Nicky’s happy childhood ended when he was five. One day, his parents never came to pick him up from nursery. All the other children had gone home, but the little boy sat at the table, drawing pictures of himself, his mum, and his dad. The nursery teacher kept glancing at him, wiping her cheeks now and then. Finally, she walked over, scooped him into her arms, and held him tightly.
“You must be brave now, Nicky,” she whispered. “No matter what happens, you mustnt be afraid. Do you understand, sweetheart?”
“I want my mummy,” he mumbled.
“Your aunt and uncle are coming soon. Youll go with them, love. Therell be other children therejust dont cry.” She pressed her damp face against his.
Someone took his hand and led him to a car. When he asked when hed see his mum again, they told him she and his dad were far away and couldnt come for him today. Nicky was placed in a dormitory with other boys like him. But his parents never returnednot the next day, nor the day after that. The boy cried himself to sleep every night until he fell ill with fever.
Only after he recovered did a woman in a white coat sit him down. She explained that his parents were now in heaven, watching over him always. They knew everything about him, she said, so he must behave and stay healthy to make them proud.
Nicky didnt believe her. He stared at the sky but saw only birds and clouds. He decided he would find them, no matter what.
First, he searched the orphanage yard during playtime. At last, he spotted a gap beneath the fence behind a bush. The iron bars were bent, but he could only squeeze halfway through. So, he dug. The loose, sandy soil gave way, and soon, a tunnel opened wide enough to crawl under.
Nicky scrambled free and ran as fast as he could, desperate to escape the place he hated. But the city was unfamiliar, and he quickly got lost. Every house looked the same.
Then he saw hera woman at the crossing, wearing a polka-dot dress, her blonde hair tied neatly in a bun. Just like his mum.
“Mummy!” He sprinted after her.
She didnt turn.
“Mummy!” He grabbed her sleeve.
The woman crouched down, studying him. But it wasnt his mum.
Emily had fallen in love at twenty, and it was forever. She and James were perfect together, meeting by chance at a summer dance. Hed shyly asked her for a slow dance, and theyd talked all evening. He walked her home and never left her side after that.
They married three months later, blissfully happy. But after three years, Emily learned she couldnt have children. James struggled to accept it, and she endured endless tests and treatments. Eventually, they faced the truththey would never have a child of their own. James suggested adoption, but Emily loved him too much.
“You should divorce me,” she said. “Youre still young. Marry someone who can give you what I cant.”
James refused. Hed never leave her. So Emily hatched a plan. She confessed she no longer loved himthat there was someone else. James didnt believe her.
The next night, she stayed out until dawn, reeking of wine and aftershave. When James demanded answers, she insisted she had a lover. Heartbroken, he finally agreed to the divorce.
___________________________
When Nicky called her “Mummy,” Emily had been divorced for two months. She missed James terribly, wondering how he was. Now this strange boy clung to her, and her heart leapt.
“Are you lost, sweetheart?” she asked gently.
“Im looking for my mum and dad. They said theyre in heaven, but I dont believe it,” Nicky sobbed.
“Come with me. I live nearby. How about some cake?” She took his hand.
At home, Nicky devoured the pastries shed bought, washing them down with fragrant blackcurrant tea. Between bites, he told her everything. The older boys stole his sweets, called him names, even hit him. Emilys heart ached.
“Would you like to live with me, Nicky?” she asked. “When youre older, youll understand everything. One day, youll see your parents againbut not yet.” Nicky nodded eagerly.
Emily called the childrens home, returned him, and promised to visit daily. But she couldnt adopt himsingle women werent allowed. For the first time, she regretted the divorce. How could she get James back now?
Her only option was a sham marriage. She approached a divorced coworker, Simona flirt, but reliable. He agreedfor a price. A candlelit dinner, with “more” to follow. The thought repulsed Emilyshe still loved James.
But that evening, she found Nicky with a black eye. The older boys had punished him for “telling tales.” The staff had done nothing. She had to save him.
The next day, she accepted Simons terms. On Saturday, she dressed in red, lit candles, and waited, sick with dread. The doorbell rang.
To her shock, it was James.
“Ive been watching you, Emily,” he said. “Theres no other man, is there?”
Then the lift opened. Simon stumbled out, clutching champagne and flowers.
“Em, darling”
James turned scarlet, fists clenched. Without a word, he stormed down the stairs.
“James, wait! Its not what you think!” Emily chased him, but he jumped onto a bus and vanished.
Tearfully, she sent Simon away. What would happen to Nicky now?
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Two years later, Nicky stood proudly in his school uniform, clutching flowers for his teacher. His parents and little sister, Maisie, beamed at him. Maisie wriggled in their dads arms, while his mum wore her polka-dot dressNickys favourite.
James had rushed Emily to the registry office the day after Simon explained everything. Theyd adopted Nicky and, later, Maisie. They still visited the childrens home, bringing treats and gifts.
“Mum, Dad, I promise Ill be good,” Nicky whispered, gazing at the sky. “Dont be sadI love you, but these are my parents for now. Until I see you again.”
He knew his first parents had died in a car crash. He visited their grave and now understood heaven, thanks to Sunday school.
Emily had acted alone, but fate stepped in. She married James twicethe second time happily. And in the end, everyone got their happy ending.
