Chapter 46
Kayla did not think she was ever going to be able to say how glad she was she had Steve with her once more there to rely upon, but at the same time, she also could not help but feel annoyed that she had rung him – or asked Marlena too - when they were both at work. It grated on her in the days after.
She felt as if she should be a bit stronger, though all who she loved said not to worry. But it had to be a balancing act on leaning on those she loved and also coping herself.
What she was most determined of was that she was not going to go back to the dark place in which she had found herself before she was able to confess.
That was not going to happen for she was not going to let it win.
So, when she realized she had a day off coming up, she made sure she did something with it and did not just stay at home.
Therefore, she hit the sales for a while before she called up her sister. Now that Kimberly was back in Salem, Kayla found it such a treat that they were able to just meet up and have a chat whenever they wanted too. They did not have to account for shifts or time differences. They could just be together as sisters should be.
"Coffee for the baby sis," said Kim as she sat down in the Horton Town Square with Kayla.
Her sister took it gratefully. "Thank you very much."
January was well and truly in the air but Kayla could not help but be grateful to be outside for a while.
No matter how cold it was, she felt she had needed the air.
As she thought about just how cold it was, she had an image of their father getting up at all hours in the winter to go out fishing and to get stock for the market.
It had never put him off.
"I miss Pop."
She had not meant to say it out loud or to upset Kimberly for she knew how close she had been with her father but just at that moment she missed him so much it demanded to be verbalized.
And to Kayla's great relief it did not seem to hurt Kim too much to hear it right then.
"I know you do. And if he was here he would fight with you every step of the way."
"I am not sure I am missing him here fighting for me. I more just want a hug." she said and she knew she sounded silly then.
She was a grown woman who just wanted a cuddle from her dad. A mocking voice in her told her to grow up but her sister did not mock her.
Not at all.
All little girls needed their daddy's. No matter how big those little girls got in the meantime.
"Oh I have been there." the two of them shared a smile and raised their coffees. If only her mind had not gone blank then, Kayla would have proposed an Irish toast in Shawn's memory right then and there.
"Do you know, if I am not short of one thing, it is people who are willing to fight for me."
She had always known she had had a great set of friends and family but she felt it right then and it was wonderful.
No matter what the world at large was doing to her they were fighting her corner and that was priceless.
They were all priceless.
"It is because they love you, sweetie."
She nodded. "and I love all of you."
When she had found out she was going to have to prove the case against Grayson, she had felt sick to her stomach and there had been part of her which had wanted to drop the whole thing and say not to worry about making a fuss… but she now knew she was going to peruse this to the end as she had the strength to do this.
And by the time they were all done no one was ever going to doubt that again.
"We're pulling for you Kay," said Kimberly with a wink.
And that was why they were all going to win.
x x x
Jack sat back from the computer and sighed. Well, he had done it for good or ill - he had done what his niece had asked of him and he had found a woman who he had had a good cause to believe had… had known Grayson.
She had left the previous company he had worked at not long after he had joined and none of it made for happy reading, in fact, the termination of her contract to him seemed to be full of veiled threats and reasons for why she had had to leave but it had never said the exact cause.
It was when he saw her picture that he had truly felt sick though… for she looked a lot like Kayla had done when they were all so much younger.
He did not have to know anymore.
It was all horrifying to him and as it did for Kayla, it had brought up memories which he would have rather stayed a long time buried but what truly upset him was looking at this from the point of view of a dad. If this was Abigail – even if this was Stephanie - who he was looking at, then he would be devastated. They were all so young, too young to be going through stuff such as this and he could do nothing to protect them.
Expect that was what he was doing right now he reminded himself. He was doing this so that he could protect them better in the future and for so many other people daughters as well.
He had had a job to do and he had done it well and now they had hope.
He picked up the phone and called his niece.
X x x
JJ had been at the Brady pub when his cousin had got a call from his dad and once she was off her cell, Stephanie had informed him as to what they had done and he had felt proud of his dad in a way he had thought he was never ever going to at one point. Jack had shown he was on the right side of the team after all. Stephanie had raced off, calling goodbye to him as she left the pub saying she had something which she had to do and he had headed home where he found his father.
"I saw Steph at the Brady Pub and she said you had a breakthrough," said JJ as he walked into the living room.
There were many reasons it seemed to JJ to be pleased about that. The first one was it was just such good news for his Aunt Kayla and the case, but he was also glad for the sake of his dad who it seemed to him had worked round the clock on this. His mum had said to him that when his dad got his teeth into a project he did tend to get the obsessive to find the answer and now he believed her.
His dad had worked non-stop to get the name for Steph. Not that any of them had known what he had been doing at the time. Lately, Jen had asked Jack what he was up to on the computer more than once and his dad had worked his way around the question. Not so long ago that would have got JJ's heckles up but it had not. He had known that what he was up to but it had not annoyed him nevertheless. There was progress.
"Yes," Jack said with a sigh. He had got there.
"It is a good thing you have done dad," praise from JJ brought a smile to Jacks' lip as it always did.
"I just hope it is enough," JJ nodded.
"It is from you. You have done all you can."
Jack shook his head.
It was in some ways never going to be enough for the lost time and JJ knew his dad was truly humbled now.
And yet he still had the appearance of a man who was down on his luck.
"You know I am very, very proud to be your son."
Jack did not expect for an instant lump of emotion to appear in his throat but it did.
"You know you are so like your mother."
It was the highest compliment Jack could ever give anyone and he had a feeling JJ knew that.
"I just hope I am a bit like you too."
"Now when I had got back here if anyone had told me I was ever going to get to hear those words from your mouth I would have told them they could knock me down with a feather," Jack said surprised.
He had been working on the understanding that JJ wished he was anyone but Jacks son.
"Do not push it – and if you tell anyone I said it, I will tell them you're a liar."
And for just a moment, father and son enjoy a laugh and some peace. Yet JJ could not help but wonder if there was something behind his dad's eyes.
X x x
A week later…
Steph had wondered if she should tell her dad what had gone on before she went to see the women which her Uncle Jack had found, for she knew he would wish to be in on this but in the end, for fear he was going to try and stop her or be hurt she had gone ahead without the approval of the police she had decided she was going to play her cards a bit closer to her chest.
She was sure – she truly hoped - the worst that was going to happen was for her to get a slapped wrist and more than anything, she had to do this for herself and her mom.
And for Sophie herself.
Nevertheless, she had been doing this with the understanding she was trying to help her mother's case. Now the moment was here she had to face up to the chance it might go the other way…
She hadn't wanted to admit that this could put her mother's case in danger so she just had not thought about the chance it might. But it was too late to turn back now, for good or ill….
She had needed to do something.
When Steph first saw her she felt sick as she realized that Sophie was slight, petite and blonde. Blonde she had known from the photos she had seen…
But it did seem as if Grayson had a type.
She walked into the café and went over to the table.
When she had come here, it had been with the attitude that she was going to make this girl talk if it was the last thing she did but now she was here she felt sorry for her.
If there was one difference between this woman and her mom it was that she was a lot younger.
She was not going to have kids to support her and by the looks of her bare wedding ring finger, she was not going to have a husband either.
"Sophie," she said softly in the hope that she was not going to startle her.
But she didn't. She was slight and small but she had a feeling she did not scare too easily.
"You must be Stephanie."
"I am," she said. "Can I sit?"
She nodded.
"What is this about? I would not have agreed to meet anyone to talk about that man but I feared the worst."
The two of them had connected on Facebook just the week beforehand, the day Jack had given her the name. Stephanie knew it was not always used for the greater good but she thank God for social media right then.
And they did not have to speak of what the worst was for the both knew.
"If it did happen to you then – then I can't say how sorry I am."
Stephanie nodded for she saw the chance to gain her trust and she took it. "It –" for they were clearly not going to be using the 'R' word which was fine by Stephanie if that was the way that Sophie wanted to play it.
"It did happen to me but it was not Grayson and it was a long time ago now. but he did attack my mom."
"He did it to your mom?" said Sophie as this was a much greater crime than it would have been even if he had hurt Steph and she got why she had done that. Because their mums were scared.
And she knew in that moment Sophie got that as much as she did.
"Yes, he did. And now she is being told that the police cannot make a case against Grayson. So that is where I come in - because there is a case against him and if it kills me I am going to prove it. For the sake of my mom."
She had to do it for her.
"I am so sorry. I could cope with it myself but I do not know if –"well it did not bear think about.
"The truth is there has had to be a lot of tough women in my family over the years, so we are well used to dealing with this sort of thing… but we should not have to be."
And that was the truth. The Johnson women had not wanted to be strong but they had had to be.
A tear fell down Sophie's face.
"Did you tell anyone what happened?"
Sophie shook her head. "He was a well-established lawyer and I was a secretary who was just starting out. It did not seem wise to go ahead and tell." Stephanie nodded.
So he had used intimidation tactics on her.
She was not sure how he had done it to her mum for she was not one who as easily intimidated.
She did not even want to think about it.
"So he told you no one was going to believe you even if you did come forward?"
It took a moment but Sophie nodded up and down as if she was reliving some hideous memory which Stephanie had no doubt that she was.
"I am sorry – I do not mean to make any of this harder on you than it is already is."
To her surprise, the young women across the table smiled brightly at her.
"Do you know you are the first person who I have ever spoken to who hasn't questioned what I have said – you just believe me and if you think that makes any of this harder on me than it already has been then you are wrong."
It was clear she was telling Stephanie that she was helping a lot. Sophie had tried to turn to someone but she had hit a brick wall. and that should never have happened.
Without thinking even though the two of them were strangers, Steph reached over and took her hand.
Sophie held hers just as tight in response.
"We are all going to believe you – me and my family."
Sophie nodded but then opened and closed her mouth as if she was trying to find the words for something. Then eventually she just came out with it. "But don't you blame me for what happened to your mum?"
It was true that if she had come forward then things may have been very different.
That Steph could not deny.
But she shook her head.
"The only one I blame for what happened is the man who raped my mother." So there it was… the 'R' word after all.
He had been the one who had made that sickening decision.
It was nothing to do with a frightened young girl who had not had any support and she was not going to allow her to think that.
"I still want you to say sorry to her from me."
Kayla would not need it but Steph nodded. If that was something which Sophie needed then she was not going to deny her.
"Do you think – Sophie can you help us?"
"You're going to think me a terribly coward but I still need to think about it. if this all –"
"You do not have to explain anything to me. And a coward is the last thing I think you are."
On the contra, she had been so brave.
So the two girls stayed there holding hands and drinking coffee and hoping for a kinder future.
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