Ruth was thorough with the limited tools at her disposal. She looked at Jess’s eyes, hands and hair, she took her pulse while I took Jessies blood pressure, sats and temperature.

“I’d really like to run a couple of blood tests, a full blood count and a check of your iron levels. How are your periods, Jess?”

“Okay thanks!”

I couldn’t help but snort in derision.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” shot back a defensive Jess.

I sat on the bed. “Well Ruth, as you would expect for two young women living and working closely together. Our periods are pretty much in sync. But I have noticed the Jessies have slowly gotten longer, and if the number of pads and tampons we are getting through of late is anything to go by, hers are heavier than they used to be!”

“Is that correct Jess?”

“Well yes, but what’s that got to do with me being tired and breathless?”

“Well Jess, I suspect you are suffering from acute anaemia. Are you having more headaches?”

“Yes, almost every day, but doesn’t everyone get them from time to time?”

Yes, they can do, are you more tired than usual?”

“Yes, a little!”

“A little Jess, you fall asleep in front of the tele most nights, even dads noticed, he said the other day you nap more than he does, and he performs a heavy-duty manual labour job.”

“Okay, look at your hands, the skin is very dry, do you moisturise?”

“Yes Ruth, I have to.”

“Why?”

“Why?, because if I don’t my skin feels dry and awful!”

“Do you condition your hair?”

“Yes, although it has been drier of late and a bit more brittle now that I think about it.”

"Your pulse is more rapid and erratic than I’d like, but without running an E.K.G. I wouldn’t be able to say for definite. I think you are going through a bout of heavy periods, and you haven’t been replacing the iron you have been losing, so that’s caused you to have fewer red blood cells in your system than you need. You are a small woman Jess, so it wouldn’t take much for your system to get out of whack. Add that to your respiratory problems and no wonder your sats and energy levels are so low.

Now, all these tests could be run, but it would have to be official to keep the bean counters in this place happy, but that would mean splitting you and Julia up, plus, with you legally being Julia’s carer we wouldn’t want her sent elsewhere while you are sorted out, someone might even say you weren’t physically fit enough to be a foster carer at this point in time.”

Jess sat there in shock.

So, is Sandra Skinner still your G.P?”

“Yes Ruth, she is.”

“Right, as soon as you are both out of here, I want you to make an appointment to see her as soon as possible. I suspect you may benefit from a series of B12 injections, a course of iron tablets, and if you are not already taking it, consider going onto the contraceptive pill to help regulate your periods, but you have to watch out for nasty side effects, especially blood clots and embolisms. Also consider a diet richer in folic acids, like those recommended to women who are pregnant. But all this advice is from one friend to another.

Once the dust has settled, I’d like you to make an appointment to see me, it must be a couple of years since I last checked you over so you must be overdue to see me, okay Jessie, now, are you listening to me? Seriously listening?”

“Yes Ruth, I’ll make the appointment, thank you for the advice, I really appreciate it!”

“I’ll make sure she takes all your advice on board Ruth even if I have to batter her!”

“That’s good Jenna, now if you ladies will excuse me, I better get back to where I am supposed to be before someone sends out a search party.

Take care of yourself Jess, don’t let everything you have fought against all these years, and the battles of the last day or so all unravel because you are too stubborn to listen to those around you.”

With that Ruth left, closing the door behind her leaving just me and Jessie alone in the room.

“You will listen to what you have been told, won’t you Jess?”

“Yes Jen, it all makes sense doesn’t it, my symptoms all fit don’t they?”

“Yes Jess, but the good news is that it is a fairly straightforward fix, yes?”

“Yes Jen, I have to get this sorted don’t I, I can’t afford to let Julia down!”

“No Jess, but it isn’t just Julia, and yes she is really important, but think about Mum and Dad, Jeff Jnr, Cheryl and their two kids, Jason and Denise plus their two, Jacqui, Deborah, and me you bastard, what about me?” I was now in tears.

We have been through so much together, how could I possible live without my little sister, my B.F.F.

Think about what you mean to so many people apart from yourself. I’ve heard you telling Julia off for saying she’s a worthless freak, but deep down, you still feel that is you, don’t you Jess? You’ve never really and truly got past all the name calling and abuse you suffered as a kid, have you? But please Jess, let the past go, you have proved so many people wrong.

I have seen you working with the children of some of the morons who abused you at one time or another. But without fail, they have thanked you, said they wouldn’t have coped without your input. Some recognised you and were visibly embarrassed when they thought about how, as kids, they themselves hurt you.

Others have said to me that they can’t believe the person they inflicted so much emotional pain on, is such a loving, caring individual, who goes above and beyond the call of duty to provide such love and compassion to children in their hour of need.

Look at how the exposure of Paterson and Knott changed the regime within our school. That was as a direct result of that barbarous attack on you, but even that brought unexpected benefits, because you became my sister for real. So cut yourself some slack Jessie, you are an incredible human being who is loved by more people than she will ever realise.

Your taking on being a foster mum to Julia is an incredible gesture from one hurting individual to another. Don’t screw that up by driving yourself into the ground. We deserve you as much as Julia needs you, so please Jessie, take time to look after number one, i.e. yourself, please, I’m begging you!”

“Okay Jenna, okay. I need to stop and smell the roses as they say. I will try my best, I promise, I also can’t promise to be one hundred percent successful, not straight away, but I will try my best to love myself. All this emotional stuff is knackering that’s for sure; I could do with forty winks!”

“Well Jessie let’s get you into bed properly, you could always wear your new nighty, it will please Julia no end that her new mum would wear the same night attire as she will later. Besides there is so much mascara on your top it’s probably more than what is left in the tube it came from, I think we’ll need to invest in some waterproof stuff next time we go shopping!”

“Okay, anything for you sis, I do love you, you know?”

“Of course, I know that stupid, now let’s get you changed.”

We quickly got Jessie changed into her Disney® Frozen nighty, then into her recliner chair/bed. It’s a good job she’s so small. Within a few minutes she was deeply asleep. So, I quietly closed the door and left her to rest after making sure her nose piece was in place, I will try and talk her into a face mask for a while, just to give her a bit of a boost.

It was about ten minutes later that Julia came back onto the ward with Jacqui and Debs, all three with beaming smiles although they did give concerned glances to the closed door to Julia’s room. I went over to them and said Jessie was okay, just having a bit of a nap. Jacqui and Debs both gave me worried glances over the top of Julia’s head who was still sat in the wheelchair.

Jacqui smiled at me as she crouched down to be at Julia’s height.

“We know something you don’t!”

“Debs also put her head close to Julia’s,

“Do you think we should tell her, or will you Julia?”

“Can I ask her?”

Jacqui and Debs both nodded and got me down to Julia’s level.

“Well, it’s like this, if Jessie is going to be my new Mum, that makes Jacqui my Auntie Jacqui and Deborah, my Auntie Debs, so would it be alright if I called you my Auntie Jenna or Aunt Jen if you wanted?”

“Oh sweetie, that’s the nicest thing I thing anyone has ever asked me, I would be honoured to have you consider me to be an aunt, come on, let’s go and tell your mum, oh, we’ll have to wait a while as she needs a bit of a rest!"

“Actually Jen, Deb and I need to get going, I’ve had two texts from mum already as we’ve some shopping in the car that she’s waiting for to decorate Julia’s new bedroom.”

“I have a new bedroom?”

“Of course you have Julia, it used to be mine, where did you think you were going to sleep, in your grandfathers garden shed?”

“Grandfather? That means I have a grandmother now too?”

“You certainly do sweetheart, you have four great grandparents too, but you’ll meet them later when you are both feeling better, they’re all eager to meet you so don’t you go worrying. Can we just have a quick look in on Jessie Jen? Just so we can say to mum how she looked when we left, you know she’ll never give us any peace if she doesn’t get the full picture!”

“Okay, but be quiet, she needs a rest more than anything.

I opened the door quietly, and they all looked in on Jessie. There were “Aahs!” when they noticed her Disney® Frozen nighty.

“Okay girls, let’s leave her to snooze for a bit longer!”

“I’m not asleep!” said a quiet voice from the chair.

“Mummy, how are you feeling?” Julia rushed over to the chair and gently ran her hands up and down Jessies exposed arm.

“I’m okay sweetheart, just a bit tired, but I know why I am feeling so tired and it is something that is easily put right, so there’s no need for you to worry. You come and sit with me, you can read some more of “Swallows and Amazons” to me if you’d like to.”

“Okay mummy, can I wear my new nighty too, then we’ll match. Mummy, as you are now my new mum, I asked if I could call Auntie Jacqui, Auntie Deborah and Auntie Jenna well, aunties and they said yes. Isn’t that great?”

“It’s wonderful sweetie, you are a lucky girl aren’t you, Jules!”

“Jules?”

“Well we all have slightly shortened names, Jacquiline is Jacqui or Jac’s, Deborah, is Debs, Jenna is Jen, I’m Jessie or Jess, so you have to have a shortened name too, so Julia, becomes Jules! But only if you like that!”

“Oh yes, that makes me fit it even more.”

I saw Jess was flagging again.

“Okay Jules, lets me and you leave Aunties Jacqui and Debs to say bye to your mum for now, then, when they come out I’ll get Nancy to go in with you and help you get into your nighty and then I want you back on your oxygen nasal clip, so your mum doesn’t feel she’s being a nuisance. Then you can read to her, I know those books are her favourites.”

“Okay Auntie!”

Jacqui and Debs came out from Jessie after about five minutes, both had been crying, Nancy took Julia in after she’s said bye to her new aunties and thanked them repeatedly for all her new stuff and how much she loved them and how she couldn’t wait to meet them again.

Once Julia was out of earshot, I took Jacqui and Debs into my office and gave them the low down on Jessie. They were a bit overwhelmed with everything she was coping with. They were more than a little pissed at her for with how much she’d hidden and vowed they were going to be more vocal in her need to care for herself better from now on!

They said they’d fill in our parents once they got to the house. That was going to be a tense conversation, especially with our mum who continually blamed herself for the many health problems Jess has encountered. All due to the problems she’d experienced throughout her pregnancy. An incorrect conclusion to have reached, but that was how she felt and we knew we weren’t going to change her mind now.

Nancy came out and said Jess had fallen back asleep so Julia was watching cartoons on the television, I would nip back in once I’d seen to the two discharges who were going home today.

Chapter Eighteen – Jessie and Julia are discharged.

(Julia.)

It was late the following day when I was told I could go home the next morning if I had a good night with plenty of rest..

Jessie, my new mum was so excited to get me out of the hospital and settled in my new house, my new home, she nearly made herself poorly again.

Her mummy, my new grandmother Jennifer really told her off. Granny Jenny told my grandfather Jeffrey to take my mummy home with him, and granny would stop with me the last night of my stay in the hospital. Mum told gran that if anyone was staying with me it was going to be her. Gran told mum she needed a good night’s sleep and granny would be the one staying with me.

Jessie almost started to get into a blazing argument with her mum. Grandad tried to get in-between them to stop them arguing, it was a bit scary to see Jennifer and Jessie almost coming to blows. I didn’t like them arguing and I started to quietly cry. Grandad picked me up and gave me big hugs as he looked at the two of them.

(Jeffrey.)

“Are you two satisfied now?

That’s enough! you two, you are so alike it is scary. Julia doesn’t need this kind of atmosphere to mark her last night here in hospital. She should be excited about coming home with us, instead, you have both frightened her. I am not standing for it.

Both of you sit down and shut up!

You have Julia thinking that these sorts of arguments are what life is going like, that this is what life is going to be like for her, yet we all know that that it isn’t the case, is it?”

I stared at the two of them, and neither of them said anything, but both looked more than a little embarrassed! I held Julia effortlessly in my arm. I looked them over and shook my head, then picked my phone up out of my pocket, pressed one button and placed the handpiece to my ear.

“Jeff? Hi, listen, is Jason still at the house with you? . . .

He is, brilliant, listen son, I need the two of you to do me a favour, . .

Excellent, listen, I need you both to come over to the hospital, . . .

No calm down, there’s nothing wrong, other than two big kids can’t agree to play nicely. . . .

Exactly, your mum is trying to ride roughshod over Jessie and Jessie won’t let others render help to her and Julia.

Exactly, . .

So, get Jenna to pack an overnight bag for me and then can you and Jason pop over the hospital, bring me my bag, then take your mum and sister home with you and I’ll spend the night here with Julia, keeping her company, that’s if she wants me to that is?”

I looked at her, and she nodded with a smile.

“Yes Jeff, Julia has more sense than her mum and gran combined.

So, I don’t care if you have to toss them over your shoulders, take them both home, your mum has things she wants to get organised ready for Julia’s arrival anyway, and your sister is too knackered to think straight, so, Julia and I will have a nice evening tonight, play a few games, watch a film or two and if your mum and Julia’s mum can behave themselves overnight, then I might let them come back to the hospital tomorrow morning to take her home, if not I will bring her home with me on my own.

You will, . .

That’s great Jeff, see the pair of you shortly, cheers!”

With that I hung my call up and put the phone back in my pocket. Giving Julia a smile, I winked at her I turned back to look at my wife and daughter. I sat down on one of the chairs and settled Julia on my lap.

“I hope the two of you are proud of yourselves.

We, as a collective family, are supposed to be offering Julia a new start in life.

Well, you two have made a right pig’s ear of things so far and not covered yourselves in glory have you.

Jen, you are desperate to protect Jessie, and given everything she’s been through I understand that completely, I do, but you need to learn some tact, yes, Jess is your baby still, and probably always will be as far as you are concerned, but she is also a young woman who knows her own mind.

But honestly Jess, you promised loads of us only hours ago you would accept help when it was needed, we would offer it when required. But look at you. The first test of that resolve and you throw it back in people’s faces, I’m sorry Jess, but you are going to have to learn to accept help from others, and yes, they might want to do it differently to how you would want to do it yourself, but you are not some sort of Super Woman, well there again, to be fair, you have come close to being one, however, that is beside the point. you must be willing to let others in to help in their own way.

I love you both dearly as does Julia, but come on girls, let’s have a bit of give and take here please.

Julia and I will spend some quality time together this evening and we want the pair of you to do the same, but mostly, Jess you have to rest, the next days are going to be busy, fun filled and exciting and we both want you to be able to share these so we can all make great memories together.

Jen, accept Jess has valid reasons for what she wants, let’s have some compromises here. Blimey, you love each other, let’s see that love demonstrated!”

(Julia.)

My grandaddy let me scoot off his lap and I gave my granny a big hug, and as she hugged me back, we rocked from side to side. I whispered into her ear.

“I love you Granny, but please, look after my Mummy, make sure she gets lots of rest, please Granny, I don’t want to lose her, I’ve only just found her!”

“I will sweetheart, I will look after her I promise, besides your Auntie Jenna is at home, and she is scarier than either of us!” Then my granny kissed my forehead.

Next, I went over to my Mum.

“Please Mum, I need you to be a good girl, rest up for everyone please, you promised, didn’t you, you pinkie promised me you would rest and do all the things that doctor lady told you, but you are almost breaking your promise already. So Mum, I need you to make me another pinkie promise, come on Mum, pinkie out, and promise me that you will keep all the pinkie promises you have made me."

“You are right Julia, I am sorry sweetheart, here is my pinkie. You make the promise, and I will agree to it.”

“Thank you, Mum. Will you promise me you will go home with Granny, not argue, and have lots of rest, then you can have loads of fun with me when I get home!”

“I solemnly promise on my right pinkie, that I will go home with your Granny, I will rest up and be a good girl, so that when we get you home, we can all have a great time, here you go Julia, I will give you my other pinkie, and I will make you the same promise again Julia, I will be a good girl and rest up, okay?

I am sorry Julia, I love you and I am learning how to care for a daughter, it will take me some time, but I will get it right I promise.”

I was sitting on Mum’s lap reading some more “Swallows and Amazons” when these two huge men came to the door. As soon as I saw them, I thought they were coming to take me away from my Mum, so I scooted off her lap and hid behind her.

Then I noticed Auntie Jacqui standing behind them with a big smile on her face. She was holding her arms open to me, I was tempted to run to her for a hug, but that would have meant getting too close to these massive men. Then as I looked closely at them, then looked at Grandad, who smiled at me and nodded.

Aunt Jacqui pushed the two men out of the way and knelt down “I’m not surprised you think these two dodgy characters should be avoided, come give your Auntie one of your crushing hugs!”

I ran and jumped into her arms. Oohh, that’s wonderful sweetie. But I better introduce these two mountains to you, as they are my two brothers. This one who blocks most of the light from the room is your Uncle Jeff, and the other one who blocks slightly less light is your Uncle Jason. They don’t bite, not unless someone hurts a member of their family, but they are both big softies really, but that’s a secret just amongst us girls. but they would love a hug from their niece, if that is okay with you?"

I looked at Auntie, then at Mummy and they both smiled at me and nodded at me.

I reached across to the bigger of the two men, he was the biggest man I have ever been near. He carefully hugged me and stared into my eyes. “Hello Princess Julia, you are very pretty, it is amazing how similar to Jessie you look, it’s uncanny!”

“Thank you Uncle Jeffrey, I think Jessie is beautiful, she is much prettier than I’ll ever be. But it is really nice that you think we look so similar!”

“Don’t ever sell yourself short sweetheart! Here, let me pass you over to your other Uncle!”

I was passed to the second brother.

“Wow Princess, I thought you looked so very much like Jessie from a distance, but seeing you for myself now, close up, it’s like looking back in time. Uncanny! Anyway Julia, I’m your Uncle Jason, but just between you and me, I’m not only the youngest uncle, I’m also the smarter and better looking!”

“That’s enough cuddles from you two morons!” laughed Auntie Jacqui as she took me from Uncle Jason’s grip.

“We can’t stop as we had to park in the short stay car park so we need to get going. No doubt your Mum has lots of stuff to get together to take home with her. These two have come to physically remove your Mum and Granny from the hospital, they have come to do all the heavy lifting!”

“But I don’t think Mummy or Granny weigh that much!” I stated which seemed to cause the adults lots of laughs.

I looked about confused. “But Grandad said they had to carry them out over their shoulder in necessary.”

Granny patted my head. “Your Grandfather was just joking!”

“They have just come to carry a lot of the bags, and some of the clothes and cuddly toys you’ve been given off to your new home. We have a wheelchair for your Mum, which I know she will hate, but she will keep quiet about, as part of her deal to do as she’s told, so she can be properly rested for when she collects you tomorrow! Isn’t that right Jess?”

“I suppose so!”

“I hope you won’t be so miserable when it comes time for you to be discharged tomorrow, you will also have to use a wheelchair too Julia.” Auntie said with her back to Mum as she winked at me, I couldn’t help but giggle.

“No fair! But I surrender gracefully!” said Mum.

It took about ten to fifteen minutes to get together a lot of the stuff Mum and Granny were taking away with them, so we just had the minimum to take tomorrow. But as we got closer and closer to the time when Mummy would have to leave for tonight, the more tearful Mum and I became.

“We haven’t hardly been parted since I first came to keep you company almost five days ago. But we can do this one night. It’ll be morning before we know it. Look I’ll make sure your Grandad has his tablet charged, then at bedtime you wear your Disney® Frozen nighty, I’ll wear mine and we will have a mobile phone video call over “WhatsApp®, okay.”

I couldn’t speak so I just nodded at Mummy, then we all left my room to walk to the main doors to the ward. I travelled in my Mummy’s lap until we got to the doorway, then Grandad pulled us apart, and Mummy and I were to be truly separated for the first time in several days and would be for almost fifteen or sixteen hours. I sobbed on Grandads shoulder, and I could see my Mummy slumped against her Mummy’s arm as they travelled down the corridor, we each waved until they were out of sight.

Eventually I stopped crying and I had a good time with my Grandad. As we played games, he told me lots of stories about their family as they all grew up. About how close Jeff, Justin and Jacqui were as they were all of similar age groups and were, like their father really into their sports and were all tall.

Then he spoke about how close Jenna and Jessie were and how they closely resembled their mother. He also started talking about all the abuse and bullying Jessie had suffered, but how that had all changed when Jessie was around ten or eleven.

I looked at him; it was like he was desperately trying to change the subject.

I was ready in my posh nighty, waiting to talk to my Mummy and it seemed my Grandad didn’t know what to talk about next.

I turned to face him. “Grandad, everybody keeps telling me how closely I look like my Mum!”

He nodded but didn’t say a word.

“How come someone as pretty as my Mum was bullied? The last three schools I have gone to, the pretty girls don’t get teased, if anything they are the ones who decide who are the “in” kids, the ones who are popular! So, if I look so much like my Mum does that mean, am, am I going to get bullied too? Why didn’t the kids like Jessie, what had she done that made her so unpopular?”

My Grandfather looked at me and was just about to start speaking when the WhatsApp symbol on his tablet started to vibrate. It was my Mum. Grandad propped me on my bed with a pillow under the tablet and left me and Mum to talk.

Grandad left me to it and closed the door to my room, and my Mum was saying how nice my new room looked, and it was everything every little girl dreamed of.

My Mum had had a good sleep and she was looking forward to collecting me tomorrow. I could tell she kept getting passed slips of paper as she would get distracted from our conversation from time to time.

I knew something was going on and eventually asked my Mum.

“Mum, why were you so picked on at school? Ever since you have decided to care for me, I have been told how similar we are, not only in looks, but because of the abuse we suffered as youngsters. I know I was picked on because I was a poor orphan with no-one to care for me, I was poor and wore hand me down clothes, plus I was always ill, small and no-one cared about me one way or another.

Now I knew you too were small and sickly, but you had a family and everything going for you whereas I didn’t. You have said to me lots of times that you were determined that you were not going to let me suffer like you did. I love you Mum, I always will, that will not change, but why didn’t others love you like your family obviously did. Why has Grandad stopped talking about your childhood?”

My Mum got more and more upset, she kept starting to speak, then stopped I could see her shoulders shaking, and her face dropped into her hands. Then I saw the picture move and Aunt Jenna came in the picture, it looked like she had been crying too.

“Julia, sweetheart, we seem to have got ourselves into a bit of a mess here.

First off, your Mum loves you more than anything, more than herself even, you have seen how she has made herself ill while she has fought tooth and nail to secure you. She wanted to tell you all her story once you were here, at home, but unfortunately, your Grandad seems to have let slip a little more information than he realised. Plus, you are a very intelligent girl, and with the time you have spent with Jessie you have picked up on signals we didn’t realise we were giving off.”

“Why, . . why is, . . why is my Mum crying so much, . . . doesn’t she, . . . . doesn’t she love me anymore?”

“God NO, Sweetheart, I’m telling you now, she loves you, have you got that, SHE LOVES YOU!! With all her heart and soul, she is terrified that once you know what she’s been through, you won’t love her!”

“That’s stupid, she’s my Mum, okay we haven’t known each other that long, but we have connected, we knew we loved each other within minutes of first meeting. I don’t care what happened to her, I don’t care others were hateful to her, all I care about is that I love her and that she loves me, the rest of the world can, can, go, . . go, . fff, . . go get lost.!”

The picture slid across to show Jessie, my Mum, lying in her bed, looking a bit soggy to say the least.

I . . . I, . . I was g, . . going t, . . .to have a long t, . . t . . talk with you sweetheart, I w, . . w . . wanted to do it here, when it was nice and quiet and we could talk without all the interruptions. I never meant to hide anything from you, but it’s all been a bit frantic and didn’t go according to plan. B, . . b, . . but I want you to know that if you decide you can’t live here with me, then I, . . I, . . I would find you a better foster carer you would be happy with but I, . . I, . . I, . . I couldn’t let you end up in a care home or some other awful family like you were with a short while ago!”

“Mum, shut up, if you can put up with me, I want to live with you.”

“That’s what I want Jules, I want to give you everything that’s been lacking in your life up to now. I want my family to be your family, I haven’t lied to you, I may not have told you everything, but I will, I promise, Julia, I promise to tell you what happened to me, depending on when I can collect you, I will tell you all about my life and why I am so determined you won’t go through anything like the hassle I faced.

But never EVER doubt that I love you Jules!”

The picture shot across to show Aunt Jenna.

“Never doubt that for a moment Julia, not only that Jessie loves you, but our whole family loves you too, not only the family you have met but your other two Aunties Cheryl and Denise, along with your four cousins, they are so excited that they are almost besides themselves. Just wait until you are a little older, you will get some great jobs babysitting.

Anyway, Julia, I’ll send your Grandad back into your room, he’s feeling a bit guilty, bloody idiot that he is, so he should.

But your Mum is shattered Jules, it’s not only her physical health that has taken it out of her, but she’s emotionally absolutely drained too. She has the best part of seven weeks holiday owed her that she hasn’t taken from work over the last three years.

She works with kids facing surgery but also with children who are terminally ill or have had siblings who have died. She feels she is indispensable to a lot of these kids. So, this is her bodies way of saying she has done too much, for too long so you’ll be good for her, Julia, so say goodnight to her before she passes out and goes to sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow. Love you loads Jules.

The image went back to a tired and sleepy Jessie.

“Oh Mum you look so very tired, you go straight to sleep and we’ll talk tomorrow, I love you Mum and I always will.”

“Okay Jules, I’d like to talk some more, but I must admit that I am a bit tired. Have a good sleep sweetie, and I’ll see you in the morning, have a good sleep and if Grandad’s snores get too loud tell him to go sleep in the waiting room so you get some peace and quiet."

“Love you loads Mum, see you tomorrow!”

“Goodnight Jules, love you!”

Nighty night Mum, love you too!”

When I looked closely Mum was asleep. Auntie Jen popped her head into the viewfinder and put her fingers to her lips, she obviously turned the lamp in Mum’s room off, but there must have been a night light of some description. Auntie Jen walked out into a hallway, and it looked like she was sat at the top of some stairs.

“Right Julia, your Mum will be okay, she needs rest and to be honest many people, not only her family have been really worried about her. Your coming into her life is a Godsend, you are going to be so good for each other. Now, are you still on your own at the moment?”

“Yes, although I can hear voices!”

“No worries Jules, I want you to go to your bathroom, go to the loo then wash your hands and face and clean your teeth. Then get into bed and get yourself comfortable and someone will be into see you in a few minutes. Just close the lid of the tablet and it will cease this call. Now, are you okay?”

“Yes.”

“You sure?”

“Yes Auntie, I am worried about Mum, but as long as you are there to look after her, then that will be okay!”

“You are so sweet Julia, anyway, go get yourself sorted and I’ll see you tomorrow! Okay sweetie, good night!”

“Night night Aunt!” Then I closed the lid to the tablet. I could hear voices out in the ward still, so I went into the bathroom and did everything I needed to, including having another little cry, I hope my Mum was going to be okay. I pushed my door open a little way and climbed into bed. Within moments I was asleep.