'Have you got Scarlett?'

The above is a sentence that I never want to hear again. I have just had the worst hour of my life. 

Today 4.26pm  

Phone call from Scarlett's Grandma (Scarlett's Dad's Mum.) 

'Have you got Scarlett?' 

Me: 'No it's Wednesday, I don't pick her up on a Wednesday.' 

Scarlett's Grandma (SG) : 'Her Dad didn't pick her up from school and the office told him she had left with an adult.'

Me: 'What?!!! No I haven't, I will call my parents and see if they have her.' 

Me to my parents: 'Have you got Scarlett?'

Parents: 'No.'

Me: (Breaking into hysterics) : 'Oh My God....she's missing.' 

Cue running around the flat in panic trying to find my keys, shoes and handbag while thinking that I'm going to have to call the police as some horrible person has taken my baby. 

News confrences flashed before my eyes with missing child plastered all over them. I struggled for breath realising if she was picked up at 3pm she had been missing for an hour and a half. 

15 minutes later..

*Missed call from parents.*

I ran outside hoping to see my Dad's car to take me to Scarlett's school. Nothing. I paced up and down the street, crying and holding down the urge to vomit. 

*Call from parents*

Parents: 'Scarlett is safe and still at school.' 

Me: 'What?! What is going on?????'

I called Scarlett's Grandma...

Me: 'Where is she?! 

SG: 'She was in cookery club, when no one collected her they presumed she was going to that. The office had a mix up and thought she had left but she was there the whole time!' 

My heart was still going ten to the dozen, and I couldn't stop crying with relief. 

I have since spoken to Scarlett and she was so happy she had been to cookery club and is none the wiser, but the school better watch out when I write my formal complaint...

1. What kind of school let's a child leave with 'an adult' without knowing who they are? 

2. Why did the school not call me or her Dad or any of the emergency numbers that they have for us? 

3. What kind of place thinks a kid is going to a club that they haven't signed up for? 

4. How was there such a mis-communication that she had left?

And to Scarlett's father...

You really are all shades of an idiot. 

He thought his Mum was going to get her and when she returned without her he called the school. Baring in mind if an adult had taken her she would have been missing for over an hour. 

Why did he not phone me?! Oh, because we haven't spoken or seen each other in years because he has not forgiven me for kicking him out. 

Ridiculous and I said as much in a politely worded text- to his Mum...

*Please tell Scarlett's Dad if anything ever happens to Scarlett I need to know straight away and he must phone me. I think I need some way of contacting him too should anything happen when she is with me. Regardless of what has happened between us we are her parents and it's about time that we started communicating. She will be having parents evenings and events at school that we should both be a part of. I'm sorry for what happened all those years ago but we need to start a fresh for Scarlett's sake.*

So maybe after all of the panic, this may make him realise that he does need to speak to me as Scarlett's Mother. 

Maybe some good will come of this, everything happens for a reason. 

Only time will tell...the main thing is that Scarlett is safe. Thank God.