Can I Let You Go?: Part 1 of 3: A heartbreaking true story of love, loss and moving on

Can I Let You Go?: Part 1 of 3: A heartbreaking true story of love, loss and moving on
Cathy Glass

Can I Let You Go? is the true story of Faye, a wonderful young woman who may never be able to parent her unborn child.Faye is 24, pregnant, and has learning difficulties as a result of her mother’s alcoholism. Faye is gentle, childlike and vulnerable, and normally lives with her grandparents, both of whom have mobility problems. Cathy and her children welcome Faye into their home and hearts. The care plan is for Faye to stay with Cathy until after the birth when she will return home and the baby will go for adoption. Given that Faye never goes out alone it is something of a mystery how she ever became pregnant and Faye says it’s a secret.To begin with Faye won’t acknowledge she is pregnant or talk about the changes in her body as she worries it will upset her grandparents, but after her social worker assures her she can talk to Cathy she opens up. However, this leads to Faye realizing just how much she will lose and she changes her mind and says she wants to keep her baby.Is it possible Faye could learn enough to parent her child? Cathy believes it is, and Faye’s social worker is obliged to give Faye the chance.

(#uf75cf2a7-b112-5215-8be8-22c0a1a3e761)

Copyright (#uf75cf2a7-b112-5215-8be8-22c0a1a3e761)

Certain details in this story, including names, places and dates, have been changed to protect the children.

HarperElement

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

First published by HarperElement 2016

FIRST EDITION

© Cathy Glass 2016

A catalogue record of this book is

available from the British Library

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2016

Cover photograph © plainpicture/Westend61/Valentina Barreto (posed by models)

Cathy Glass asserts the moral right to be

identified as the author of this work

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

Find out about HarperCollins and the environment at

www.harpercollins.co.uk/green (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/green)

Source ISBN: 9780008153748

Ebook Edition © August 2016 ISBN: 9780008156626

Version: 2016-07-25

Contents

Cover (#u974f3132-75a9-5125-8adc-07880e2c1f0b)

Title Page (#ulink_58810bca-1577-5b10-8cc6-4523862097e1)

Copyright (#ulink_5e23c94d-a3e3-5e98-b4d2-775e12b5d768)

Acknowledgements (#ulink_81aad587-b44a-55ca-91f0-c88f55f798e7)

Dedication (#ulink_4889ae92-28e8-5d0b-a26b-3b88af52846a)

Chapter One: Hope for the Future? (#ulink_a2b4a7fb-254b-5073-8fcb-90d7662b8d85)

Chapter Two: Faye and Snuggles (#ulink_e63b5967-567d-50f0-a01b-527065bccf84)

Chapter Three: Not Stupid (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Four: In Denial (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Five: Best Outcome (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six: Vulnerable (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven: Compromise (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight: Don’t Want to Hurt Them (#litres_trial_promo)

Moving Memoirs eNewsletter (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Acknowledgements (#uf75cf2a7-b112-5215-8be8-22c0a1a3e761)

A big thank you to my family; my editors, Carolyn and Holly; my literary agent, Andrew; my UK publishers HarperCollins, and my overseas publishers who are now too numerous to list by name. Last, but definitely not least, a big thank you to my readers for your unfailing support and kind words. They are much appreciated.

Dedication (#uf75cf2a7-b112-5215-8be8-22c0a1a3e761)

To Faye.

I’m a better person for knowing you.

Chapter One

Hope for the Future? (#uf75cf2a7-b112-5215-8be8-22c0a1a3e761)

‘Are you sure you are going to be all right alone tonight?’ I asked Mum again.

‘Yes, love. Don’t you worry about me,’ she replied, putting on a brave face. ‘Phone to let me know you are home safely.’