Shorty! I swear there will be more Jasmine chapters in the future! I've already done a 'Jasmine saying goodbye to the family before school' chapter, so I'm not going to do another one. Plus, I haven't quite milked all of poor Debbie's misery and during this time, she was the one falling apart who Jasmine had to hold together.

DJ

Alone again: Debbie

One good thing that came out of giving Sarah away was it meant my dad was out of the picture too. He'd left the morning after the christening, yelling that he was determined to find Emily and get Sarah back. Then he vanished.

I felt awful. Not because I'd hurt my dad, he deserved it. No, it was because I'd betrayed Andy. He hadn't so much as looked at me since the moment Daz had shouted the truth out at the christening. I doubted he would ever look at me the same again. Not that I still cared about him, far from it. It just wasn't right, him not being able to see his daughter.

The only other good thing was that my actions had brought me and Jas closer together.

Jasmine held my hand through it all, hugging me tight and telling me that I'd done the right thing, that Sarah would be happy and safe with Emily. I needed to hear it but every time she said it, it only made the pain worse. Plus, I knew that despite Jasmine's obvious desire for me to be here with her at her uncle's house, I wouldn't be welcome forever.

I'd been prepared to take off somewhere, to a hostel or maybe Chas's house but the morning after dad's dramatic departure, Jack had turned up on Jasmine's front stoop with a policeman.

There had been a few tense moments where it looked like I was going to be arrested for child endangerment or Emily was going to have the cops on her tail for kidnapping. But amazingly, Jack had spoken up for me, supported my lie that Emily had taken Sarah because I'd had post-natal depression. Then he'd sat me down and told me he wanted me to come back home.

Jack had forced Lisa to taking me back in again. That much was obvious in her treatment of me. She was cold and distant, ignoring me entirely unless I was in her way or out of line.

So I was home again, spending time alone and avoiding the hostile stares of Sam and Alice and Lisa as they carried on with their lives, sparing only a few moments to look at me. The blemish. Unnecessary baggage. They had a new baby to swoon over anyway. With Alice entering her third trimester, everything had become about 'little Sampson'. For once in my life, I was glad not to be the center of attention.

I escaped with Jasmine as often as I could but with the end of her vacation soon approaching, it felt rushed and at times forced always with Jas apologizing and running off to do this or that. Jasmine had spent more time with me then she had prior to the christening but it was still sparse and far between. Things still were not great between Ashley and her grandpa and then with the mix-up about everyone thinking Belle had been kidnapped by Sandy…

So now here we were. Jasmine was going back to school. Today. This time, I was claiming her, to hell with Daz and his stupid crush. I wasn't going to miss saying goodbye again. I no longer had a baby to care for. I no longer had a dad around to force me.

Jasmine traced a finger around the lip of her half-finished drink. "I should go." She said, breaking the long silence between us.

"Stay for another drink?" I pleaded.

"I can't."

"Ugh. I don't know why you're in such a rush."

"Don't be like that."

"I just don't understand why you have to go back to school, you hate the place."

She shrugged. "Well, it's not long until half-term." Maybe half a term wasn't long for her. "Yeah cause time really flies in this village." I snapped. "I'll look like Edna next time you see me."

She giggled. "You already do."

"Hilarious." I dead-panned. "Why don't you just get yourself suspended again? If you can bare to be in trouble for the second time ever in your life."

"I know what," Jasmine teased. "I'll get myself pregnant by a local farmer."

I hesitated for just a fraction of a second before the inevitable smile crossed my face."Cow…" I muttered. She was the only one who could get a laugh out of me these days. Banter with her had come far easier since the night I had cried in her arms. I found Jas was the only one I trusted completely these days. And now I was losing her again. I jerked my head towards the door. "Go on, run along." Leave me all on my own.

Jasmine stood up, leaving me sitting alone at the café table.

"Say goodbye to Daz for me." She said quietly as she gathered up her coat.

I looked down. We both knew there was little chance of that happening. Daz and I still were not on speaking terms.

Jasmine turned to go and my eyes shot up to follow her. As the distance between us grew, I had a sudden desire to call her back. To ask her to stay. To beg her to stay in touch better this time. My voice caught in my throat and refused to betray my weakness by making itself known. Jasmine didn't look back as she crossed the café and left to go back to school.

I sat in the café for a long time, remembering the feel of her hand on mine yesterday as we'd walked along the river, the warmth of her many hugs on nights when the pain was too much, the lightness in my chest whenever she made me laugh or smile simply by being herself.

Tears burned at the corners of my eyes. There goes the only person who can still stand to look at me since I gave Sarah away.