By Iona Laing

Chapter Nineteen – Nightmares and explanations.

(Julia.)

I was back at school, and it was playtime, and as usual the favourite game was shove Julia around.

“Who would want to be a foster carer for you?” Shove!

“You are a worthless piece of shit!” Shove!

“Nobody likes you!” Shove!

“Who would want to be bothered with scum like you!” Shove!

“Yeah, do us all a favour and run away!” Shove!

“Why don’t, “Julia”, you run f**king away Julia!” Shove.” Shake!

““Julia” Why don’t you “Julia” drop dead! Shove!

“Drop dead!” “Julia!” Shake!

“No one” “Julia Wake up!” Wants you”

“Julia, Come on Julia” Shake!

“Julia, please Julia, wakeup, it’s a dream, a nasty dream, that’s all it is, come on Julia!”

I awoke with a scream!

“Shush, Julia, shush, come on sweetheart, your perfectly safe, I’m here!”

I woke to find myself in my Grannies arms. She was hugging me tightly and rubbing my back.

“See Julia you are quite safe, here have a sip of water!”

I gulped quite a bit of the water as I was thirsty. Then I looked at Granny more than a bit confused!

“I thought Grandad was going to spend the night with me?”

“That’s what you were supposed to think, but it was just a ruse to get Jessie home and to enable her to have a good sleep in her own bed.”

Granny gave me an extra firm hug.

“She’s been prowling around this room like a caged tiger of a night when you have been asleep in your bed, she wouldn’t relax, so, her father and I engineered the argument between me and your Mum yesterday, leaving her with no choice but to go home! That’s why her brothers were called in as well as Jacqui, to make sure she’d give in gracefully and agree to leave you in the care of someone else for one night.

Then your daft Grandfather nearly blew the whole scheme by talking about more past events, much more than he meant to.”

“But my Mum, is she alright?”

“Jessie nearly came right back to see you last night. Thankfully Jenna had managed to get her into bed and had got her to take a couple of her sleeping pills which Jenna had mixed in with Jessie’s hot chocolate. Your Mum will sleep until quite late in the morning, so I have plenty of time to tell you her story, everything she wanted to tell you herself but didn’t know how.

Your Uncle Jason had already got me halfway back to the hospital before it all nearly unravelled, firstly with your Grandad’s big mouth and secondly, with you being so clever in adding up a lot of loose ends.

So, Julia, I am going to tell you a story, a true one, but a story of one young woman’s battle to be true to herself, her battle to be heard by those who loved her but wouldn’t listen to what was so plainly obvious, about her battles against those who hated her, belittled her and abused her, her battle to recover from an attack that led to six people spending many years in prison for attempting to murder her, and the subsequent discovery of despicable crimes against many other children. But most of all, her battle to rescue a child from the clutches of a social care system that that is extremely short on care. So, before I start, let’s get you to the loo so you can be all comfy when I begin this tale.”

After seeing to all that was needed.

“So Julia, twenty-one years ago I fell pregnant, I already had a baby I was caring for named Jenna, . . . . . “

So, Granny told me the whole story of Jessie, her youngest baby and now my Mum.

She cried, . . . I cried, . . . . we both cried!

Granny looked at me intently.

“So you see Julia, Jessie was desperately trying to work out how to tell you, her story. She did not want to hide the truth from you, but she was terrified you would not accept her; however, she was determined to give you the love you had been starved of but deserved.

So please Julia, don’t judge Jessie too harshly.”

“Granny, I want to see my Mum as soon as I can this morning, I know it is only very early in the morning, but I want to give her the biggest hug I can manage, and to give her a kiss that comes from the bottom of my heart. I loved her anyway, but hearing everything she has gone through makes me love her even more. I knew I was lucky she came into my life, but I want her to be happy, I want her to be well, I want her to get healthy and stay that way.

I know we need my Dr to sign off on my discharge, but can we hurry that along so that I can be at my Mums side when she wakes up.”

“Jump down Julia, let me go make some enquiries!”

Chapter Twenty – Aftermath and Happiness.

(Jessie.)

I felt more rested than I had in a long time. I had almost forgotten how comfortable my bed is. I could feel a hand brushing my hair away from my face and caressing my cheek.

“Mmmm, that’s nice,!”

“You have lovely hair Mum”.

“Thank you!”

“You’re welcome!”

“Did you have a good sleep?”

“I did thank you Mum!”

“That’s good Julia, . . . Julia?”

I opened my eyes to see a smiling Julia, under the covers with me, caressing my face. My brain felt very fuzzy! ‘What was my daughter doing in bed with me? In bed with me at home? Our home and not our room at the hospital? She’s supposed to be in hospital still, until I fetched her later this morning and signed her out.’

“What time is it love and how come you are here?”

“It’s almost lunchtime, Granny said “If you don’t get your backside into gear and get downstairs you won’t have any lunch!” so come on Mum, get your dressing gown on and Granny has some soup and fresh bread for us and Jenna to share, it smells wonderful, I never knew you could make soup from actual things, I’ve been helping by peeling potato’s and chopping carrots, I thought you only got soup from tins!”

“Okay Jessie love, go downstairs, tell Granny I am coming! Then the three of you can tell me how come I have slept half the day away, how it is that you are home from the hospital without me being there to sign you out, and how come I feel like I have been drugged?”

“Sorry Mum, Granny said I had to actually bring you down with me or neither of us would get any lunch! Plus, she thought you might be a bit wibbly wobbly on your feet”

“Gordon Bennet! I bet Jenna is at the bottom of all this! Okay, okay! Just let me pop to the loo and we’ll head down together, then I want some answers!”

Julia held my hand as we walked down the stairs. I must admit the aroma of Mums soup was mouthwatering and made my stomach rumble. We walked into the kitchen. Mum was stirring a pot on the stove as Jenna was sorting out plates, bowls and cutlery.

“Look, Sleeping Beauty awakes! At flaming last” laughed Jenna.

“Why do I think I have you to blame for me feeling more than a little spaced out this morning Jen?”

“Moi? Morning? I think you will find that it is now afternoon!

But, yes, I may have slipped you a couple of your sleeping tablets last night, but in my defence, you were driving us all blooming crazy with your prowling about! We had to do something to get you to switch off and get some real rest. You were that tired that you couldn’t detect the taste of the tablets that were dissolved in with your hot chocolate, and I know they are a little bitter. Think yourself lucky, I was all for bonking you on the head, but I was outvoted, but it was a close call!

But anyway, that’s all academic sister dear. You needed the rest, now you have had some sleep, a good long sleep actually, and waking up next to Julia must have been a nice surprise. So, sit down and shut up!”

“Now girls, let’s not turn Julia’s first meal in her new home into a battleground.

Pick a seat Julia, have some soup, plus the Gluten Free bread is nice and warm. After we’ve had this, I have a Gluten Free chocolate cake, then we can explain to Jessie what went on this morning. After that you can show her your new bedroom and how it has been decorated, and some of the new clothes we have bought you, as I doubt she had chance to have a look at much of it all last night, and if she did, I doubt if she remembers too much about it”

So, we enjoyed our lunch then we sat in the living room and started to talk.

It was explained that Jenna kept a close eye on me as I slept away the best part of fifteen hours. Then how my Mum had gone to the hospital and had explained to Julia my story in all its gory detail.

The story of how being intersexed had impacted my early life. The close bond Jenna and I shared. The attack and how our family had pulled together. Then afterwards how the family coped with realising their son and brother, was a genetic daughter and sister, much to Jessie and Jenna’s delight.

I described how I’d always felt myself to be a girl and how Jenna had stood by me for years until we were vindicated by the medical discoveries following my attack. Plus, her treatment of Jessie as a sister and never a brother and how she had kept my secret for five or six years and never once betrayed my trust, how she is and always will be, my heroine.

We spoke about other aspects of the fallout from my attack; how much school life improved for pupils of all ages and not just me. I related how difficult I found it to accept if people’s changed opinion of me was genuine, or if it was offered just to fit in with the changed perception of the masses. I didn’t like to hold a grudge, but the old saying “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me!”

Julia looked at me, and frowned and asked, “What does that mean?”

“Basically, it means if someone lies to you or tells you one thing that later proves to be false that you should not fall for the same trick twice, ‘That was such a good scam. I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. I feel like an idiot right now, and there’s no way I’m ever falling for something like that again. Fool me once, that’s because you are nasty, fool me twice with the same lie, that means I am stupid!’”

She nodded her understanding. She cuddled up to me all the time, both Mum and Jenna had tears as I related to Julia what life was like, some things, like feelings were new to them, but to be fair some were new to me as I had never really expressed my feelings with the benefit of hindsight. I think it was therapeutic for all of us.

Then with a beaming smile, I related how I had found my perfect job and had worked with many, many children, until I had met Julia and my life took off in an entirely unexpected direction.

All information I had wanted to impart to Julia but hadn’t known how or when to tell her.

Julia took my hands in hers.

“Mum, Granny explained how all the bits of the story I had only half understood, fitted together. I am amazed at how strong a person you are!

I am so proud to know you and I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that you want me to be your daughter, I don’t care about your past Mum, but I want to be part of your future if you’ll still have me, will you Mum?”

I grabbed hold of Julia and hugged her tightly.

“Sweetheart, I am thrilled to be your Mum. Even though I still feel a little spaced out, I feel better for having had a good sleep. So how about you show me your bedroom?”

“Yay” she yelled and pulled me upright and we all went up as she proudly showed me the things she now had, items she could only dream about, but I understood more than most, as I too, at one time, had looked on at such a lifestyle from the outside!”

(Jennifer.)

Over the next few weeks our family life settled down into a new routine. Julia was like a child experiencing life for the first time. She wandered around with a wide-eyed wonder at things we, as a family took for granted. In no time at all she was an integral part of our lives.

Jessie was ordered to use significant chunks of her accrued annual leave to rest up and recharge her batteries. She was able to spend great amounts of time with Julia, showing her everything from the school to the family heavy vehicle repair business, to Jessies office at the hospital, and all the tools she used in her work with the children that came into her sphere.

Then, when we celebrated Christmas, she almost overdosed on the love we each shared with one another.

Jessie had taken her shopping, so she was able to purchase a small gift for each of her new family. She took great delight in wrapping the presents she’d chosen, something Jessie loved to do. Fancy ribbons, bows and gift tags. She took great care in placing her gifts under the family tree.

Come Christmas morning she couldn’t believe how the number of presents had swelled due to Santa’s visit.

She was allowed to open a few of her presents, then she and Jessie went to visit the sick kids still in hospital, where they handed out the small gifts they had purchased and wrapped with the same level of care and devotion Jessie had always displayed. This was something Jess had done for many years and still continues to do to this day.

Then once they had returned home, we all opened the rest our presents.

She spent so much time playing her new young cousins that the adults almost had to prise them away from her so they could visit other branches of their families. It was a great day for us, Jeff Snr and I had our five girls’ home with us over Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

So Jacqui, Deb’s, Jenna, Jessie and Julia had a great time together.

Sadly, Deborah’s parents could not accept their daughter’s lesbian relationship with Jacqui, obviously, she was deeply hurt by her family’s rejection, but she’d been a member of our family from an early age, and as it became obvious how much love they shared, she’d been like a daughter to us for most of her life.

Julia certainly brought a new and refreshing dynamic to our family. I swear she made us all slow down a little and take time to enjoy life, even as we were racing about at one hundred miles per hour or so it seemed. It was impossible to imagine our family without her being a fundamental part of our existence.

Jessie had typical feelings of separation anxiety all Mums experience when Julia started at the Junior school in early January. But seeing her daughter leaving school in the middle of a group of happy smiling faces went a long way to easing her mind that Julia was not going to experience the hassle and abuse the Jessie herself had suffered.

As time went on, it seemed that Julia had always been a part of our family.

She couldn’t wait to get to play with her young cousins, and they took to her as if she had always been part of the experience of spending time with Auntie Jessie and Julia was just there and always had been!

The summer holidays we always spent walking in the Scottish Highlands. These weeks were forever a highlight of our year. Julia had never been anywhere further afield than the local park and that was a rare event. Seeing the sights the United Kingdom had to offer really opened her eyes to the beauty that was not too far from her own doorstep.

Jessie finally relaxed a little more with each moment she spent with Julia. She relaxed into the role of being a Mum and responsible for someone else. Her loving nature seemed to deepen and become less frenetic, she was always popular at work, but even that seemed to increase as she now had a parents experience to add to her arsenal of gifts and tools she used as part of her job.

Julia did have episodes of wishing she didn’t have to share her Mum with so many others. We all made sure she was kept occupied, and sometimes she would go to work with Jessie, and would help other kids by playing and listening to them. She was like Jessie; there was no way her health restrictions were going to stop what she wanted to accomplish. She took an interest in drama as Jenna had done, she loved music and took up learning the guitar much to her grandfather’s delight. It was a brilliant to hear them jamming together, making music and lots of laughter too, they were a real couple of head bangers! Hearing “Smoke on the Water” being hammered out from the front room always made the windows rattle.

Our family continued to evolve. Cheryl announced she was pregnant with her and Jeff’s third child.

Jenna seemed to feel that she no longer had to purely be Jessie’s big sister and started dating a doctor from the hospital. Cheryl eventually delivered a daughter, Judith Jade, so continuing the double J naming strategy. Julia loved her boy cousins dearly, but she was besotted with Judy, it was heart warming to watch her tenderness in being with her newest cousin, she wasn’t even put off by dealing with the occasional messy nappy either!

When it was approaching the twelve-month anniversary of Julia joining our family, she came home from her school one afternoon to find Jessie anxiously waiting for her with a large manilla envelope in her hand.

I was watching from the kitchen as Julia approached, looking more than a bit dubious. In her experience, anything official looking with her name on was generally bad news.

Chapter Twenty-one – Finale.

(Julia.)

“What is this?”

“Why don’t you open it and find out?”

“Is it something about me?”

“Open it and see!”

Julia cautiously took the envelope from Jessie's hand and read the name typed on the front.

JULIA JULIET JONES.

Julia frowned and very carefully slid open the flap and pulled out the sheaf of papers contain within it and started to read.

“I don’t understand, who is this Julia Juliet Jones, are you getting rid of me and replacing me with her? I thought you loved me and were going to take care of me forever.

“Don’t cry Julia, please sweetheart, look at the heading at the top of the page!”

“Adoption Certificate? ADOPTION CERTIFICATE!”

“Yes Julia, it is official, Julia Juliet Jennings is now officially Julia Juliet Jones, my daughter, forever and always.”

“Really? You adopted me?”

“Yes I did; I told you I would!”

With a squeal I threw myself at Jessie, and our world was complete, I was officially loved and cared for, and no-one, absolutely no-one was ever going to take this from me.

(Jennifer.)

Two years had elapsed after the formal adoption and Jessie was Chief Bridesmaid to her sister Jenna at her marriage to Doctor Matthew Graham, so the J.J.J. sisters were no more. Julia looked equally beautiful as a bridesmaid, along with Matthew’s younger sister Abigail. Matthew’s brother Richard was his best man, and to Jessies very great surprise, she found herself intensely attracted to him. Richard had recently qualified as a doctor and was specialising as a Paediatrician.

Then twelve months later Jessie and Richard announced their engagement with a wedding date in the following June.

I was a very proud mother of the bride the following year when my baby walked down the aisle on the arm of her father. All her family looked proudly on from the aisles as Jessie Jocelyn Jones became Jessie Jocelyn Jones-Graham. But the proudest spectator of us all was Julia. She stayed with Jeff and I while her Mum and new Father went on their honeymoon to The Isle of Skye.

The street was fast becoming known as the “Jones” crescent. We had lived in the same house since Jeff and I married over thirty-eight years earlier. When Jenna married, her and her husband had bought the next but one house from us. Then when Jessie married, she and her husband had managed to purchase the house in between Jeff and I and Jenna and Matthew.

It was almost ten months later, we were all gathered for our Annual Easter Sunday lunch. This year Easter fell right at the very end of April. There was a definite underlying current of excitement. After we had all gathered in the living room, Jenna coughed into her hand and asked for our attention.

“On this day we celebrate the rising of new life, Matthew and I have an announcement to make. I am pregnant, we have had it confirmed by Dr Hunstanton, I am due around the 28th December!”

There were many squeals of delight and hearty handshakes, Jenna and Jessie were hugging each other tightly with tears streaming down their faces. Julia was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet also in floods of tears tugging at Jessies sleeve.

As I watched the three of them, with Jacqui and Deborah also attendance, I saw Jessie whisper into Jenna’s ear who screamed and jumped up and down and fanned her face with her hand. She shouted for us all to be quiet. Jessie looked across at Richard who nodded.

“Well, I want to announce that I too am pregnant, this is going to sound like a repeat proclamation, I have had my pregnancy confirmed by Dr Hunstanton and, believe it or not, I am due on the 29th December.

Just like nearly everything that has happened to me in my life, I get to share this experience with Jenna. This is an incredible co-incidence that I get to share the most amazing experience most women ever undergo with my sister, my best friend forever, and most importantly my daughter too. Our husbands are just along for the ride!!”

Even more congratulations were spread amongst all the family, with the sharing of anecdotes and the promises of sharing of maternity clothes.

As the dust from those announcements were beginning to settle, the final twist in our tale occurred just last week.

A buzzing of the doorbell took me to the front door. When I opened it there was a middle-aged woman standing on the doorstep.

“Excuse me, but can you tell me if Jessie Jones lives here?”

“I’m sorry, but who wants to know?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, my name is Grace Jennings, I think Jessie Jones adopted my granddaughter, Julia Juliet Jennings.”

“I’m sorry Mrs. Jennings; but, honestly, you are not welcome here, Julia is finally a happy individual who has buried a lot of heartache and rejection behind her, I am sorry but I don’t want to undo all the good work my daughter, and all of us really, have put into healing a lot of the psychological damage she experienced earlier in her life, I’m sorry that this is likely not the response you were expecting but Julia and Jessie come first.”

“Please Mrs. Jones I understand, honestly, I do, please believe me when I say I do not intend to make any waves within your family. I just wanted to hand over some photographs that Julia might like to have at some stage! I know it is too late now, but I want her to know she was always loved, even if that love was invisible.”

“We were led to believe Julia had been abandoned by those who should have loved her. That child went through abject misery and total hell until she was rescued by my daughter. Julia is now Jessies daughter in the eyes of the law and she is our granddaughter who we love to bits.

Social Services have a letter signed by your family stating that you wanted nothing further to do with Julia, you even threatened legal action if contact was ever made again. Your family threw away contact with Julia’s mother, I don’t know why, but that woman went through hell and paid for it with her life, and her daughter barely survived over eight years of misery, so, if you don’t mind, I have things to do, and I would be very much obliged by your staying away from my daughter and her daughter, now my granddaughter, otherwise, this mother will go ballistic on anyone who wants to get in between them. Do I make myself clear?”

“Perfectly Mrs. Jones, and please, I am not looking to get between your daughter and Julia. I am ashamed that I was not a strong enough person to stand up to my husband before now. He was the one who threw our daughter out of the family home when she told us she was pregnant, the father, we were pretty sure was the son of our minister. But I couldn’t confirm that and was warned in no uncertain terms to back off. I wanted to help her, but he is a violent bully, and I am ashamed to say I did not leave him before now. I was a typical battered wife who thought she could change her partners behaviour. I was so wrong.

Rachael was a good girl who planned to study to become a primary school teacher, sadly life kicked her in the teeth and the one person she should have been able to turn to and trust, i.e. me, turned her back on her, and I can never now tell my baby how much she was loved. She died in squalor, I can never, ever undo that.

I just wanted to leave you some photos of Rachael, Julia’s mum when she was little and we were a happy family. I promise, I will not make waves in Julia and Jessie’s lives. I am just so glad Julia has finally got someone who loves her and cares for her as you all obviously do, it is a weight off my mind.”

Mrs Jennings was partway down the path when I called her back, I wondered if this was the right thing to do but she seemed genuine in her remorse.

“Would you like to come in for a cuppa?

“I would like that very much, if you are sure I won’t be a bother?”

“You seem like you need a friend, so come in for a cup of tea, and I can show you some photographs of Julia.”

We sat and nattered for a couple of hours; she sobbed after seeing Julia’s photos.

Then the front door burst open and a voice called out “Granny, I’m home!” I heard a bag slam onto the floor and feet start rushing down the hallway before another voice called out “Julia Juliet Jones-Graham!

Does your coat live on the floor? I think not! Come back and hang it up properly, take your dirty shoes off and put your slippers on, then you can go and get one of Grannies homemade biscuits.

You can move your school bag from the middle of the floor too!”

An exasperated voice responded, “Yes Mummy, sorry Mummy, will do Mummy!”

Grace and I smiled at each other as we both relived many similar conversations we’d had in the past.

Moments later, the mini tornado that is Julia rushed into the kitchen, “Hello Granny! Can I have a biscuit please? Have you had a nice day?” before she skidded to a halt staring at the strange woman sat in the kitchen.

Jessie walked into the kitchen moments later, she too had a confused look, before she smiled, stepped forward offering her hand to Grace Jennings, “Hello, I’m Jessie Jones-Graham, pleased to meet you, this bundle of energy is my daughter Julia who has suddenly gone shy and is hiding behind me! Say hello Julia!”

“Hello!”

I thought it was time to make the introductions. “Sit down at the table please girls, I have someone I’d like you to meet!”

“Julia, Jessie, this lady is Grace Jennings, she is Julia’s biological Grandmother!”

Both Julia and Jessie looked more than a little startled. Julia latched onto Jessie’s arm. who adopted an antagonistic pose.

“Please girls, don’t worry, I have not come to get between the pair of you. I just wanted to hand over some photographs of your birth Mum Julia. I saw you just the once, and Rachael, your birth Mum was so proud she had a baby girl, someone she named after two of her favourite people, she had great plans for the two of you, but sadly it wasn’t to be. She loved you to bits Julia, but she was just a child herself and the person who should have helped her didn’t, and that is something I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life. But you are a beautiful young lady, you look so like Rachael it is scary, as well as looking very like Jessie.

I just wanted to see for myself that you were happy and well cared for, something I should have done for my own daughter yet failed miserably to do. These are some photographs of Rachael, that I thought you may like to keep!”

“Why did you turn your back on my Mum?” trust kids to get to the heart of the matter.

“Because Julia, I was a coward, I let Eric, your grandfather, rule our lives.

He is a woman hating bully, I thought I could change him, but I feared him too, I ended up in hospital several times after he’d hit me. I’d pass it off as me falling downstairs or walking into a cupboard door or something similar. He always apologised, said he was sorry but when he threw Rachael out and forbade me from having anything to do with her or her child part of me died. His abuse became worse, his threats worse, he said if I left him, he would track down and kill Rachael. I only found out she’d died a month ago, I had searched for her for ages, I had no idea her child had been in care all her life.

Then I saw Jessie’s wedding photographs on display at the local photographers. I saw your photos as bridesmaid, not only do you look so alike but you resembled Rachael, that was how I was able to track you down.

I was just bringing some photographs I thought you might like to keep, I shall leave now, and I promise not to bother either of you again, I just want to say thank you Jessie, not only for what you have done for Julia but your work with the sick kids. You are admired throughout the city!”

The front door flew open.

“Hi Honey, I’m home, thought I’d better butter you up first, . . . I have brought one of your sons with me. Now, . . . before you see me, I better own up, . . . as you’ll be giving me a telling off! . . . Again!”

He entered the kitchen.

I have damaged my ruddy hand at work and find driving a bit of a pain at the moment! Oh, hello, I’m Jeff and this great lump is our younger son Jason.”

“Erm . . . “

“What did you do this time you great idiot?” as I took his bandaged hand in mine, “This lady is Grace Jennings, Julia’s biological grandmother, she’s brought some family photographs that she thought Julia might like to keep of her birth mother!”

I could see several emotions crossing Jeff’s face, before a steely resolve set in, Jason leant against one of the kitchen units with his arms firmly crossed.

Jessie was pacing around the doorway. It was then that the doorbell rang twice in quick succession. “I’ll go.”

We heard the door fly open and Jessie squeal.

An irate man surged into the kitchen, he was a big man who reeked of booze. He roared out.

“I told you Grace, I would kill your daughter if you left me, now that that bitch is dead, I’ll have to settle for killing this f**king little bitch instead!” and he launched himself at Julia who screamed and flew backwards into my arms.

Suddenly Jessie shot into the kitchen and with a flying kick, she flew into the side of Eric Jennings left knee. The cracks and crunches from his knee were impressive but sickening as he collapsed and started to scream in agony, however, he met Jason’s right fist as it arced upwards and Eric’s head snapped backwards as several teeth flew into the air. Eric lay on the floor unconscious. Jeff stood with a foot on Eric’s chest.

“Jen, phone the police!”

Jessie was back on her feet and was struggling to get in another attack on the comatose Eric Jennings, but Jason had her firmly around the waist and kept her kicking feet clear of the floor.

“Let me at him! . . . I’ll kill the bastard! . . . How dare he threaten my daughter! . . I’ll kick his other leg in! . . . Then his f**king head! . . . Let me go, Jason, let . . .me . . . go!”

“Shush Jessie, calm it girl, think of your baby, calm it, that bastards not going anywhere!” Jason rocked a sobbing Jess from side to side, and Julia flew into her mother’s embrace.

Grace Jennings was sobbing out how sorry she was for inadvertently bringing such an animal to our house.

The police and ambulance crews were soon on the scene.

Given the news Jess was newly pronounced pregnant the paramedics were insistent that she went to the hospital for a full checkup, Julia went with her.

Eric Jennings was under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, threatening behaviour, domestic abuse, criminal tresspass and that was just what the police could come up with in the immediate aftermath of the afternoon’s events.

But before a court appearance, he was taken to hospital first for surgery to try and repair his shattered knee and then have his fractured jaw wired shut.

Grace was able to get her husband charged with historic domestic abuse, as the x-rays and medical records were still on file within the hospital. The threats against Julia were also going to be prominent in the list of charges against Eric Jennings at his future trial.

Chapter Twenty-two Epilogue.

(Jessie.)

Well, I have had an amazing life so far. I never ever expected to achieve what I have; I still have to pinch myself from time to time to prove that I am not dreaming.

When I was a young child, a very desperately depressed little boy, very close at times to throwing the towel in and giving up, I never dreamt that I would get to live my dearest wish and become a woman, let alone still loved by my family, plus being a fully functioning female now in the early stages of pregnancy.

I already have a beautiful daughter who will make a glorious big sister no matter whether she has a brother or sister to care for.

It makes no difference to me that I had to adopt her to rescue her from a potential life of sadness and misery. I always introduce her as my daughter and leave it at that. If people want to do the mental maths and class me as a teenage Mum who was stupid or careless enough to fall pregnant, that is their problem not mine and I could care less what they think of me, as long as Julia is not suffering abuse as a result of misconceptions of myself.

I shared so much of my life with my sister Jenna. She has been my rock; my constant companion and I have so much I owe to her, basically I owe her my life.

She heard me when I was at my lowest, when I didn’t think anyone would understand my feelings, she was there for me. She never left my side, and always but always had my back, even when I didn’t understand what that phrase actually meant.

She fought a lot of battles on my behalf. She underwent a lot of hassles for me; she was at my side when everything could have gone pear shaped when our family learned the truth about me and she explained a lot about my journey when I wasn’t able to string two words together.

Julia and Jenna have finally gotten through to me that I am worth loving, that I could indeed love myself, that I was a person of worth. I knew the concept and had skated around its edge, but they both ganged up on me and finally opened the eyes within my heart, that I could love myself as I loved others. It is a hard thing to do, to change your view of yourself by one hundred and eighty degrees but manage it I did.

I now have a husband, Richard who loves me, a man who actually loves me in spite of my backstory, to him it matters not one jot. I love him dearly; he has helped Jenna and Julia to enable me to see the real me for myself. The latest miracle is that I have a child actively growing within me. Me a mother! Incredible! I can’t wait to feel our child moving within me, and being able to compare notes on an almost daily basis with my sister is beyond belief.

As a result of both Jenna and mine announcements, Jacqui and Deborah revealed that they were well into the process of Deborah becoming pregnant via a sperm donor and utilising artificial insemination. They have even considered asking Jeff Jnr and or Justin for a contribution and mixing the results and utilising the old “Turkey Baster” process, so there is a “Jones” element involved, but there are a lot of family dynamics to work out first.

What is really good news is that the pair of them ran into Deborah’s mother while in the local shopping centre. Within moments Debs and her Mum were enjoying the first hug they had shared in years. So perhaps there is hope for a renewal of contact between Deb’s and her family. Her mother did admit that her and her husband now realised that Deb’s and Jacqu’s, shared a true love and not just a silly schoolgirl crush. We are all keeping our fingers crossed.

When I announced my engagement to Richard, of the many people to seek me out was Karen, Julia’s Social Worker from years gone by. She was more emotional than I was as she reminded me of her request not to give up on mankind and that her fondest wish was that I would find a life partner, when I first became Julia’s Mum. She is retired now and lives up in Aberdeenshire, but even with the distance between us, she had heard through the grapevine of my pregnancy and after telephoning me to give me her congratulations, she sent a parcel of hand knitted baby clothes for me to share with Jenna.

Even knowing my history, Peter and June, Matthew, Richard and Abigail’s parents, also known as mine and Jenna’s in-laws, accepted me (and Jenna) with open arms. Abigail is now studying to be a Doctor at The University of Birmingham’s medical school so that will make all three of their children M.D’s. In spite of their loftier upbringing than that of the “Jones” family, we have gelled like one humungous collective. In fact, our parents and Peter and June have been on regular holidays together, and all are beyond excited at the impending births. In fact Julia, who is so smart she finds a lot of school to be tedious, is now seriously considering a career in medicine just like her father, uncle and Aunt Abigail. I just hope the stresses involved in studying for a Medical Degree will not adversely affect her health, but one thing I do know, is that she is too stubborn to let such a thing as health restraints to restrict her ambitions, just like someone we all know!!

George Knott, our old P.E. teacher, his nephew Dennis, Martin Hines along with Alan and Brian Bromley have all been up for parole twice since their original sentencing. At both sets of hearings the whole of my family along with many former victims of their reign of tyranny were crowded into the room to which they were escorted to face their accusers once again.

My Mother and myself addressed the tribunal the first time with lots being drawn from among the other attendees to give reasons why we all opposed their early release. The second time it was my father and myself, along with a few of the others who addressed the panel.

My Father almost found himself in legal trouble as he issued barely veiled threats to all five defendants that once they were released, they better not trouble his family otherwise he would personally take the matter up, man to thug, upon being warned by the head of the Parole Review Panel, he said he meant to say man to man. He was warned as to his future conduct but not even a blind man could fail to recognise the glare, he and my two brothers fixed the five thugs with every time they perused the crowd that had come to ensure justice was meted out as much as we were able.

I have since heard that Martin Hines, who was deemed to have played a lesser part in the attacks and being somewhat younger than the others, has been released and left the area in a very short period of time. My father and brothers wore grim but satisfied smiles, but none of them would admit to being actively involved in his departure.

Grace has a part in our lives, that is still in its early days, but she does seem sincere in her remorse.

So dear reader, I hope you feel you are up to date with all things with Jessie, Jenna and Julia

I could not wish for a more incredible life, and my journey, to paraphrase another author, one Bilbo Baggins who composed the walking song, “The road goes ever on!”, so dear reader I wish that your life journey goes ever on, as does mine and that in spite of all you face, it may bring you as much happiness as mine has brought me.

Take care of yourself, and as the famous Irish comic Dave Allen used to always end his tv programmes with the saying, “May your God go with you!”