In Maggie's Eyes

by

Rosemary
(chris.nash@cableol.co.uk)

I remember what it was like then. We never saw dad. So what if he did miss mum- at least that's what Niles told us when we asked him- so did we. Well perhaps it was best that Dad did hide away in his office with C.C., at least then he wasn't shouting at us. Nothing we did could please him. Brighton used to be really evil, and Gracie spent more time with her therapist and imaginary friends than us.

We had loads of different Nannies. All of them were the same, old and frumpy. Dad always chose women who reminded him of his old nanny. She must have been a real dragon. Brighton always acted up for them. He spent all his spare time trying to figure out practical jokes that would upset them. Then at least dad would have to come and see us, even if it was only to tell us off.

We were always so different from all our friends. Dad never let us have friends round and made us dress like something out of an old storybook. If he even heard that I'd talked to a boy he'd find some way to embarrass me in front of any friends I might have. He said it was only because he loved us, big deal! To him loving us always seemed to be saying NO!

He was always telling us the way we would have been bought up when he was young. He never admitted that he had hated his childhood, well at least not then. Mum had always told us that Daddy had had a very unhappy time when he was young, being shipped off too some boring old fashioned boarding school when he was seven and looked after the rest of the time by Field Marshal Von Nanny.

I remember feeling sorry for him. Mummy had been determined that we would have a different kind of upbringing, full of love and cuddles with no boarding schools or Nannies. Then .. well then she had the accident and everything changed.

Dad hid from everything including us and only cared about his work. Niles was more like a father than he was, but much as we love him Niles can be so reserved and a little sarcastic sometimes. He's not the kind we could run to for a hug when we needed it.

Then one day Brighton upset the latest nanny so much she left in a huge temper and vowed to get us blacklisted with every nanny agency in New York. Dad was furious. He had a party planned for the weekend and we would get in the way. He needed a nanny to keep us occupied and out of his hair. Niles would be far too busy to deal with us. That's all we were to him, a nuisance and in the way.

Then this woman knocked on the door. Dad thought she was a nanny from the agency at first but then found out she was just selling cosmetics. She sure could talk fast, she actually managed to get dad to give her a try out for the weekend. Dad was so desperate he agreed.

Fran entered this house in a whirlwind of hair and laughter. We all liked her immediately, She could laugh with us and understand us. She knew what tricks Brighton might think up before he'd even though them. We knew with in a few hours that she was on "Our Side". Gracie was such a shy little thing then, always hiding away, playing with her imaginary friend but Fran had an amazing effect upon her. Within a few hours she had worked some kind of magic and Gracie was back with us, sure she still spouted all that therapy stuff but at least she was joining in with the family again. Fran managed to persuade dad to let us come to the party. She took us out and bought us the most beautiful clothes we had worn since mum died. She even made dad laugh and talk to us instead of at us.

Within a few hours she had turned the house upside down and inside out. We loved it. Daddy claimed that he didn't and even tried to get rid of her. That didn't last long though and soon Fran was a permanent member of the household.

Daddy always called her Miss Fine, so did Niles, But to us she was just Fran. She was so different to anybody else we had ever met. At first I agreed with Daddy that she had the most awful high pitched nasal whine of a voice you could imagine but after a while we didn't notice, we just loved her. The amazing thing was that she loved us and really cared about us. She would always stand up for us and argue with dad in support of what we wanted, well if she agreed that is. She actually got dad to accept the notion that I was a teenager and not five years old anymore.

It felt great to be loved again, to know that whatever we did Fran still loved us unconditionally, no ifs or buts she loved us and what's more told us so. She cuddled us and scolded us with the same gentle loving touch that I remember mum having.

Did I mention that she was stunningly beautiful. C.C. hated her. She'd always had a thing for Dad. Mum used to laugh about it, she knew Dad would never feel anything romantic for C.C. That would have been like having a crush on a fridge. Mum was a good friend to C.C and for a while even turned her halfway human but after she died it soon wore off. Fran drove C.C. mad. So did Niles. He was always making snide remarks about her and could be incredibly cruel. He hated the idea that she might think she loved dad. Lately, I've began to wonder if perhaps he might like her himself, well just a bit.

Dad has become a real father again now. He laughs and jokes with us and even cuddles us. It is so great to hear him tell us that he loves us and cares. Now we know we aren't just in the way. Funny thing was for years he tried hard to pretend that he had no feelings for Fran. Niles kept telling us to be patient. He was so sure that one day everything would work out right but in the meantime Fran was always there for us.

She was always there for dad too. They bickered like mum and dad had, but always made it up in the end. Fran has this way of getting into trouble. Somehow she always messes things up but more often than not it works out in the end. Dad always forgives her, a bit like he might one of us when we're in trouble. We all thought he and Fran were in love years ago but sometimes adults can be so dense. Eventually I think even dad had realised how much he loved her but he still wouldn't say anything.

It all seems so silly now. Dad and our new Mum are off on their honeymoon now. She really is our mother, she's adopted us. At last we can really be a proper family again. Perhaps I may even have a new brother or sister one day. The number of accidents and mistakes Fran seems to make it wouldn't surprise me if it happened sooner rather than later. Gracie would love not being the baby anymore, even Brighton would love it although he might not say so . Sometimes he's so like dad.

They were so funny just before they got married. They were so determined that they had to set a good example and not sleep together before the wedding it was really silly. The only real example they needed to set us was how to love each other completely and devotedly and they certainly did that.

Grandma Sheffield didn't come to the wedding and says she'll never come to visit again. One can always hope I suppose. Besides we have a proper Grandma now and a great Grandma, in fact we have a whole new family.

Fran -or should I say Mom-and her family may be a little loud and sometimes a bit, well unsophisticated but they love us and we love them. Dad may have spent his childhood away from his parents and any real love but we haven't. We had love and caring from out first mum and now we have love, caring and friendship from Fran- Whoops Mom. I can't wait for them to return from their honeymoon. I wonder what adventures Mom ( I got it right that time) will have fallen into while they were away. We wait with baited breath for the next chapter to unfold in the Sheffield saga. One thing's for sure with Fran around it'll have us laughing and loving.

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