Chapter 21
Two and a Half Years Ago
The jarring sound of his alarm clock made John nearly jerk out of bed. He quickly turned to his side to grab his phone and shut the sound off. He moaned and ran his hand over his face. As his eyes adjusted to the bright light on the phone, he noticed the date. His breath hitched in his throat. Even though he knew that today was coming, it didn't make it any easier seeing the date on the phone. He slowly sat up, his shoulders heavy.
He wondered if he should call her. It was early in the morning. She was likely still asleep. If she called her now, it would likely wake her. He stood himself up and kept the phone in his hand, stepping toward the window to open the blinds. There was a light hue, showing that the sun would be rising soon.
How was he supposed to work today? How had he the past couple of years? Today always hurt.
His phone, then, started to ring. It made him jump. As he looked at it, he saw it was her calling. He couldn't remember the last time he had spoken to her. It had been so long.
"Hello?" He asked, silently cursing himself for how unsure and odd he sounded.
"Hi," Anna quietly replied. "I just…" Her words were almost inaudible.
"I know," he said, knowing what she wanted to say, but couldn't. They should be celebrating their daughter turning 6 today. It shouldn't be the two of them separated apart. It shouldn't be this way. They should be together as a family with Emmy, but Emmy was gone.
"Anna?" He questioned. She hadn't spoken again. He heard her breath hitch over the phone and then a small whimper. "I miss her too."
"I should go," Anna then quickly stated. "Goodbye, John."
And just like that, she was gone again. His heart constricted and he wanted to call her back, plead her to speak with him. He glanced up at the ceiling in an attempt to keep the tears from falling. He didn't know why he wouldn't allow himself to cry, but he knew as soon as he started, he wouldn't stop.
Once he gathered himself, he decided to text Anna. Maybe he could be of some comfort to her today.
Thank you for calling me, Anna. You're the only other person in the world who knows how hard today is. Maybe one day we can spend this day together.
He read over his words multiple times before sending them. Then once they were sent, he worried that they weren't good enough. He just sat and watched for nearly five minutes, hoping for a response. There wasn't one.
He started the shower and put his phone down.
Right as he was about to step into the shower, his phone dinged. A little too quickly, he rushed to his phone, nearly sliding on the floor. Steading himself against the counter, he calmly picked up the phone.
Maybe one day. That could be nice.
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
Now
The cab dropped them off in front of John's old flat. They would be staying here for a few days so that John could pack up his things and go into work to wrap up before he started his job back in Yorkshire.
Emmy glanced up at the large building and twisted her lips.
"Why did you live here? It seems…stuffy," she stated. John shook his head. He opened the door to let them both into the building and then led them to the elevator. It was an older flat. But it was nice. There wasn't much character to it, but John had never minded. He had spent most of his time traveling for the job, mainly to keep his mind off of Yorkshire and his girls.
"It's just where I lived," John answered. He looked over at Anna, who also seemed unimpressed. But she didn't say anything to him, she just placed her hands on Emmy's shoulders and had her stand near her.
When they reached the fifth floor, he instructed them to get off the elevator and to follow him down a path. As they made it to his apartment, he unlocked the door and they all stepped inside. Emmy immediately went to inspect the place. John flicked on the lights.
"So," Anna finally began. "This is where you lived? I always wondered what it looked like, your bachelor pad." John chuckled.
"Not much of anything," he told her. "It's clean. It has two bedrooms. We'll probably need to put fresh sheets on the beds and we will definitely need to get some food. But there's not much to this place. It was just a place to live. It wasn't a…."
"Home?"
"Exactly."
Emmy came back to her parents and glanced at her father.
"There's not much here. Not even any pictures! Why did you live here and not with Mummy?"
John felt Anna tense beside him. He shifted uncomfortably and kindly took Emmy's hand, leading her over to the couch. Anna followed them and they all sat down. They knew it was time to explain their past to Emmy.
"Emmy," Anna began. "Your dad and I didn't live together for a little while."
"But why?" Her eyes searched both of them, chewing on her bottom lip. Earlier, they had told her they were going to John's apartment, but they hadn't told her why he had an apartment. Perhaps they should have done this before they came.
"We were very sad you were away," John answered, trying to be as honest as possible, but not getting into the dark details of it all. It was way too much for an eight year old to need to understand. "It was easier for a while for us to be apart."
"But you're happy now? And you won't break up again?" Emmy worriedly questioned.
"Yes," John strongly stated. "We are."
"Good! Does that mean I'll get a brother or a sister?" At that, Anna began to laugh and shake her head.
"Oh no, sweetheart. You are our one and only. I'm nearly 40 and as you know, your daddy is 50."
"Why didn't you ever have any more kids?"
John and Anna met their eyes. They hadn't been expecting this line of questioning.
"We couldn't," Anna honestly replied. "We tried, but God only gave us you. And we were so very grateful we got you. You are our miracle." Anna's hand came over to caress Emmy's cheek.
That seemed a good enough answer for Emmy, because she shrugged her shoulders and stood up, seemingly searching for something.
"What are you looking for?"
"A remote. Does your telly even work here? What are Mummy and I supposed to do all day while you're at work?"
Both Anna and John chuckled.
"It does work, but you and your mum will go explore the area. There's a castle nearby."
"Oh fun!"
"Yes, it's going to be a lot of fun."
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Their time in Edinburg was nice. Anna planned out several things for her and Emmy to do while John finished up at work. She also helped to pack his few things that needed to be shipped back to Yorkshire. In the afternoons, John would finish up his work and join his girls for a late lunch and more exploring. By the time they made it back to the flat, Emmy was usually asleep within the hour.
"I'm glad you invited us along," Anna said, her eyes growing heavy, as she rested into her husband's arms. "Emmy's learned so much history while we've been here. She doesn't even realize she's learning."
"It's what makes you a brilliant teacher," John murmured into her hair.
"I worry about the next few days in London," Anna confessed, turning so she could face her husband. "What if Emmy has fond memories and doesn't want to go back to Yorkshire with us? What if she wants to see Maggie? What if….."
"Shh," John soothed. "That's a lot of what ifs, my darling. It's going to be fine. We're going to testify at the trial. You're going to talk to Maggie. And Emmy is just going to enjoy exploring and seeing your parents again. She won't know why we are there. I think we're right not to tell her, not yet."
"Right," Anna replied. They had spoken with Emmy's therapist about it. The therapist had actually spoken with Emmy about the fact that Maggie had committed a crime and so she would be in jail. Emmy seemed to understand and hadn't even gotten upset. But Anna and John still worried. As they were sure they always would.
"Now, let's go to bed. It's going to be a long week."
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John had been right. The week in London was long. Thankfully, with Elsie and Charlie there, Emmy was kept from the toughness of the trial. She never once figured out why they were in London. It was a blessing, really. Something that Anna and John didn't have to explain to her.
Anna and John did attend most of the trial. They wanted to see what other people said and mainly, they wanted to learn about the woman who had taken their daughter from them and what her life had been like. In therapy sessions and from time to time, they would get a glimpse from Emmy. But never the full picture. It killed them that they would never have a clear idea of what five years of Emmy's life was like.
What they had learned was that Maggie Welch was younger than them. She was only 27. When she took Emmy, she had been 22 years old. Maggie regretted her choices, but had taken Emmy because she had wanted a child. A month prior to taking Emmy, she had a miscarriage and was struck with grief. After taking Emmy, she hadn't had a plan so she went to her brother asking for his help. Her brother took her and Emmy in, but for her to stay, she had to help him sell drugs. She explained that she kept Emmy protected and always loved her.
John had watched as Anna's face only grew angry at Maggie's confession and he understood. It didn't give her the right to take their daughter because she had lost something. They had lost countless pregnancy over the years, but it didn't give anyone the right to take another child.
Many times throughout the trial, Anna had taken John's hand and squeezed it. He caught tears in her eyes and when he brushed his fingertips against his eyes, he found them wet. This was harder than he had expected. But it was necessary.
When they were asked to speak, Anna told them about how they had been heartbroken and their lives were taken from them that day. John noticed that she didn't look at Maggie at all. Her words were curt and to the point. She held her emotions in check, only allowing her breath to catch in her throat when she spoke about the day Emmy went missing. The lawyer had told them to make sure they stuck to the facts. John worried that he wouldn't do as well as Anna. His anger was nearly boiling over by the time it was his turn to take the stand. But he kept his eyes on Anna and she kept him calm. He reiterated what his wife had said and told the jury and judge how the woman had stolen five years from them, years they would never get back.
After they both spoke, Anna told John that she wanted to see Maggie that afternoon. It was time.
"Are you sure?" John asked her. It had been a very long day. After Anna spoke, she had cried for nearly ten minutes outside with John holding her tightly until he was called in to go.
"It's time, John. I won't be able to move forward with my life until I speak with her. I want us to completely move forward."
"Me too," John said, bending forward to kiss her. "Alright, let's go. Are you sure you don't want me to go in with you?"
"I'm sure."
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It had taken some convincing, but Anna was allowed to go back and meet with Maggie. She was taken to a private room with a two way mirror and told to sit and wait. Her belly twisted with anxiousness.
A moment later, Maggie was brought into the room. Her cuffs were cuffed to the table and the guard said he would be right outside of the room.
"You are younger than I expected," Anna said to Maggie. She eyed the young girl up and down. She had short brown hair and blue eyes, much like hers. In person, she looked so much younger than she did in the photo Emmy had. The girl twisted her lips.
"Is she here?" Maggie expectantly asked, looking up at Anna. Anna's head vehemently shook.
"No. You won't see her ever again."
"But…" Maggie sputtered. "I took care of her! I love her!"
"No," Anna stated. "How….you stole her," Anna reminded the girl. "You stole her from me."
"I was her mum."
"I'm her mother," Anna countered. She pressed her hands against the table and inhaled sharply. "I am. You hurt Emmy."
"No, no! I never hurt her! I always made sure she was safe!"
"You took her from her family! A family that loved her!" Anna strongly stated back. "And dealing drugs in the house she is in or leaving her alone for large chunks of time doesn't make one safe."
"I did the best I could. I wanted to be a mum so badly," Maggie tried to appeal to Anna. "Surely you must understand…."
"I don't," Anna bluntly replied. "I'll never understand how someone could steal a child away from their parents, parents who love them. I didn't come to hear your excuses," Anna then added. "You stole 5 years from me, from my husband, from my family, and from Emmy. We missed birthday parties, Christmases, holidays as a family. We will never get that time back."
Maggie's eyes fell to her hands and she began to pick at the side of her finger.
"I…I just wanted to be a mum," she repeated. "And I did love her."
Anna could feel the anger bursting in her chest, but she reminded herself why she was here. She was here for her daughter. She was here for their future. She closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and then said,
"The only way I can be happy with my daughter is to let this go. I forgive you."
Maggie's eyes came up to meet hers and she eyed Anna carefully, as though this was a trick.
"But what…?"
"Sometimes one needs to forgive to move on with one's life. I could stew in anger, or I can enjoy my life. I choose to enjoy the time I have now with Emmy," Anna curtly replied. "I am doing this for my own mental health. You won't ever see me, my husband, or my daughter again. Don't reach out to her. Don't contact her ever again."
Anna then stood. She turned to the mirror. "I'd like to go now."
"She's lucky," Maggie then said, making Anna turn to face her. "Emmy is. She has a strong mother. If I could take it back…"
"You can't."
The door opened and Anna stepped out. The moment she was outside of the door, she felt a weight off her shoulders. A loud sigh passed through her lips and she followed the guard down to the exit.
Waiting right outside for her was John. Upon seeing her, he had a questioning look on his face. Anna just rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly.
"Let's go back to our girl, John. This is all over now."
"Alright, my darling. Let's go back to our girl."
To be continued...
Thank you all so much for your continued support! This story only has one official chapter left and then an epilogue. But don't worry, I plan on finishing my works in progress and then I have one story already started and two story ideas coming after that (one is a friendship story Mary/Anna with John/Anna on the side). So lots to come. Thank you again!
