The Girl In The Suit

Tasha

10 Years Later

I smile over at my wife, after we have our sessions finished. Well, at least Gabrielle does, I have one more person on in a half hour. We have been running our dream private counselling service for 2 years now, and we've been married for 5. We're extremely lucky. We have made friends and lost them. Had joyful times and sorrowful times. But I wouldn't trade our life together for anything.

At times, I think of Gemma. She never returned to Presentation Secondary School, and the Welches seemingly disappeared. Gabrielle and I had gotten bikes that summer, and we often cycled by and the house was empty. We just assumed they moved. Anne and Alison never heard from them either. They just vanished from our lives. The rest have stayed though. Anne, Hayley, Caoimhe, Amelia and Rosie joined us. None of us have heard from Gemma since she drove out of town on that bus. I remember it like it was yesterday.

Right now, Gabrielle and I are on the couch together, and our daughter, Lauren, is sitting on the carpet playing with her barbies. I can't believe she'll be starting preschool soon. We adopted her 2 years ago, a while before our counselling service started. While one of us is working, the other is in with her, and on a busy day, Anne, or Auntie Anne, as she calls her, takes care of her. She's very happy here, and we love the bones off of her. We're going to raise her to be open minded and open hearted, and not be afraid to be who she is, no matter what people think.

We've faced discrimination on walks with her, strangers saying that we shouldn't be raising a kid without a father. Some people have even told us to put her back in the system. What we've learned to do is let them know that we're counsellors, hand them our business card and ring us for an appointment. Lauren has also stood up for us, saying that Mammy and Mamo are the best in the whole world. Did I mention shes the cutest living thing on the planet?

I absolutely love watching her play with her Barbies. Gabrielle and I play with her all the time, and I love that too. It makes me feel young again, which is a strange statement considering I'm only 26. It's old though when you have a 4 year old running around the place. Unlike most families, we don't let her go on iPads or our phones. We have Netflix alright, but we only let her watch it when one of us or Anne is with her. Shes not getting a phone until shes 12. I don't care if her friends get them when they're 7, shes not getting one. I didn't get one till that age. We're a real old time family, and it works for us.

Just like that, a half hour passes, and the doorbell rings. I have to leave the warmth of Gabrielle and the couch, and I get off of it assuring Lauren that Mamo will be back to put her to bed and sing her favourite song.

I open the door and the person in front of me shocks me. I'd know that brown hair, eyes and skin from miles away. Shes dirtier looking though, and the smell of alcohol surrounds her.

"Well, well, Tasha Hanrahan, I haven't seen you since the Junior Cert."

Gemma has come home. For the first time in 10 years.

To be continued in my next book......