well; I tormented myself with what I should have said to Jade and what I could have said differently. I was realizing that dealing with teenagers is like walking on eggshells; I hoped I would do better and our relationship would improve.

The following day Jade stayed in bed, apparently asleep, until lunchtime. I checked on her a couple of times and then eventually I heard her get up and go straight to the bathroom, where she ran a bath. I was in the front room on the computer. Once she was washed and dressed, she came downstairs and on her way to the kitchen called a cheerful ‘Hi, Cathy,’ the previous evening apparently forgiven or forgotten. I heard her start cooking a fry-up, so I went in and checked she had everything she needed, and then I left her to it. She made me a cup of tea as she had the day before and we sat either side of the table and chatted amicably. She even washed up her breakfast things, so I didn’t really mind clearing up the bathroom after her.

However, that afternoon while I was collecting Paula from school, without saying anything to me in advance, Jade went out. I returned home to find a hastily scribbled note: Out with Ty. Back about 10 Jade. While I was pleased Jade had taken notice of some of what I’d said the evening before and had acted responsibly by leaving the note, I was concerned that I didn’t know where she was or how she would be getting home. Ten o’clock seemed far too late for her to be out alone, especially in her condition. It crossed my mind to phone her but I thought that might antagonize her, so I decided I’d talk to her face to face when she returned.

But when Jade arrived home, not at ten o’clock but at 10.45 and drunk, I was horrified. I knew I had to say something and I knew there would be a scene.

Chapter Eight (#ulink_457b9834-e50e-5b8f-b23f-52ea528249ce)

Silly, Silly Girl (#ulink_457b9834-e50e-5b8f-b23f-52ea528249ce)

‘Jade, have you been drinking?’ I asked, closing the front door behind her.

‘Yeah, why not?’ she said confrontationally. ‘It was me friend’s birthday.’

‘What friend? I thought you were at Tyler’s.’

‘Na. I was at me friend’s birthday party,’ Jade said, clearly having forgotten what she’d written on her note.