Chapter fourteen- August 20th
Thanks again for all the live and support. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Sending you all love and happiness!
Chapter fourteen plot- Jo helps her daughter with her feelings over her fathers death while her mother tries to reconnect.
"Mummy, what kind of seed are we buying?" Zara asks her mother as Jo and the kids walk through the gardening shop.
"I said you could pick it baby. What kind tree do you honk daddy would like?" Jo asks as they reach the tree seeds.
"A happy yellow one. Daddy was always happy, he was hardly ever mad," Zara replies.
"Well, how about this one? It looks like it will get lots of yellow flowers," Jo says as she points to a packet of seeds.
"What is it called mummy?" Zara asks.
"It's called a Guayacan tree. But it's going to take a very very long time to grow into a big tree," Jo says.
"I think it looks beautiful. Daddy would love it," Zara says as she picks the packet off the shelf.
"That's a big tree!" Eloise says as she points to the picture of the tree.
I'm glad that we're doing this. It's really helping her understand all of her feelings. And it's going to help me with my feelings too. It's really going to help both of us.
"Alright then kiddo, let's go plant our tree," Jo says smiling.
Scene break - scene break
"Now how long do we have to wait for daddy's tree to grow?" Zara asks.
"Where tree?" Ruby asks.
"Will it be big in the morning?" Eloise asks.
"The tree is going to take a long time to grow remember? I explained that on the way to the Gardeners shop. We need to water Daddy's tree every single day to help it get big. Now, let's go inside and get ready for bed, it's late," Jo says.
"By Daddy's tree. I love you," Zara smiles.
I can't believe how well it's going. Look at them look at the tree with huge smilies, such happiness...
Scene break - scene break
"I'm coming," Jo calls out as she hears somebody rapidly ringing her doorbell.
"I said I'm coming!" Jo calls out again annoyed.
Who the heck comes banging on the door at this hour! It's freaking late and I'm tired.
"Who is it?" Jo calls out as she stands at the door.
"It's Amanda," the woman says.
"Crap," Jo whispers.
Crap, what the hell is she doing here? How the hell did she get my address and what the hell does she want!
"Can I come in, I'd really like to talk to you Josephine. I need to explain to you why I did what I did. Please," she begs.
Jo sighs and slowly opens the door, "you have five minutes," Jo says.
"Thank you," Amanda replies. Jo takes Amanda into the living room and they sit down.
"Four minutes," Jo says.
"I was 16 years old when I found out I was pregnant with you. When I told my boyfriend he freaked out and left me. Then when I told my family they disowned me and kicked me out. So I was an unemployed, homeless, pregnant teenager. So I moved into a homeless shelter. But my life was falling apart and I dropped out of school. I begin drinking and using drugs. I had a huge wake up call when I was 9 months pregnant. My friend and I were doing drugs one night and I woke up the next morning and found out she was dead. I... I decided to get clean. I gave birth to you a few weeks later and I developed post natal depression, I began to drink and use drugs again and then I realised that I couldn't look after you. So I left you at a fire station where I hoped that somebody there would love you and give you a stable and loving home, one that I couldn't provide you with. And a few years later when I was stable and clean I wanted to find you, but the only way I could live with the choice I made was to not know, to pretend that you were happy," Amanda says as she looks into Her eyes.
"But I didn't have a happy life. I had a crap life. I didn't have fun, I didn't have a good life, I didn't have a mother to guide me and help me. I've made some poor choices in my life and Part of me blames it on not having a mother and wonders how I would of made that choice if I'd has a mother to guide me," Jo says.
"And I'm so sorry," Amanda says.
"I... I... I don't know what you want me to say. You can't of expected a happy reunion full of rainbows and sunshine. You abandoned me and I know that you were in a crap part of your life. But you could of given me up for adoption. I could of had a good life. But you choose the easy way out!" Jo says.
"And I'll spend my life trying to make it up to you please, if you'd just let me. I want to know you. I want to be part of your life, I'd you'd let me," Amanda says.
She's not messing around, I can see it in her eyes, I can hear it in her voice. Ever since I was a little kid I could tell when people were giving me BS, and she wasn't giving me BS, she was being truthful. I know I'm crazy, but I'm going to give her a chance.
"Okay. I'll give you a chance. But please, don't mess it up because my life is complicated enough as it is," Jo replies.
"Maybe I can help?" She asks.
"It's okay. I'm working on it," Jo replies.
"What is your life like? I saw you with your daughter earlier. Do you have any other children?" She asks.
"The little girl you saw is Zara Kate. She's my eldest. Then there's Eloise Paige, Ruby Jade and Lily Claire. They are my reason for getting up every morning, they are the light of my life," Jo smiles.
"Are you married? Do you have a partner?" She asks.
Jo takes a deep breath, "I was married. But my husband died earlier this year. So it's just me and the kids," Jo replies.
"I'm so sorry," she replies.
"Tell me about your life," Jo insists.