Chapter 31

Kennedy called her landlord the next morning. He had no problem moving her tenancy to another property. In fact the man was going away with his wife on a several week cruise. Not close to their only child, they had planned on a neighbour looking in on their own house.

“It is perfect. It is fully furnish, you can use all the house and are welcome to eat any food left. I won’t charge your rent since you’ll be doing me a favor.” The man knew her family, so knew he had nothing to worry about. “I just ask you pay one month of utilities, but that wouldn’t come until after you have moved out.” It was only a short let and the house beautiful, much closer to the college.

“We leave tomorrow afternoon. If you could come by in the morning I’ll give you all the keys and explain how everything works.”

She quickly agreed.

They spent the day helping Kennedy pack and calling their parents to let them know what was happening.

Unsurprisingly Emily and Jack’s fathers made sure to tell them they were visiting that weekend. Knowing arguing was pointless, they agreed.

They hoped they wouldn’t see their mother again, but knew it was more than likely. Especially now she knew Jack was in town too.

That night they had a pizza and movie night before an early night, so they would be well rested in the morning.

The move went well and with no college that day they had time to relax and settle in.

Kennedy received a phone call that day from her old school friend that she had reconnected with the other night.

“Just to warn you Sally told Steve about seeing you. He is acting a little crazy,” He had told her. Cue her telling him everything with Emily’s premission.

“You what? No. Please tell me you are kidding me?” He wasn’t happy.

“He always stays at mine. I have a fourteen year old daughter.” He was disgusted at himself for letting a sexual predator around his children. Technically Lacy was his adopted daughter, his wife’s daughter from a previous relationship, but he had raised her as his own since she was about the same age as Emily when her mother remarried.

He decided to cut off contact immediately. They had met through football when they were seventeen. Steve had always been a little strange but what person isn’t a little strange in their own way.

“I should have trusted my gut when he rejected his own child.”

“What? He has a child?” Kennedy asked catching Emily’s attention.

“He has?”

“Yes. He was a real jerk about it. Calling the girl a slut and liar. As far as we knew he was meant to be dating Emily back then, so we believed him at first. But this girl was a real sweetheart. She actually looked a lot like Emily. But he later admitted it was his son. But it was a mistake and he told Jen to get rid.”

“Jen who?” Emily asked. He was on loud speaker now.

“Jen… Black… Brown… It was a colour. According to Steve you went to school with her.”

She knew who he was speaking about straight away. “Jenika Brown?” They were always mistaken for sisters at school. They spoke but Emily didn’t really have friends thanks to her step brother.

“Yes. She works at…” He named a corner shop near the college the couple attented. “I’ve been in a few times, her son is normally there too.”

Despite everything, Emily wanted to meet the child and speak to her old classmate.

They continued to speak on the phone for over an hour, even making plans to meet up.
He had really changed and grown up since school. He was more like Kennedy’s old friend.

He had dated Sally for a short time but only because he had a crush on her older sister. Eight years older than him, already with a child, he hadn’t thought he standed a chance. Only one day after Sally started calling her sister names in front of him to her face, he lost it and broke up with her there and then. That evening he confessed to Rose that he like her and they ended up having sex. She fell pregnant straight away and they had been together since. Marrying only two years ago.

The next day after college Emily decided to stop by the corner shop on the off chance.

“I don’t understand why you want to see them,” Neil said before, he and Jack waited outside in the car.

“She was as much a victim as me. She hasn’t got any family and in school didn’t really have friends either. I want her to know she isn’t alone.”

Kennedy grinned, “That’s my sweet little dolly.” She kissed before entering the small shop hand in hand.

It was just your usual news agents, with sweets, alcohol, tobacco products and a small fridge and freezer section.

Standing at the counter was a a dark haired woman and a small excited little boy, no older than three trying to break free and play.

“Be a good boy, please.” The toddler was getting restless and it was clear she didn’t normally take her son to work with her.

“Is the her?” Kennedy asked quietly from where they stood in front of a display of crisps.

“Yes. She’s coloured her hair, but it’s her.”

Grabbing some snacks and a couple of bottles of pop they went to the counter to pay. The woman scanned the items without looking up.

“Did you find everything you wanted?” The woman asked finally looking up. The little boy still jiggling on her lap.

She seemed to recognise Emily straight away and tensed a little.

“Hello Jenika. Don’t worry, I don’t have anything to do with my abusive family anymore,” Emily told her, trying to tell her something without saying too much in front of her child.

“I only just found out about you and Steve. And I just wanted to check you were alright? Steve is a smug bag. You are honestly better without him.”

Jenika relaxed a little and smile. “Hi. We are good. Thank you.” She looked to Kennedy who was exchanging waves with the friendly little boy.

“This is my fianc e, Kennedy,” Emily introduced her. Seemingly surprising Jenika.

“My first and only partner, never Steve,” She quickly added.

Jenika looked away thinking but then looked back nodding. “Makes sense. I mean, he only dated me because I looked like you. But I broke up with him when he started calling me your name.”

“That’s messed up… Then again, so is he,” Kennedy thought out loud.

Jenika laughed and the boy took his chance to escape.

“Cole, no. Come back here! You know you aren’t allowed to run around here.” She ran and picked him back up. “Sorry about him. My neighbour normally watches him, but she isn’t well.”

“It’s fine. I have a nephew the same age,” Kennedy replies smiling to Cole.
“What time do you finish work?”

“Until closing, so nine.” It was barely four.

“We are renting a house not far from here. We can watch him for you. Feed him and put him to sleep,” Kennedy offered.

“Thank you. But he is a monkey and really hard to get to sleep. He’s usually up until late.”

“That’s fine. We haven’t any thing planned and they house we are renting has lots of space to play.”

“It’s huge. We can watch cartoons and draw,” Emily suggested.

Jenika seemed unsure. “Here,” Emily took her college id card out of her pocket and a small piece of paper. “You can keep this until you pick him up. I need it to get into college, so I’ll need it back. And this is our address. We only moved in yesterday, so I still don’t know the address off the top of my head.”

“I can’t really. I can only give you thirty pounds and the food and drink to feed him.”

Emily smiled and shook her head. “Despite everything, Cole is my nephew.”

“You don’t have to give us anything. But you can help us choose what you likes to eat. But I’ll pay for the food,” Kennedy added.

She was reluctant to let them pay for the food, but insisted on giving them a discount. She was nervous but the little boy was loving the new attention.

“My phone is on all the time, so call any time.”

She didn’t have a car, but her pushchair had a seat which doubled as a car seat.

Leaving the shop a short time later as the rush began, Jack and Neil before raised their brows seeing the little boy with them.

“I hope you both have lots of energy.”

A/N More coming soon