Dear Jennifer,

By the time you read this letter you would be miles away. Am sorry I had to resort to sneaking it to you but I had no choice. You wouldn't talk to me or see me after the surgery so this is my only way of talking to you hoping you didn't burn it the moment you saw it was from me. Words are not going to fix my mistakes, I know that. But I want you to know how grateful I am towards you for saving my life. Even though you hate me you still chose to save me and for that I owe you my life.

Jeremiah told me what you went through when I left. Am not saying this so that you'll feel sorry for me or obligated to talk to me but it's the truth. He and his father had to hold me down to prevent me from coming to see you. I just thought you hated me for leaving you but at that moment I understood why you felt the way you did. I can't begin to say how sorry I am. If I could take it all back I would Jennifer. I would go back and do it right. I would cherish you and love you like you deserve. I would be a better mother and protect you from any harm. But life doesn't work that way and I guess this is my punishment. I have no valid reason as to why I never came back other than I was a coward. I still am seeing that I don't have enough courage to do this face to face.

Am writing this letter to say thank you and sorry. Thank you for being a better person than I was. Thank you for being there for me when I needed you even though I wasn't there for you. You will never know just how sorry I am for causing you so much pain. Even now am still hurting you by separating you from your husband. I am so so sorry my child. For not being the mother you needed. I am so sorry for leaving you all alone in this cruel world. I am a failure when it comes to you and I hope one day I can do something to make it up to you. I hope I will get the chance to redeem myself in your eyes and make things right with you. But for now I'll sit here and wait hoping life grants me that opportunity.

I hope you find the happiness you're looking for. Wherever you are I hope you're smiling and laughing and living your life. I don't know if I'll ever see you again but if I don't then know that I love you. Its hard to believe that Jennifer but it's the truth. From the bottom of my heart I love you and I wish you all the best my dear.

Teresa.

Jenna put down the letter. A year ago she would have burnt it without opening it. But not now. Now she read it and even shed a few tears. True her mother had failed her terribly but she couldn't carry that grudge around forever. She had to let it go at some point. She sighed getting up. Dinner was almost ready and she had to get the kids inside. Maybe one day she would have enough courage to face her mother and not feel hate towards her. She didn't have to love her but they could seat down and talk civilly.

"Maggie?" She called out but no one answered. "Stella? Grace? Tommy? Harrison? Anyone around?" she started to get worried. These kids were dangerous. Leave them alone and they would create a tsunami in the house. Please don't let them be in the kitchen. Please. She thought.

Last month Harrison had flooded the whole place in the name of doing dishes. The month before that Stella had almost burnt the place down recreating a magic act she had seen on TV. Just last week they had to paint the walls again because little Grace had misplaced her homework book and decided to do it on the wall. She couldn't turn her head for a second without them doing something naughty. But she loved it. All of it. When she had come across Maggie on the street she'd thought she would hand the child over to the authorities and let them do their jobs. Two days later she'd found the child on the streets again.

Magnolia was barely seven and when Jenna took her back to the police they claimed she had run from the orphanage they had put her in. She didn't believe them so she decided to take the child home with her. Maggie had said she would rather be on the streets than stay at the orphanage. Apparently those places were horrible. So Jenna did the only thing she could. She bought a big house and made it a group home. That way it wasn't anything like an orphanage. She had found kids who needed a place to stay and invited them to her house. When she realized the house was too small for everyone to fit in she bought more houses and appointed people she trusted to take care of the children.

They came in all ages. That's what Jenna liked most. The moment they heard about her they showed up asking for help. She was more surprised when some even came with infants. But thanks to the money Jeremiah insisted she take, she had been able to buy houses and turn them into homes for most of those kids. The ones she had at her house were her favorite and the most naughty. The other houses kept sending them back claiming they couldn't keep up with them. "Guys where are you?" she called out again. The house was too quiet. She quickened her steps heading to the kitchen and when she found it empty she stopped short. Where could those rascals have gone off to now?

"Maggie? Come on guys please don't be doing something crazy again"  she walked past the kitchen to the living room then froze when she saw the front door open. She rushed to it and sighed when she heard laughter in the front yard. "You guys what did I say about going outside without my.......permission" she whispered the last part. The kids were on top of a laughing Zoe who kept trying to push them away.

"Do you think she's still breathing?" a voice said from beside her startling her.

"Chloe?" Jenna hadn't seen her ever since she left the hospital. She had said it would take time for her to get over Jenna leaving them and she hadn't been joking. There were no calls, letters or postcards. "You came"

"Zoe kind of dragged me here. Apparently I  needed to stop acting like a child. I mean seriously between me and her who's rolling in the grass with said children?" Chloe asked shaking her head.

Jenna laughed then enveloped her in a bone crushing hug. "I missed you"

"Loosen up I can't breathe."

"Oh sorry. Am just so happy to see you. You look different"

"Yeah. Am a year older"

"I know. Did you get my present?" Jenna had sent her a custom made bracelet. She'd given Zoe a necklace. They were both something she'd come across in a flea market. She thought they would suit the twins. Chloe lifted her hand showing her the bracelet.

"A little help here. I can't breathe" Zoe yelled from under the kids.

"The first one to wash their hands gets to choose what they eat for desert. The rest of you get guacamole" Jenna yelled and all three of them laughed when the children tripped on themselves trying to get to the kitchen first.

"Wow they really don't like avocado. Do they?" Zoe asked brushing leaves off her clothes.

"You have no idea. Come on in there's enough food to feed an army" she said ushering them inside.

"Oh I almost forgot. Someone was looking for you"

"Who?"

"I don't know. He came in at the same time we did but we kind of got distracted by the kids." Zoe said.

"I think he went around to the back"

"And you left him? I have kids in here. You can't let strangers wander around. I'll go see if they're still here. You set the table" Jenna ran to the backdoor. Really it was so like the twins to forget about something so important. What if he was a thief or a stalker? Oh my God. What if he's a pedophile? She opened the door and saw a familiar figure standing on the porch. He was dressed in an immaculate suit like always but his hair was different. Was he taller? "Jeremy?"

He turned around slowly and she saw it wasn't her ex husband. But the resemblance was striking. "Hello you must be Jennifer then" he said.

"Yes. And who are you?"

"Jonathan Blackwell." he stretched his hand and Jenna took it.

"How can I help you Jonathan?"

"No. The question here is how can I help you?" he said emphasising on the 'I' and 'you'.

"Get to the point. I have five now seven kids to feed so I would appreciate it if you didn't waste my time and tell me why you're here." Jenna told him feeling irritated.

He smiled making Jenna gasp. "I have a business proposal"  she stared at him captivated by that smile. He looked so much like Jeremiah when he smiled like that. Who was this man and what did he want?
Most importantly why did he look so much like her ex husband????

"Jennifer?" she spun around. Was her mind playing tricks on her? 

"Jeremy?" she whispered just as he appeared.

"The twins said you were out here. What are you....." he stopped having realized she wasn't alone.

"What are you doing here?" she looked from Jeremy to Jonathan. They didn't look alike but at the same time they did. She shook her head.

"I came with the twins. Who is this?" he asked looking at Jonathan while seizing him up.

"Jonathan Blackwell."

"Jeremiah Maxwell" 

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