Ben and TJ had shown her so much. Their deep love and respect for each other and their trust in their Heavenly Father flowed over into the home environment and made an easy example for the children to follow. They did everything as a family: prayed together, ate together and played together, even involving her and HJ in making decisions. But Ben was definitely the head of the house and nothing entered the house unless it got Ben's say so.
Casey felt, for the first time, that her life was in order and she could concentrate on growing up, instead of fighting just to survive another day.
She mused for a while in her room, staring at Tabbie's girlie things hanging on the wall and wondered whether Tabbie was watching her from her place in Heaven. She sighed and pondered, weighing a detail that had only just become important to her in the last few months. Tomorrow was her birthday and she was unsure whether TJ and Ben even knew. She was turning fourteen, but they hadn't mentioned it; however, if they had studied the adoption papers they would have known when it was. Casey closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but she’d have to wait until the morning before her mind could be at rest.
*~*~*~*
TJ and Ben sat around the kitchen table after breakfast, deep in conversation. Casey and HJ were in Casey's room, but Hannah-Jean could hardly conceal what was about to happen. HJ noticed Casey looked a little sadder than her usual happy self.
"Are you okay, Casey?" HJ asked.
"Hmm… yeah, I'm okay, Hannah-Jean."
Casey was just a little disappointed. It was her birthday and her family didn't know. She thought about telling them, but decided to just let it go.
After all, it was only her.
There was a loud knock at the front door that reverberated through the house. Hannah-Jean steeled herself for the inevitable, trying to hide her excitement.
Casey heard TJ squealing and peered at Hannah-Jean with concern.
"Simon...! Come on, Casey!"
HJ pulled Casey by her arm and almost dragged her into the kitchen. Casey stopped at the door and blinked in disbelief, trying to make sense of the unbelievable sight before her. A young carbon copy of Ben had TJ in his arms, twirling her around and around.
Hannah-Jean squealed, "SIMON…!" and took off running at the big man full tilt.
Simon gently placed his mother back on terra firma, held out his arms in delight and called, "Come on baby girl, launch!"
Hannah-Jean launched herself at her older brother from about ten feet away and flew into his arms while the two hugged and whooped for a long time. After Simon put Hannah-Jean back down, he locked eyes with his father and the two men embraced, slapping each other on the back with affection.
"Good to see you, son."
"I missed you, Dad." Simon pulled his hug tighter.
"Where's Louisa, Simon?" TJ wondered.
"She wanted me to come in first and 'blow off some steam', I think she said," shrugging to his mum.
Just then, Louisa entered the doorway and was mobbed by hugs. She returned the affection with a one armed embrace, carrying a box wrapped in beautiful paper.
Simon suddenly turned and his gaze fell on Casey. "Is this my new little sister?"
"Yes, Simon, this is Casey," TJ said proudly.
His mother could read her son like an actor in an old time movie.
"Simon… NO!" TJ said forcefully. "BEN…?!"
TJ peered across at her husband worriedly. One word from Ben and Simon would have aborted his intent, but Ben was calm and knew what was coming. He just smiled and waited. Before Casey could think, Simon had her in a hug and was twirling her around, out of control while her screams echoed into the kitchen as the big man played. Once she had landed, she couldn't believe his words.
"Happy birthday, Casey."
Louisa handed Casey the box, beautifully wrapped, then pulled Casey into a hug and announced, “Happy birthday,” too. Before long, gifts and birthday hugs were coming from everywhere. Casey's smile was mingled with tears as she realised they had been planning a surprise celebration for her and she was the guest of honour.
Another new concept for her.
"Come on, let's get ready," TJ called out. "Neil and Jen are waiting at the restaurant."
*~*~*~*
By the time they’d climbed back into the car to go home, Casey was full, both with food and emotion. She undid her safety belt as they were driving, leaned over the front seat and hugged TJ and whispered, "Thank you, Mum."
TJ smiled big and kissed Casey on her cheek. "You’re worth it, beautiful lady."
Then she turned to Ben, folded her arms around the big man's neck as he drove them toward home and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Daddy."
Ben's heart swelled. "You're welcome, sweetheart."
*~*~*~*
Chapter 26
The bedroom door creaked in the shadows and a dark figure slipped in, unnoticed. The dim light from the hall outside threw eerie shadows on the wall and the figure appeared far bigger than its human shape. The door closed but the figure was in her room, shaking her awake by his weight bearing down on her mattress.
Casey's eyes sprang open and she screamed and screamed.
Ben was out of bed in an instant, in a full on run, preparing to take the head off any intruder. TJ followed as fast as she could, limping without the aid of her cane while lights blinked on everywhere throughout the house.
At the presence of an invisible intruder, Casey stared wide eyed, curled up petrified against the headboard, with a look of sheer terror on her face. Ben bounded into her room and she motioned for him to pick her up like a toddler would, her arms extended to her father. Ben pulled her into his arms and held her tight.
"It's okay, baby, I am here. No one’s going to hurt you."
TJ limped in a few seconds later, closely followed by a trembling Hannah-Jean. Casey's screams had frightened Hannah-Jean nearly speechless and she hung onto her mother like a frightened child. The family surrounded Casey, still tightly wrapped in Ben's arms.
"It..it was horrible," Casey stammered.
"It's okay, Casey. It was a nightmare," Ben offered.
Ben glanced across at TJ and gently spoke, "No more stories of Gwendolyn," he said firmly.
TJ nodded, still whispering words of comfort to Casey and gently rubbing her back.
"Ben, it didn't have anything to do with Gwendolyn's story," Casey whispered, still hugging Ben's neck. "I need to know her story so I can put my own behind me."
TJ and Ben just stared at each other. This precious little girl was growing in Father's wisdom.
"Do you want to try and go back to bed now, Casey?" Ben probed.
TJ spoke up. "I think she’d probably be better with us tonight, honey."
Ben agreed.
"Don't leave me out!" Hannah-Jean pleaded.
The lights blinked out again in the Brekman household. The two girls slept in between TJ and Ben, knowing they were safe.
*~*~*~*
The smell of food cooking woke Ben and a tray was brought in, with three waitresses waiting on him. Ben propped himself up in bed with extra pillows and beamed.
"What's this?"
Hannah-Jean placed the tray before her father and kissed him. "I love you, Daddy."
"I love you too, baby."
Casey brought in a cup of tea and placed it on his bedside and kissed Ben. "I love you, Daddy."
"I love you too, baby."
TJ walked in lastly and gave him a big kiss. "I love you, Daddy."
"I love you too, baby."
The room filled with laughter and respect for the man the ladies knew would defend them to the end.
*~*~*~*
TJ sat with Casey and gently prodded her about her nightmare. "Can you tell me about it, honey?"
Casey fidgeted and tried to pluck up the courage to go there again, but knowing she was in safe hands, she sighed and tried to relive the nightmare. "I was moved to Duchess Park Juvenile Reform from Norland, after a fight with another girl
for stealing my stuff. I was told by some of the other residents there that a dorm warden was abusing some of the girls. I thought they were just trying to freak me out... until it happened to me."
"Oh, Casey, I’m so sorry, honey." A huge tear dropped from TJ's eye and she pulled Casey into a hug. "You know how Ben and I feel about you and now that Ben is your dad, no one is ever going to do that to you again!"
Casey cuddled up to TJ. "I can't believe my luck in finding you and Ben."
"Sweetheart, luck hasn't anything to do with it. Your Heavenly Father knows all about you and will put everything right in the end. We don't understand the things He does, but we can trust him with our pain. Everything has a purpose and everything is planned, including you becoming a cherished member of our family. You have a reason and a purpose; and He is training you for your future."
"Really?!" Casey replied.
"He doesn't waste our pain, Casey. If we can learn from the things that happen to us and trust Him with the outcomes, then He can use our experiences, good or bad, to help others fighting the battles we have already fought and won. We fight against the Evil One and one of his weapons is to turn us bitter against Father for the things we think He lets happen. If we turn bitter and refuse to forgive those who harm us, it’s like inflicting ourselves with pain and thinking we are hurting the person who harmed us. We need to let the experience go into Father's hands and let Him deal with them. Take it off our hook and put it onto His hook. After all, He can do a far better job of making them pay than we can. If we can't let Father deal with it, it will eventually defeat us and make us a bitter, burnt out wreck emotionally, being of no use to anyone."
"What possible good can come out of me being abused?" Casey puzzled.
"Father didn't plan your abuse, Casey. The Evil One did that. If you can learn from this and keep reading Tabbie's Bible and grow closer to Father, He will make you into a wonderful, powerful woman of God like Tabbie."
"I doubt I could ever be like Tabbie," Casey mused.
"I wouldn't discount that too quickly, darling. I think you would be surprised what Father can do with a broken child sold out to Him."
Casey chewed on TJ's comments and then suddenly asked, "TJ, can you tell me more of Gwendolyn's story?"
"Do you think that's wise after last night, Casey?"
"If you and Ben don't think it’s right, then I will accept that. Can you tell me about Tabbie, then?"
TJ mused for a long moment. "To understand Tabbie, you really have to take the story of Gwendolyn in sequence."
"Huh?!" Casey was really confused.
"I am sorry, honey. It won't be making much sense to you at the moment. It's probably best if I just resume the story. Are you sure you are up to it?"
Casey nodded enthusiastically.
"Well, after Marlene Styles regained control of Gwendolyn, she was incensed that someone would dare stand up for a vagrant's child; that was just unheard of. She took out her frustrations over the court case on Gwendolyn and just seemed to delight in making Gwendolyn suffer; and suffer, she did. If anyone looked like taking a real interest in Gwendolyn, she would be moved. If you really want to mess with a child's head, moving them into a new environment every week or two will do the trick. New schools, new carers and no chance to bond or experience love.
"By the time she was six, she'd learnt how to manipulate people and play mind games with expertise. She’d become hard from being devoid of love and by the time she was twelve, she had suffered every type of abuse imaginable. She hated men and became extremely violent around them, trying to escape their clutches or to make them suffer for the way she’d suffered at their hands. She had no time for women and considered them weak.
"The institutions couldn't hold her and at every chance she broke out, even if the staff restrained her and tied her to her bed. While she was free, she broke into houses for fun and robbed them. Soon, she became known to the police and then it all went really bad when she was introduced to drugs. All things considered, it was only Father's hand that stopped her from completely self destructing under the intensely cruel situations she was constantly in.
“It seemed Marlene Styles knew exactly where to place her to get maximum negative effect. Gwendolyn was in a constant struggle, trying to gain control of her life and insulate herself from being hurt more. The only way she could gain some kind of control was hitting back and hurting people in any way she could.
"I can still remember the day Grandpa Bluey received the call from the Juvenile Corrections Department, asking Mum and Dad to consider taking Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn had been incarcerated for burglary and small time drug addiction from her twelfth birthday until her thirteenth. She hated being locked up and nearly wrecked her cell when she couldn't take any more. The Juvenile Corrections people were at their wits end with Gwendolyn; and Hannah and Bluey were their last resort, before committing her to a worse fate. If Grandpa and Grandma didn't take her, she’d have been shipped off to Cranbourne Mental Institution and spend the rest of her life legally suppressed on medical drugs and suffering in a new type of abuse."
Casey's eyes were wide. "I feel so sorry for her, TJ. I know what it is like to feel powerless."
TJ watched Casey for a few moments in wonderment. Her simple statement of empathy had prompted a thought.
Father had plans for her daughter's future.
"Grandpa obviously decided to take her in, though," Casey interrupted TJ's thoughts.
"Mmm, Casey. I can remember praying alongside Mum and Dad for hours, seeking Father's will. It all came to a head when Grandpa Bluey rose from his knees and announced to me and Grandma Hannah that he believed Father wanted us to take Gwendolyn. Little did any of us know what that would mean for the family..."
*~*~*~*
Chapter 27
Bluey gazed through the lounge room window as a police car pulled up outside and a police officer opened the back door of a patrol car. A young, thin, brunette teenager unfolded herself from the back seat and forcefully pulled her arm out of the police officer's grip; but the hard expressions made her seem older than her thirteen years. A woman appeared from around the other side of the vehicle, talking in threatening tones.
Bluey heard her say, "Gwendolyn, this is your last chance. Next stop is Cranbourne."
Gwendolyn eyed the woman while chewing offensively on gum and replied, "Yeah, yeah... so I'm told. I've broken out of your best. I'll break out of there, too!"
Hannah joined Bluey at the window, watching with concern as the young, intense hurricane made landfall on the Burns’ front doorstep.
"Show time, Bluey," Hannah rubbed the big man's arm and sighed nervously, making light of the moment, her way of dealing with a stressful situation.
A knock reverberated into the house from the front door. Hannah opened it, to be greeted by a middle aged woman who smiled a cheesy smile that was so false it could’ve stopped a speeding freight train, frightened to death in its tracks.
"Mrs Burns, my name is Davina Dwyer, Juvenile Corrections Department and this is Gwendolyn."
Hannah smiled at Gwendolyn and offered her a hand in greeting. "Nice to meet you, Gwendolyn."
Gwendolyn just stood there, chewing on her gum with a look of intense disdain crossing her features and defiantly turning away.
"Don't be disrespectful, you little toad!" the woman snapped.
Hannah just smiled and chastised the woman. "There is no need to belittle her, Mrs Dwyer," Hannah said gently. "I am sure this is stressful enough for all concerned."
"Suit yourself. This is my card and telephone number when you’ve had enough." The woman turned to Gwendolyn. "We’ll be back tomorrow, to take you to Cranbourne."
"Okay, Davi baby, see ya then." Gwendolyn slumped, leaning on the exterior wall, one hand on her hip and chewing profusely.
"It's Mrs Dwyer, you toad!" the woman threatened.
"Yeah, Davi, whatever ya reckon, baby."
Hannah was finding the interlude amusing but d
idn't dare show it. The woman spun on her heels and started back to the waiting police car. Hannah reached for Gwendolyn's bag to bring it inside and Gwendolyn grabbed it from her.
"No one touches me stuff, okay?!"
The outburst took Hannah off guard. "Sorry, I wasn't trying to harm it; I just wanted to help you."
"I don't need your help, lady!"
Calming down, Gwendolyn stood in the entry way to the house for the first time and looked around. "Nice shack, Mummsy."
Just then, Bluey appeared from inside the house.
Gwendolyn's mouth fell open, as she peered up at Bluey's six foot five frame.
Bluey observed a flash of fear cross Gwendolyn's eyes and then quickly, a look of sheer hatred took its place.
"W... whoa, who’s the mountain?!" Gwendolyn stuttered, peering up at Bluey but never taking her eyes off him. This man could prove to be a challenge to her plans and she’d have to rethink her usual strategy, although she was sure she could still outsmart him.
"This is my husband, Bluey," Hannah replied.
Bluey offered Gwendolyn his hand.
But she flinched as his hand extended toward her.
"Okay, Poppy, I get the drift," Gwendolyn retaliated, dodging his outstretched hand.
"Why don't you bring your things and put them in your room?" Hannah suggested.
Gwendolyn dragged her life's possessions along the floor, trying to get a reaction.
"Would you like me to carry them for you if they are too heavy?" Bluey offered.
Gwendolyn glanced back at the redhead giant and lifted her bag, not wanting to engage him on his terms but on her own, when she had control of the situation, but keeping him in careful eye-shot just in case. He was a real threat and she didn't trust him.
As Gwendolyn passed by TJ's room, Hannah called out to her. "Tabatha-Jean, this is Gwendolyn; Gwendolyn, this is our daughter, Tabatha-Jean, but everyone calls her TJ."
"Huh?! You do have a rug rat; that's just fine and dandy." Unconcerned, Gwendolyn kept walking. "Is this my room?"
"Nice to meet you, Gwendolyn!" TJ called after her.