At five o'clock Colette arrived outside Guy and Anya's house with a duffle bag; she knocked on the door and waited. From the outside she could hear water splashing and laughter, "Zosia!" Colette heard Guy shout and then running down the stairs, "Hang on," Guy said again and Colette assumed he was wrapping Zosia in a towel. Then after a few minutes the door opened and Colette saw that her assumption was right, Zosia was wrapped in a towel.

"Col!" Zosia shouted happily and Colette smiled at the toddler, "I wanna see Col," Zosia stretched her arms out but Guy pulled her back.

"Maybe when you're dressed," Colette said and Zosia still reached out for her. Guy let Colette in and then shut the door, "How's you know who doing?" Colette asked using code as she didn't want to upset Zosia.

"Zoshie," Guy said to his daughter and Zosia looked at her father, "You go wait on the sofa and Daddy will get you changed in a bit OK," Guy said and Zosia then went off into the living room whilst Guy shut the door and turned to Colette, "They're waiting to see if the chemotherapy will work, but it's still touch and go…Zosia might be a bit scared as she's used to having one of us around, but the best thing is to distract her. Bed time is six o'clock she's had her tea already, but you'll have a battle getting her to sleep; give her warm milk just before bed in her bottle, only way I can get her to drink anything at the moment and keep 'Lamb' with her at all times," Guy explained and Colette nodded, then he opened the living room door finding Zosia laid next to Bagheera - the cat stroking his fur, "Zoshie…daddy will get you in your pyjamas then he's going OK," Guy explained and Zosia sat up her eyes wide with fear, "Col's looking after you. You like Colette."

"When's mama coming home?" Zosia asked tearfully and the question made both Guy and Colette's hearts break.

"Let's get you into your pyjamas and then I'll say goodbye OK," Guy avoided the question, since he had no idea how to answer.

"I want Col to do it," Zosia said and she looked up at Colette with her big eyes, which Colette gave into and then went upstairs into the toddler's room to get what she needed. Then she came back downstairs with a: pink night dress, pink dressing gown and a nappy.

"She'll be sick of pink by the time she is five," Colette joked and Guy laughed lightly, "Right I do this then you say bye to your daddy," Colette said to Zosia and Zosia nodded, "Do you need to go to the toilet before I get you dressed?" Colette asked and Zosia shook her head, "OK."

….

A few minutes later Colette had Zosia in her pyjamas and then left Guy sat with Zosia for a while to talk to her, "Now…when you next see your mama, she is going to look a bit different, but she is still your mama and loves you very much," Guy had to warn Zosia as Anya's hair was gradually becoming thinner and falling out, and it would shock Zosia if she had no idea, "Zoshie do you hear me?" Guy asked and Zosia nodded, "Right…I'm going to see your mama now OK…and how about you make her with Colette's help, a card," Guy suggested and Zosia thought hard,

"Will mama like it?" Zosia asked and Guy smiled before nodding, "K."

"Good girl," Guy kissed her forehead and Zosia then hugged him tight, "No naughtiness OK," Guy ordered and Zosia nodded, "Kocham cię Zosia."

"Kocham cię papa," Zosia replied and then Guy stood up then walked out of the longue, Zosia then started crying, then even more when she heard the car start and drive away, "I want daddy," Zosia cried and rubbed her watering eyes, "I want daddy," she cried harder.

"Hey Zosh," Colette walked in and sat down next to the crying toddler, "It's OK," Colette reassured and lifted her onto her lap; Zosia cried into her chest, "Shall we make your mama's card?" Colette suggested to distract her and Zosia lifted her head up and slowly nodded, "OK shall we see what's in your special box?" Colette asked and she put Zosia on the floor then walked over to the bright pink box and took out arts and crafts equipment: glue, scissors, coloured card and stickers along with felt tip pens, "Right you," Colette pulled Zosia onto her and tickled the toddler who screeched with laughter, "What colour is this?" Colette held up blue card and waited for Zosia to answer.

Zosia took a few seconds before grinning, "That buee," Zosia answered and Colette hugged her and kissed her on the head.

"What about this?" Colette asked as she held up red card and Zosia grinned again the pointed to the card.

"Wed," Zosia answered and Colette hugged her again, "Ow you hurted me."

"Sorry," Colette then held up green card and Zosia stood up before holding the card herself.

"Gr-eeeen," Zosia answered and Colette smiled, Zosia then sighed and stomped her footm "Card," Zosia said impatiently and Colette then covered the floor with all what they needed.

Colette helped Zosia with her drawings: a heart, teddy bear and a bed, but allowed Zosia to colour them in only they were scribbles but still cute, "Hey Zosh what colour is this?" Colette held up a pink pen and Zosia looked up from her colouring.

"P-ink," Zosia answered and Colette the walked over to where Zosia was, "Will the card make mama better?" Zosia asked and Colette pulled Zosia onto her lap and pulled her hair back. Zosia had pen ink all over her hands but Colette knew Zosia needed a distraction; Colette had a feeling that when Guy said 'make a card' he meant Colette do all the work and Zosia sticks it on, only Colette knew Zosia liked getting messy and Colette didn't mind it either.

Colette after Zosia finished colouring cut out the pictures and laid them on the floor, "I think that your mama will be very proud of what you've done," Colette answered the little girl and then Colette got the glue, "Shall we glue it on?" Colette asked and Zoisa nodded enthusiastically, "Go on then," Colette gave her the glue and kept a close on eye on Zosia as she knew that Zosia had a strange obsession with licking glue, only Zosia today wasn't doing that but just to make sure Colette still kept an eye on her.

Zosia finished sticking the pictures on the blue card and then waved it in the air proudly, "I done," Zosia said happily though she had glue on her hands and somehow on her face. Colette took the card off her and put it on the table.

"Well I am very proud of you," Colette lifted her up and span her around which Zosia laughed at, "Now you have to walk," Colette put her down on the ground and Zosia fell backwards a bit, "Did you enjoy doing that?" Colette asked and Zosia shook her head to try and get her head together, "You didn't enjoy making the card?!" Colette asked in a joking way.

"Yeeeah!" Zosia answered and she then yawned, "My hands all sticky," Zosia laughed when she noticed that she could keep her hands stuck together, "Look sticky," Zosia then wiped her hands on Colette's trousers and Colette sighed heavily, "I'm sticky!"

"You're a sticky monster!" Colette lifted her up again and Zosia wrapped her arms around her neck, "Shall we go wash your hands?" Colette suggested and Zosia nodded.

Colette took Zosia into the kitchen to her hands, she squeezed soap onto the toddler's hands and then showed her how to wash hands properly, "Mama does that!" Zosia said loudly and Colette smiled sadly, "I rinse off now," Zosia held her hands under the water and then once done she held her hands out to be dried.

"Right I think we can write the message now," Colette said and Zosia smiled, "Come on then," Colette held out her hand for Zosia to take and Zosia took it and they walked back into the living room, "Right…what shall we write?"

"Mama…urrr…get well soon and….I miss you," Zosia answered as she then put her thumb into her mouth, Colette got the card and a pen, "I write Col."

"How about I write the message and you can write 'love Zosia'?" Colette negotiated and Zosia nodded, "OK…I'm writing: To Mama,

I hope you get well soon and I miss you," Colette then gave Zosia the pen to write her part, "Slowly," Colette warned and Zosia wrote though in handwriting that wasn't very clear but still came from her heart: Love.

Zosia then put the pen down and looked up at Colette, "Name…can't do it!," Zosia said frantically and her big eyes filled with tears, "Mama won't like it," Zosia cried and coughed.

"Hey shh…look…this is how you spell it," Colette got some spare paper and then showed Zosia how to spell her name, "Z.O.S.I.A."

"K," Zosia took the pen back and copied well attempted to copy what Colette had wrote, she put giant X's and then gave the card back to Colette.

"That's brilliant!" Colette praised Zosia and Zosia smiled feeling happy for being praised, "You mama will be so proud," Colette gave her a side hug and kissed her on the head again, "Are you tired?" Colette asked as Zosia shook her head but yawned, "Shall I make you milk and we watch a video?" Colette asked and Zosia nodded, "Come on then," Colette lifted Zosia up and put her on her hip before walking into the kitchen, "Right you misses stay there," Colette put Zosia on the counter and Zosia stayed put. Colette poured milk into a jug and then poured it into a saucepan before turning the gas on and waited for the milk to heat up, "Did you have fun making the card Zosh?" Colette asked as she stirred the milk.

"'Es…Col…can I sleep with you?" Zosia asked and Colette really wanted to say no, not that she didn't love Zosia but Zosia tossed and turned a lot and didn't sleep for ages.

"Of course you can," Colette replied not able to be that mean, especially when Zosia was hurt enough already, "Right…I'll bring this in OK," Colette said as she left it to cool and lifted Zosia off the counter before taking her back into the living room and sat her on the sofa, "I'll be back in a second OK," Colette then left the toddler to pour the milk into the bottle. A few minutes later Colette walked back into the living room and found Zosia again laid down stroking the cat, "What do you want to watch?" Colette asked Zosia and Zosia reached for bottle, "We've got: Peter Pan, The Jungle Book, The Many Adventures Of Whinnie The Pooh, Pete's Dragon, Oliver and Company…this one is very new," Colette explained and Zosia sat up before sliding off the sofa then pointed to The Many Adventures Of Whinnie The Pooh, "OK you go sit down and I'll put it on," Colette ordered the little girl and Zosia did as she was told, after Colette put the video in she then walked back over to the sofa, "This film will be long for you Zosh, do you need the toilet?" Colette knew once Zosia was engrossed in something she forgot to do other things.

"I no need too," Zosia replied as she laid her head down on the cat's body, "Baggy comfy."

Colette and Zosia watched the film laughing when bits were funny like Pooh got stuck in the tree hole, but Zosia got scared when Heffalumps and Whoozles appeared and hid her face until they went, then Zosia changed her position she laid her head on Colette's lap and drank her milk, finishing it completely after a few minutes. After an hour and a bit the film finished. Zosia sat up and looked up at Colette, "You OK?" Colette asked as Zosia looked worried.

"What if mama doesn't like my card?" Zosia asked tearfully and Colette looked confused, "What if mama-"

"Zosia," Colette pulled her onto her lap and Zosia cried into her chest and Zosia draw circles on her back, "OK listen to me…your mama will be so happy with the card, she will love it so much," Colette reassured the toddler and Zosia pulled her head back, "OK," Colette dried Zosia's tears and Zosia hugged her again, "I think it's bedtime."

"Stay with me," Zosia begged and Colette nodded before lifting her up, "Pomise!"

"I promise," Colette said and Zosia smiled, "Teeth, story then bed," Colette explained and Zosia yawned again.

…..

After Zosia brushed her teeth with help she then made her way into the spare room, where Colette would be sleeping, Colette finished putting on her pyjamas, once Zoisa was asleep she planned to watch some T.V., but she had promised the toddler she'd stay it was just lucky that Anya and Guy put a T.V. in the spare room, "Right you bedtime," Colette pulled back the duvet and lifted Zosia into the bed, "And I picked the book: Hansel and Gretel," Colette said and Zosia nodded, "This was my favourite story."

"But you're old," Zosia giggled and Colette laughed which Zosia started laughing too.

"I was little once as well," Colette told the two year old and Zosia laughed again, "Now…" Zosia curled up into Colette and held her lamb close to her, "Once upon a time a very poor woodcutter lived in a tiny cottage in the forest with his two children, Hansel and Gretel. His second wife often ill-treated the children and was forever nagging the woodcutter.

"There is not enough food in the house for us all. There are too many mouths to feed! We must get rid of the two brats," she declared. And she kept on trying to persuade her husband to abandon his children in the forest.

"Take them miles from home, so far that they can never find their way back! Maybe someone will find them and give them a home." The downcast woodcutter didn't know what to do. Hansel who, one evening, had overheard his parents' conversation, comforted Gretel," Colette looked over to find Zosia asleep so Colette put the book down and switched off the bedside light; then put on the t.v. only on very quietly. Zosia once or twice turned but stayed asleep.

Colette an hour later heard Zosia wake up and rub her eye, "Col I need a wee-wee," Zosia said and Colette got out of bed, lifted Zosia up and took her to the bathroom and waited for Zosia to go to the toilet. Afterwards Colette put the nappy back on and then helped Zosia wash her hands again, "I went wee-wee on my own," Zosia said proudly.

"Yes you did," Colette praised and then again she lifted Zosia back into bed, Zosia then curled up to Colette again, "Who's come to join us?" Colette asked and Zosia grinned as she felt the familiar fur of her cat curl up next to her.

"Baggy," Zosia laid her head on him and stroked his fur, "Col."

"Yes?" Colette asked.

"I love you."

"I love you to Zosia," Colette answered and she played with Zosia's hair to help her fall asleep, Zosia eventually fell asleep and Colette then spent the rest of the evening watching T.V. whilst Zosia slept.

A/N: I've wanted to write another little Zosia and Colette story; as well as I'm tempted to write a story where Colette and Zosia have to share a hotel room whilst on a conference what do you think? Reviews are welcome xxxx