Read Online Please Don't Take My Baby by Cathy Glass - Free Book Online Page A

Jade now could have appeared to Jackie I was siding with her daughter.
    ‘Don’t believe what she tells you about me!’ Jade shouted from upstairs. ‘She never wanted me! But don’t worry, I’m not coming back!’ We heard her bedroom door slam.
    Jackie’s eyes immediately filled.
    ‘Are you all right?’ I asked gently, touching her arm.
    She nodded and, taking a tissue from her dressing-gown pocket, blew her nose. ‘We’ve always clashed,’ she said, sitting on the sofa. ‘But it’s unbearable now. I did my best for her and what do I get in return? She ends up pregnant and hating me. After all the warnings and talks I’ve given her and she’s done exactly what I did.’ She gave a long, heartfelt sigh.
    I sat on the sofa next to her, for clearly she wanted to tell me more.
    ‘I told Jade right at the start to have an abortion,’ Jackie continued. ‘But she wouldn’t. She called me a cold-hearted bitch. She says she wants to keep the baby, but I’ve been a teenage mum and it wasn’t easy and I had a husband. I can’t look after Jade and the baby. I barely cope as it is.’ Jackie blew her nose again as fresh tears fell.
    ‘Of course you can’t be expected to look after Jade and the baby,’ I said. ‘You’ve got enough bringing up your younger children. Now the social services are involved with Jade they’ll help. Your children are lovely,’ I said, glancing at the school photographs on the wall. ‘You’re doing a good job.’
    ‘Thanks,’ Jackie said, wiping her eyes. ‘I love Jade as I love my other kids, although she doesn’t think so now. I want to help her but I’m not in any position to. She can’t stay with you, can she?’
    ‘No. She’ll be with me until the social services find her a mother-and-baby placement. Then she’ll live there and be assessed to see if she can keep the baby.’
    ‘Then what’s she going to live on?’ Jackie said. ‘Babies are expensive and Ty’s not going to be able to support her. What sort of life will they have?’
    I fully appreciated what Jackie meant: Jade’s life as a single parent – with no job and no support other than from state benefit – was going to be an existence rather than living. My first impression of Jackie – from the referral – had been that she was uncaring and irresponsible but that wasn’t so. She loved Jade, wanted what was best for her, but couldn’t offer much support as she was struggling to cope herself.
    ‘I know this sounds awful but part of me hopes Jade fails the parenting assessment,’ Jackie said, her brow furrowing. ‘Then the baby can be adopted into a nice home, and Jade can get on with her life. She was supposed to be staying on at school and taking A-levels. Did you know that?’
    ‘Yes.’ But while I could see Jackie had her daughter’s best interests at heart I knew that if she’d said any of this to Jade it would have caused an argument. ‘I think it’s best to take this a step at a time,’ I said. ‘At present I’m concentrating on making sure Jade has a good diet, enough sleep, and attends her antenatal appointments.’
    ‘Ty’s not staying with you, is he?’ Jackie asked. ‘Rachel said he wasn’t allowed to, but I know how persuasive Jade can be.’
    ‘No. The placement is for Jade only,’ I confirmed. ‘Tyler can visit; he was with us yesterday evening. But we’ve agreed he has to leave at eight o’clock.’
    Jackie nodded and looked thoughtful. ‘I let him stay here,’ she said. ‘I thought that as they were going to do it anyway it might as well be here rather than in a park or down an alleyway. I told Jade to go to the clinic for contraceptive advice but she couldn’t have done, could she? I won’t be making the same mistake with my younger kids. They won’t be having their boyfriends staying, but I’ve always given in to Jade. With her being the eldest, we’ve been more like sisters or friends than mother and daughter. I guess I liked that but it hasn’t done