Jenny twisted the crumpled paper in her handsa court order for Julies DNA test. Why? Who needed this? Had Julies birth parents been found? Then why hadnt they come, why no word? So many questions, no answers.
“Mum, whats wrong?” Julie touched her shoulder. “Ive been calling you.”
“Just thinking.”
“Whos the letter from?”
“Nobody important.” Jenny quickly tucked it into her apron pocket.
“I picked a bucket of blackberriestheyre sweet. Filled the water tank too. Ill water the garden later. Need anything else? The girls and I are going to the river. Its boiling today.”
Lost in thought, Jenny murmured, “Go on, but be careful.”
Julie snatched a warm scone, grabbed a towel, and dashed off.
Jenny needed to clear her head. She stepped outside, sitting on the porch steps. “What do I do? Tomorrows Julies birthday. What a gift. No wonder I havent slept all week.”
A sleek car rolled down the lane, stopping at the gate. An elegant older woman stepped out. “Hello, Im looking for Jenny Nicholson.”
Jennys heart clenched. She knewthis woman and the letter were connected.
“Thats me.”
“May we talk? Im Margaret Whitmore.”
“Of coursecome inside.” Jenny motioned to the driver, who fetched a large bag from the boot. Fear prickled her skin.
“James, youre free until three,” Margaret said, glancing at her wristwatch. “Ill ring if needed earlier.”
“Why dont you head to the river?” Jenny fussed. “Just follow the pathlovely spot. Ill lend you a towel. Park under the oakno sense leaving the car in the sun.”
“May we sit?” Margaret asked once the driver left.
Jenny brushed invisible crumbs from the table. “Tea? Ive got some with blackcurrant.”
As the kettle hissed, Margaret studied a large photo of Julie on the wall. Tears welled in her eyes.
“Thats Emily. Ive found her.”
Jennys legs buckled. She gripped the chair. “Thats Julie! Do you hear me? Julie!” She collapsed onto the table, sobbing.
Margaret stroked her back. “Im not here to take her. I just want to be part of her life. Pleasewe must talk properly.”
She took Jennys hands. “Tell me how she came to you. I know fragments, not the whole story.”
Jenny met her gazedeep, sorrowful eyes.
“I found her by the woods, looking for our lost cow. Twelve years ago tomorrowher birthday. She was filthy, curled in a ditch with a soaked teddy bear. At first, I thought it was a discarded sack.”
Jenny twisted a lock of hair. “She couldnt stand, too weak to cry. I carried her home, fed her, and she slept. Sent the neighbors boy for the nurse and to call the police. The nurse tried to examine her, but Julie clung to me, fingers white with fear. Healthy, just starved, the nurse said.”
The kettle whistled softly, unnoticed.
“The officer took detailsno missing child reports. Neighbors brought clothes, toys. She wouldnt let go of that bear. I washed them together.”
Jenny paused, lost in memory. Margaret waited.
“For three days, she wouldnt leave my arms, always hungry. The nurse said small, frequent meals. For a year, she hid bread crusts. Named her Juliefound her in July. Learned to walk, then run. Slept beside me, screaming from nightmares. Never spoke at first.”
Jenny exhaled.
“When social services came a month later, she called me Mum. They couldnt pry her away. Left empty-handed, just a summons for me to bring her. No deadline. I couldnt send her to a homeId been in one. Knew the horror.”
Margaret gently squeezed her hand.
“I tried to adopt, but they refusedunmarried. In desperation, I proposed to a kind man: Marry me. Just for paperwork. Wrote a waiverno claims. Got a husband and daughter. Life had other plans. Were still together, happy.”
Calmer now, Jenny asked, “What did you want to know?”
“Was your orphanage childhood similar?”
“My parentsvolcanologistsdied in an expedition. I was eight, staying with Gran. They wouldnt grant her custodyhealth issues. Relatives failed checks too. Someone sold our London flat right before their deaths. Friends tried investigatingno luck.”
Margaret studied her. *Good soul*, she thought.
“I was sent to a rural home. Kept running to Gran. They threatened psychiatric care till the headmaster arranged for me to live with her while officially in care. Three years later, Gran got custody. He helped with Julie too.”
Jenny jumped up. “Forgot the tea! Fresh scones as well.”
“I brought treatsbiscuits, fruit, chocolates.” Margaret unpacked elegant boxes.
“Weve plenty. How are you related to Julie?”
“Her grandmother.”
Jenny sank back down. “You wont take her?”
“Never. Shes suffered enough.” Margaret pulled out pills. “Water, please?”
“Youre ill?”
“Worse than Id like.” She sipped. “Youll wonder how I found you. A private investigator. Everything led here. Talking to you now confirms my choiceshe stays. I may buy a cottage nearby.”
Jenny frowned. “I never hid her adoption. Julie knowsasks for the woodland fairy tale of how I found her. Stares at that bear, like shes remembering. I dont pryeveryone needs private corners.”
“Its not you. A fifteen-year tangled mess. Our son fell for a university classmatecharming but cold. Married by final year. We tolerated it. At the wedding, no brides familyjust mutters about drunken parents, brothers. She barred us from her past.”
Margarets voice was feather-light.
“We gave them our London flat, moved to the countryside. Emily was bornour joy. Our son adored her. His wife took leave, then hired a nanny, skipped classes. Demanded moneya car promised for the baby. Wed invested in the family business. Trips to Germany for equipment. One callthe nanny said shed taken Emily. Our flat was ransacked. Police found fingerprintsher brothers, a convict. He said theyd dumped Emily roadside when she cried.”
Jenny shook her head.
“The investigator traced police archives, social services. Oversteppedsent the DNA order without my knowledge. I was abroad. But seeing you nowno test needed. Still, legally, Emily inherits her fathers estate.”
Jenny barely heard, transfixed by photos of a man and babyJulies face mirrored in both.
“How do we tell Julie?”
“Guests? Hello!” Julie bounded in. “Whats up? And whys the kettle screaming?”
Margaret paled, clutching her chest.
“Julie, this is your grandmother,” Jenny blurted.
Julie eyed her warilythen gasped. “Grandma! I *knew* youd find me!” She flung herself into Margarets arms. “You gave me Teddy!”
The three clung together, weeping. Much remained unsolved, but one truth shone clearMargaret had found more than a granddaughter.
And the kettle sang on.
**Life teaches us: love isnt divided by time or distanceit multiplies in the hearts that hold it.**
