Chapter 29
TWENTY-NINE
Angela hadn’t seen an awful lot of Cain with work being so busy, and he’d been helping Amy with the baby as much as he could.
She hadn’t minded that one little bit, although it did torment her a lot that maybe he would be much more suited to being in a relationship with Amy than with her, especially since Amy’s partner had died and she was all alone.
Cain and Amy were similar ages, worked together and had an awful lot in common, and now they shared the bond with her baby who was the sweetest little thing she had ever met.
Checking her Facebook account once more, she clicked on the messages to see if the most important message she had ever sent in her life had been read.
She sighed, it hadn’t. Maybe he didn’t use it much.
She had promised herself when she was younger that she wouldn’t do this, but now Susan and Jim were dead, what would it matter?
She didn’t really use social media herself, but it had its uses, and getting in touch with people from her past had been one of them.
Jonathan was also dead; he’d had a heart attack in Crown Court in the middle of a high-profile murder case, and it had hit the headlines all over the country.
That had been years ago, and she hadn’t wasted a single tear on him.
She hadn’t even felt bad for his family, and despite the past, she never bore any ill will towards them.
They probably didn’t even remember she existed, as she had always been his dirty little secret.
So, she doubted he’d told his bright young wife that he’d been married previously to a child killer.
Stop it, Angela, you had postnatal depression and not one person to help you get through it.
She berated herself, but she wouldn’t say she had come to terms with that horrible part of her younger life, though she had made her peace with it.
Especially after she had trained to be a social worker and spent her life since doing what nobody had done for her, helping mums who needed someone to talk to when it all got too much, so they didn’t get to the point of exhaustion and depression that she’d reached.
She stared at the tiny, grainy picture on the chat page, so small she couldn’t work out what he looked like now as a grown man. It was a terrible image, but maybe he didn’t want to be recognised. A lot of people had their pets, flowers, inanimate images as their profile.
About to click off the page, she noticed three grey dots and sucked in her breath.
He was going to reply to her, then they stopped, and she released it, the disappointment hitting her heart harder than she ever imagined.
Clicking off the page, she decided she would give him time; at least he’d seen her message and maybe he would answer her when he felt like it.
Her phone dinged, alerting her she had a reply, and she closed her eyes and put her hands in the prayer position.
No matter what he said, she could handle it.
Releasing the breath she’d been holding, she opened the message.
Hey, I don’t know you, do I? Is there any reason you want to meet me? I’m not looking for a relationship, I’m happily engaged.
Angela felt her cheeks burn. Oh Lord, she should have worded that message better.
Hello, I’m sorry. I’m not either. This is more of I think we could be related kind of thing and I’m trying to trace my family. That’s all, I promise.
A laughing emoji appeared on the screen.
Sorry, I misunderstood. That’s good. How can I help you?
It’s a bit complicated over messenger, are you Susan and Jim’s son?
Instantly.
Yes.
I’m your aunt, I used to be married to Susan’s brother.
Uncle Jonathan?
Angela’s heart was racing so hard, and she was finding it hard to concentrate. She didn’t want to mess up and tell him who she was out of the blue like this when they hadn’t even met.
Yes.
His wife is called Tammy, why is your name Angela?
His first wife.
There was a pause, and she wondered if he’d had enough of her for one day.
I didn’t know he had a first wife.
No, he didn’t talk about me. It was complicated. Would you like to meet for a coffee, I’d love to chat with you, but I understand if you don’t.
The sly dog, he had a first wife nobody knew about. Well, I never. Do you have any juicy gossip you can share about him if I say yes?
Her mouth was so dry, she found it hard to swallow.
I do, as a matter of fact, but it’s not something I’d feel comfortable sharing on here.
I’m free later this afternoon. Could meet you at three at The Coffee Pot if that’s any good?
Perfect.
See you then Aunty Angela
He left the chat, leaving her having palpitations.
After all these years she was finally going to meet her son, the moment she’d dreamed about, and all she’d had to do was send a simple message.
She could have done this years ago. Why had she waited all this time to put the ghosts of her past to rest?
She thought about Cain, and little Ava. How he doted on the baby girl, and it had made her realise it was time to put right the wrongs she had done all those years ago.