Before anything else Jess I want you to know that everything I've said before still stands. I will support you through all of your decisions." Karen sat on the sofa at one side of her room.
Jess sat next to her. "Ok...now you're scaring me, what's this about?" She looked towards her Mum trying to read the expression on her face. Instead of explaining Karen pulled out the print screen Rob had made earlier.
"Please don't be angry at Rob...we've both been worried about you...he didn't know what else to do Jess." Karen looked towards her. She had discussed with Rob whether they should tell her how they had got the information, and they had both decided that they needed to be completely honest with her. If this was going to work then it was honesty all the way from now with all of the kids.
Jess nodded. "I can't say that I'm not a bit annoyed...but I get why he did it." She looked up towards her Mum. "I guess I'm here so you can tell me that it's a stupid idea and I've always got a place with you?" Jess smiled towards her Mum. She knew how much she wanted to help her, but she wasn't sure that any of them understood how guilty Jess felt about all of this.
Karen shook her head. "If this is really what you want Jess then I wont stop you...I can't pretend that I like it...but I do want what's best for you, however." Karen stopped as Jess laughed a bit.
"I knew it was never going to be that straight forward. Go on then...what's the suggestion?"
"Well Rob and I were talking, and we both think that we could either move into a bigger house...or extend this one...or do something to give you and the baby more space without taking it away from anyone else." Karen looked towards her daughter. "That is what you've been worrying about?"
"Sort of." Jess looked towards her Mum. She could see that her and Rob had decided to be completely honest with her, so now it was her turn. "I can't stay in that house Mum...there's too much....well there's too many memories of Dad." She looked towards her Mum. She knew what she was asking and it seemed ridiculous. How many parents would even take a request to move from a child seriously. However Karen just nodded at her.
"Makes sense...so if we found a bigger house...would you stay with us? I mean obviously it wouldn't be forever, you're going to want your own space at some point...but for now?" Karen looked towards Jess, she hadn't even thought about her not being around for a couple of years at least. Now the possibility of losing her so soon was floating around she wasn't sure how it made her feel.
Gently Jess shook her head. Then she started crying. "It's not fair on you...on any of you...you can't do that for me." She put her head into her hands as the tears got worse. Karen wrapped her into her arms and gently kissed her forehead.
"This is our decision Jess...and I've been talking to Rob about him and Aiden moving in...this isn't just about you I promise...." Karen looked down at Jess who looked back through tear stained eyes. "If I'm honest sweetheart then the house doesn't feel like home any more...not since your Dad left. There's too much of him left, but I hadn't seen that since now."
Jess looked at her Mum. "Before I can say yes...I need to know that Bex and Harry are ok with it...and that Aiden wants to move in as well. This isn't just about me after all." She managed a small smile. Karen smiled back at her.
"How about I talk to them, and then we sit around tonight and talk about it. We can all make a list of what we want, and decide whether it exists."
"Mum...you do know we like Rob...I mean Harry Bex and me." She smiled up at her. "And it's pretty obvious that you like him to." She gently nudged her Mum.
"Well yeah...it seems to be going ok." Karen was struggling not to blush. She knew that Jess had been trying to have this conversation with her for a while. This time there didn't seem much chance of being able to wiggle out of it.
"Ok...that's why you've both been walking round with the biggest grins plastered across your faces since you started seeing each other." Jess looked at her Mum with one of those knowing looks that so often came the other way round.
"Why do I suddenly feel like a teenager again...I'm pretty sure I'm meant to be doing to interrogating." Karen nudged Jess before putting an arm around her. "You do like him don't you?" Karen didn't want to assume about the kids feelings about Rob. Of course she thought that they liked him, and there hadn't been any blazing rows, but she had also learnt not to assume anything.
Jess looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Are you seriously asking that?" She looked at Karen who nodded. Jess sighed. "Mum he's amazing...he makes you happy for a start...pretty sure I can't remember the last time you were grumpy. It's like him and Aiden just fit in...we're more of a family with them then we ever were with..." She didn't want to say the last word. He didn't seem to deserve the title of Dad anymore. She took a deep breath and said "Charlie." It felt better using his name, it meant that there was no pressure on anyone about who he was...or what he hadn't done for them. He could be plain old Charlie.
"I wish I could change everything with your Dad Jess...even though we're not together I always wanted you three to still have a relationship with him." She put a hand on Jess' knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. She still didn't understand why Charlie had 'chosen' Maria over his daughter.
"It's alright Mum...he made his decision." She looked at her. It wasn't really alright and they both knew it. But they also both knew that there was nothing anyone could do to change it.
"It might change..." Karen wished that she were right. In an ideal world Charlie would wake up tomorrow and realise what a dreadful mistake he had made. He would leave Maria and start caring about Jess.
Jess laughed. "Mmm...keep dreaming Mum. It doesn't matter now anyway...he's made his bed and he can lie on it. We're going to do ok without him." She gently stroked her bump. "I've got someone else to think about now." She took her Mum's hand. "Thank you."
Karen looked at her. "For?" She lifted a hand and stroked some of the stray hairs away from Jess' face.
"Where do you want me to start?" Jess giggled and rested her head against her Mum. "Just thank you for you...and for giving me another chance."
Karen lent forward and gently kissed Jess' forehead. "I'm your Mum Jess...we're all about second chances. You'll find that out soon." She rested her hand on top of Jess' bump. "It's getting so big." She smiled at Jess knowing that was the last thing she wanted to hear.
"Mmmhmmm." They both laughed.
Karen nudged Jess again. "Does this mean you're staying with us for a bit longer then?"
Jess shrugged. "I don't know...depends on how many knitting patterns you've got." They both fell about laughing.
