I will break you

Twenty four

One Month later…

I grab one of my many Christmas presents and shake it, feigning confusion. I already know exactly what it is. I unwrap my favourite perfume, or rather what used to be my favourite but I'm honestly not sure anymore. I have had a hard time finding Jasmine again. I still find it hard to differentiate between Julia and Jasmine. “Thanks mum!” I turn to my dad. “Thanks…thanks!” I still can't address him properly. And I hate that.a knock sounds at the door and I open it to see Kaleb and his grandmother Darlene. Jack was already staying over with Ginny for Christmas. Darlene is the only family Kaleb really has left, so he moved in with Darlene and Frank. I hug him and he passes me a box. “Merry Christmas!” He exclaims. I feel really terrible that I didn't get him a gift. “Sorry, I didn't know we were doing gifts.” He waves me away. “Hey, it's fine! I bet you're head's all over the place.”
“And yours!” I laugh, already ripping away the paper. “Elodie wanted to send something but she's in Scotland now.” He says, eyes on the halfway open gift. Elodie found her mother who had moved to Scotland to get away from all of the trauma. She had been there for the six years that Elodie was Beth. It was a tearful goodbye when Elodie left but I know that it is best for her. I reveal the gift inside. A camera. There is a note. So you can capture all of these happy moments. I begin to cry, but happily for a change. “It looks good on you.” Kaleb says. “Huh?” I say through my beams. “A smile.” He says, and I fling my arms around him, enjoying the feeling of happiness once more. I'm not the old Jasmine, but I think that I can learn to be the new one.