An Innocent Baby by Cathy Glass

Author:Cathy Glass [Glass, Cathy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Published: 2021-06-21T21:28:14+00:00

That afternoon was one of the longest of my life as the minutes slowly ticked by and we waited for Shari and the police to arrive.

‘Can I have the television on?’ Haylea asked after a while.

‘Yes, of course, love.’

She switched it on and I stayed with her in the living room with Darcy-May on my lap while she watched a children’s programme.

Did Darcy-May look like Haylea’s abuser? I wondered, as we sat there. It would have been insensitive of me to ask. I could see some likeness between Darcy-May and Haylea, especially around the eyes. But what did Haylea see? Her father or another abuser? She’d barely looked at Darcy-May since that first meeting at the Family Centre. She’d asked to see her and had wanted to take a photograph but had then changed her mind. Had she seen her abuser mirrored in her baby’s face? Is that why she had totally rejected her and couldn’t even bare to look at her? If so, it was surprising she’d wanted to live with me, but then again, she’d managed to block out Darcy-May, probably as she’d had to block out years of abuse in order to survive. Would Haylea ever be able to see Darcy-May for the adorable baby she was without thinking of her abuser? I had no idea.

I touched Haylea’s arm and she didn’t recoil. ‘Are you OK? You’re doing very well.’

‘Am I, Cathy?’ she asked quietly, glancing at me.

‘Yes, love. You’re being very brave.’

‘I don’t feel brave,’ she said. ‘I’m a mess.’

She returned her attention to the television and I watched it too for a few minutes. I could see how the brightly coloured, fast-moving children’s programmes could distract her from the reality of life. They drew you in.

Darcy-May began to gurgle at Haylea, trying to attract her attention, but she remained oblivious to her. So fragile, innocent and unaware of the horror of her conception – would Darcy-May ever learn of her past? I didn’t know, but certainly she must never feel ashamed. I loved Darcy-May and felt very protective of her, and Haylea. I would do all I could to help them both.

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