Don't Get Caught

Author's Note

Hi Readers,

Thanks for joining me and making it to the end. I hope you enjoyed it. I don't do sequels but I've inadvertently left this one open for one. So many unanswered questions...

> Are Ariel and Danny capable of a relationship?

> What will happen with Malcolm and his new identity, assuming he gets one?

> What is in the diary Bernard kept?

> Is there more to the abuse case than meets the eye?

> Will Ariel get her job back and get the new law passed?

> Does Hasmita ever lose her sass and grow up?

> Do Leah and Christopher get married and have kids?

We'll likely never know!

***

On a more serious note, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a topic close to my heart as many of my family are on the spectrum.

My cousin, Nick, is severely autistic. He is in his thirties and has to live at home with his parents, Jo and Govind, and has a dedicated carer. His obsessions dictate his life - he can't stop ordering things and he also can't throw things away, so my aunt and uncle's house is full to bursting with stuff. For example, if he orders a magazine, he must have every single magazine in the entire catalogue. It's the same with food leading to a lot of health problems - he can't eat just one of something in a packet, he must eat the whole packet.

He wears headphones constantly (Bose gives them free to those with autism) as noises upset him, he has crippling anxiety because he often doesn't understand what's going on.

There is a wide autistic spectrum, but for my cousin, every day is an intense struggle as he attempts to understand the world.

On the flip side, Nick is super smart with an almost photographic memory, and cares deeply about the few people in his life. Whenever I see him, he tells me how sad and sorry he is about my dad dying (he has done this for fifteen years now) and that he hopes I'm OK and managing without a dad. He does the same with my little sister and she is by far his favourite cousin. She works as a CAD designer for Ford, designing their brochures and website, and my cousin absolutely loves cars; he can identify almost any make and model by just a small detail. My sister often manages to sneak him some work-in-progress images, which makes his day. She has autism too and I've never been able to build a connection with her despite us spending the best part of sixteen years growing up together, but she and my cousin have an enviable one.

I'm especially in awe of my Aunt Jo. When you have kids, you expect to spend eighteen years or so preparing them for adulthood so they can fly the nest and perhaps do a better job than you did. Hopefully taking all your best bits and none of your bad bits and then maybe even becoming your friend, giving you grandchildren and finally taking care of you in your old age. She won't get any of that – she can't even hug him and will likely be a carer until the end of her life, but she has never let it break her beautiful spirit.

The other theme of the story is domestic abuse and, while I'm not going to be quite so open on this topic here, it's still an important theme. Feel free to DM me if you want to talk.

***

That's it from me. If you enjoyed this and haven't read my other stories, they all follow a similar theme - love & sex with twists & turns and morally grey characters dealing the tough realities life throws at them:

The Reason Jude Exists
My favourite. An epic love story that will pull on your heartstrings.

Struck By Lightning
Despicable characters who you'll love and hate in equal measure. The central theme in this one I also have a love-hate relationship with.

Letters to the Ones I've Loved
A very short story full of to-the-point letters from a less-than-perfect lover.

And coming next...
Forty Weeks (working title)
An impossible love story with six potential love interests, all of the hot celebrity variety.

Hopefully see you in one of those soon!

Ava x