She Couldn’t Believe It
Hayley just stood there with tears pooling out her eyes.
She had had enough of people assuming she couldn’t be a mother because she was 21. She’d teach them all a valuable lesson.
When Hayley tried to enroll her fifteen-year-old in school, she got one rejection after another. At first, she assumed that the schools were just full. But then she learned the truth. None of them were taking her seriously, and they would come to regret that.
Tough Times
While growing up, Hayley had a rough life.
Her dad left when she was very young, and after the divorce, her mother spiraled out of control.
It seemed like the young girl was receiving one blow after another, especially when her dad remarried. But Hayley knew she would get out of it one day, and when she did, she’d have a better life.
Not The Best Household
Hayley spent the majority of her childhood in her mom’s crumbling house.
When she was little, it seemed like such a great place.
But as she got older, she realized that it was the kind of place nightmares were made of. The walls were slowly crumbling around her, but she only had a few years left.
Finally Free
As soon as she turned eighteen, Hayley moved out, and she swore that she’d never look back.
Over the years, she’d come to hate that house and the kind of childhood she had grown up in.
But when her dad passed away, Hayley came face to face with a girl that was in exactly the same position, and her heart shattered.
A Similar Situation
Gemma had just turned fifteen, and unfortunately, she had lost both her parents.
And since her parents passed, Gemma has been forced to live in the same conditions Hayley had experienced as a child.
None of her living family members wanted to take her in. And if something didn’t change soon, Gemma would be placed in foster care.
She Wanted Things To Be Different
After hearing Gemma’s story, Hayley was crushed.
She wished the teenager could have a brighter future and that she could spend the rest of her teenage years with someone who loved her.
Hayley spent a lot of time thinking about and discussing the situation with her fiancé. And the two of them decided that drastic measures were needed.
A Tough Battle
The very next day, Hayley headed to court to find out how she could get legal custody of Gemma.
The public prosecutor advised her on the best route to take, and Hayley immediately got to work.
The change of guardianship was in the process, but Hayley soon realized that this battle would be tougher than it seemed.
Threats Appear
Over the next few weeks, the living members of Gemma’s family started sending Hayley threatening messages.
They wanted her to stop her request for guardianship, and apparently, they would do whatever it took to make that happen.
But Hayley didn’t give up. These people had already abandoned Gemma once, and she would make sure they didn’t get a chance to do it again.
Approached In Public
Hayley ignored the threatening text, but Gemma’s family wasn’t done yet.
After they found out that Hayley didn’t withdraw her application, they started approaching her.
Wherever Hayley went, someone would pop up to ‘deliver a message’ and to speak their minds about her inability to look after a child. They all claimed she was too young to take Gemma in, yet none of them were willing to do it.
She Was Getting Scared
Weeks had turned into months, and the court’s decision was about to be made.
The threats continued, and Hayley was starting to get scared.
These people had already found out what her number was and where she lived. She had no idea what they would do once the judgment was made. Would things get worse?
It Was Just The Beginning
What Hayley didn’t know was that this was just the beginning of the long road that lay ahead of her and her fiancé.
They were willing to make sacrifices in order to give Gemma a new lease on life.
And they knew that raising a teenager wouldn’t be easy. But they never expected things to go as far as they did.
Court Ruling
Four months after Hayley submitted her request, the court made its ruling.
She was now Gemma’s legal guardian, and the teen wasn’t happy about it at all.
Hayley didn’t understand why Gemma was so upset about the whole situation. But she guessed she would also be a little moody if she was in the same position.
Getting Nervous
Hayley and her fiancé, Bruce, were allowed to pick Gemma up from social services that very night.
But Hayley was a nervous wreck.
Things were finally starting to set in, and she had no idea how to deal with it. She was 21. She had just got engaged to the love of her life, and suddenly, she was a mother to a moody teen. Hayley was starting to wonder if she had made the right decision.
Awkward Start
Hayley and Bruce brought Gemma home that night.
And things were off to a rocky start. Gemma was still a bit irritated with the fact that Hayley did all this without telling her.
And everyone was feeling uncomfortable with the sudden change that had taken place in their lives. But that would quickly change, and before long, they’d be a little family.
Settling In
Over the next few weeks, the little family started settling into a routine.
Gemma was starting to relax, and Hayley tried her best to be more of a friend than a mother figure.
The girls were only a few years apart, and Hayley knew she’d be running into a brick wall if she tried to push Gemma too hard. But the problems were just beginning.
It Wasn’t Easy
Adapting to this new way of life was far from easy.
Hayley and Bruce were just getting used to having each other around 24/7, and now they had a grumpy teen to look after.
To make matters worse, Gemma was still dealing with the loss of her father. And Hayley didn’t know what to do to help the teen feel better.
Starting School
Hayley gave Gemma as much space as she could, but a few weeks down the line, that had to change.
Gemma had to be enrolled in a new high school, and she would need to get back to her classes.
Hayley knew being a teen was tough, and she didn’t want to make things worse by having Gemma repeat the year. So she started looking at schools in the area.
It Seemed Fine
Hayley contacted a few of the schools, and at first, things seemed to be going well.
The schools she had contacted sent through their application forms. And Hayley decided to go for the one that was closest to home.
She filled out the forms and sent them back, not knowing that her biggest problem was yet to come.
One Rejection After Another
Hayley stared at the rejection letter with tears in her eyes. She didn’t understand why the school didn’t accept Gemma.
But immediately assumed that it had something to do with the fact that it was already halfway through the year and that they were full.
Her assumption changed with each rejection she received, and Hayley decided that it was time to get to the bottom of this.
It Got Even Worse
Hayley approached the first school she applied to and asked why they had rejected her application.
Everything moved so fast, and before she knew it, she was sitting in a boardroom full of people.
At first, the administrator told her that a student couldn’t apply to a high school on another student’s behalf. But her tone changed once Hayley explained that she wasn’t a student. Unfortunately, things only went downhill from there.
Police Arrive
Someone asked for a break, and when they returned to the room, Hayley was shocked.
There was a police officer sitting on a desk, and he was taking statements from everyone who was in the meeting.
“Are you telling me you called the police to report that my fiancé kidnapped a child and is trying to enroll said child in your school?” Bruce asked, his voice laced with irritation.
Changing Their Minds
A look of utter guilt spread across the administrator’s face as Bruce got up and wrapped his arm around Hayley’s shoulder.
“I’ll have you know that Gemma was legally adopted by the two of us, and I have the paperwork to prove it,” Bruce added.
And the school quickly changed its tone. Gemma was accepted immediately and started class the following day. But that was just one of the hurdles Hayley would have to face.
A Few Months Of Peace
Even though Hayley and Bruce got a lot of strange looks while they were out with Gemma, the next few months went off without a hitch.
The little family had overcome all of the obstacles that were thrown their way and even started planning their summer getaway.
They had no idea what would await them once they returned.
The New Teacher
The summer holiday came and went. And before the realization fully sank in, Gemma was heading off to school once more.
But when she came home that night, something seemed off.
After dinner, Hayley approached Gemma and asked what was going on. Gemma told her that she had a new math teacher, and he seemed to be very interested in her family life.
A Chat With His Student
Mr. Brody wasn’t the type to meddle in his students’ affairs, but there was something about this family that didn’t seem to add up.
He had heard the rumors circulating in the teacher’s lounge and thought the situation was rather fishy.
So he approached Gemma and asked her what was really going on at home. He thought that she might open up if she knew he had her best interests at heart.
Getting Suspicious
During the conversation, Mr. Brody referred to Hayley as Gemma’s mother, and the teen gave him a murderous look. “She’s not my mother,” Gemma said before storming out of the room.
Interesting, Mr. Brody thought to himself. He’d seen teens acting out before, but this was something different.
Her words triggered his suspicions, and Mr. Brody couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to this situation than they were being told.
Parent-Teacher Conference
Knowing he’d burned all bridges with Gemma, Mr. Brody decided to invite Hayley over for a parent-teacher conference.
Hayley was right on time, but that wasn’t what had Mr. Brody intrigued. It was her age that had him guessing.
If she were Gemma’s mother, she’d have had her at a very young age. So young that it wouldn’t be believable.
Doing Some Digging
Hayley was just as irritated by the questions as Gemma was. But before she left, she did tell Mr. Brody that she wasn’t Gemma’s biological mother.
She mentioned an adoption, which intrigued Mr. Brody even more.
He wouldn’t have believed Hayley if she said that she was Gemma’s mother, but there was something about the pair that seemed odd. In a way, they did look like relatives.
Not Convinced
After doing some more digging, Mr. Brody confirmed that Gemma was adopted, but he couldn’t get the whole story, and because of that, he wasn’t convinced that he was being told the truth.
Different scenario’s passed through his mind, but only one seemed to make sense.
At this point, he was convinced that Hayley and Bruce were keeping a massive secret from the world. So he decided to confront them.
Unexpected Answers
Mr. Brody sat in Hayley’s living room, and his face was bright red with embarrassment. It was true. Hayley and Bruce were leaving some of the details out, but he never expected that two people as young as them could have such huge hearts.
The truth was that Hayley and Gemma shared the same father. After he got remarried, he had another daughter, but her mom sadly passed away. So when their father also passed, Hayley felt it was her duty to take care of her stepsister. And that was exactly what she did.
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
