World War One

Explaining

CHAPTER 11 - EXPLAINING

Once the twins were in bed asleep and Grace had gone to her room for the evening, Jack and Rose cuddled up on the sofa, Jack's arm round around her.

"Well that was an eventful day" Rose said "I know... if you'd have told me this time 2 weeks ago we'd spend the afternoon getting nits out of 2, 6 year olds hair, I'm not sure I would have believed you" he smirked, making Rose laugh.

Talking about their hair made Jack think Jack think back to Poppy and the hair brush. "Why was Poppy so against you brushing her hair?" Rose sighed "her mum... Grace said she's an awful person, nasty, cruel... I'd say abusive... when her mum used to do Poppy's hair, she would squirm, it would annoy her so she'd get smacked on the head with her hairbrush. She thought we'd do the same, that's why she would only let Grace do her hair... trust issues I guess" Rose looked up at him sadly "oh bless her" he said quietly and sighed "what about Grace and Harry? How was their Mum to them?" "By the sounds of it, she was OK with Harry. Didn't have much to say to him and just left him to his own devices... Grace? Sounds like she was awful to Grace..." "why?" Jack asked, concern in his voice "Their Father, he'd watched the way their mum was with them... he had planned to take them and run away, but then he was called to the war. Grace essentially became the twins Mum... their own mum couldn't be bothered. Grace said that she never hit her, just grabbed her, she said it as though that made it OK... she didn't eat when she got here because her mum used to say there wasn't enough food for all 3 of them, so Grace would give the twins her portions" Jack just stared at Rose in disbelief "and her Dad?" "Died last year" "those poor kids..." he sighed "I know... I get why she was distant and protective of the twins now though" Jack nodded in agreement "what did you say to her to get her to understand we're not like that?" "I said just that, that as long as she was here with us, she was safe, we would look after the 3 of them and only wanted what was best for them, and not to worry about them being hurt or going hungry... I think reassuring her with those things gave her a little comfort..." she smiled faintly and he nodded.