To have and to Hold

All this could be yours

Rachel spent an anxious week waiting for Adam Maxwell to get in contact with her, as he promised he would.

She was astute in realising he was clever enough not to have specifically committed himself to out rightly helping them.

It had just been, a case of his claiming he would look further into it, and see if it was possible for him to do anything. Then get back to her when he could. But he had seemed sympathetic, so there was some hope.

Meanwhile she was doing her regular stint, helping out at the Haven Refuge centre. The place could hold up to ten to fifteen women at a time, including some of their children if need be.

Usually it was just a stop gap until the social services had a chance to get the women a place of their own or staying with friends and family who would protect them from abusive husbands or partners.

Jean was a qualified counsellor and a retired social worker, who had devoted her time to helping these women, after watching her own daughter going through an abusive relationship, which led to her death when her husband had flung her down a flight of stairs in one of his drunken rages

Rachel learned that Jean had taken a special interest in her, because she reminded her of her daughter. So the two women had become close. Jean becoming the caring mother figure Rachel never had, and Rachel becoming like the daughter Jean had tragically lost. Both of them sharing the same mission to help the women in this particularly distressing situation.

Rachel was thinking about taking up a college course on sociology when she had the chance to save up enough money.

She hoped to become a counsellor herself one day. Right now she was no more than a volunteer, helping out, but she wanted to do more

Most times her job was helping to think of ideas to raise funds for the place, part time secretary getting in touch with social services and other relevant institutes that were there to help the women, sometimes she would cook food, or make tea, and just be there to have a friendly chat to if the women needed it.

Most of them were frightened and nervous, and lacking self esteem, something she could relate to and understand, being in the same situation herself one time.

So they felt at ease talking with her once they realised she had been through it also.

Tonight Rachel was doing babysitter, minding six month old Jordan for his mother Kerry, who was attending a counselling session with her husband Joe. He was one of the rare men seeking to get help for his problem.

It was looking encouraging, as Joe seemed serious about wanting his relationship with Kerry to work now they had a baby to look after.

Rachel had just finished feeding Jordan his bottle and settling him down for the night in his cot when Jean appeared in the room looking positively lit up, "I just got a phone call downstairs in my office, from a Certain Mr. Maxwell apparently he would like to speak with you"

Rachel suddenly felt the nerves go in her stomach. She just hoped it would be good news, this was the moment they had been waiting for

"Well just don't stand there, go on down to my office and find out what he has to say," Jean urged her, noticing Rachel seemed to be frozen to the spot.

In truth, she was almost afraid to take the call in case it was not good news. But at least now they would know for certain one way or the other.

So she left Jean minding Jordan, whilst she hurried downstairs to Jeans office, and picked up the receiver of the phone.

"Hello?"

"Ah Miss. Crosby," Adam Maxwell's familiar voice replied, Rachel found her heart was thudding in her ears.