Part of her heart melted as she walked away.
Chapter 6
Jamie
Jamie walked into The Butterfly Company, not knowing what to expect. He scanned the large open-plan foyer, seeing colourful seating, a large Christmas tree, and a white reception desk. The big windows allowed a lot of light to shine across the room, making the area look warm and inviting.
‘Hi, how may I help you?’ asked the female receptionist, her beam showing perfectly straight teeth.
‘I have an appointment with Henley Foster.’
‘Please take a seat and I’ll let him know you’re here.’
An athletic man with amber eyes entered the foyer. ‘No need. I’m already here.’
For some reason, Jamie had imagined the social worker to be a lot older than this fella who looked around his own age.
Jamie shook his hand and followed him to a side room. ‘So, is this just about work? I’ve not been to one of these places before.’ He remembered the last time he was in Penzance. Stealing cars with his mates wasn’t the best memory to have while sitting in a centre designed to help ex-offenders.
‘We do quite a few things here,’ said Henley, flipping open a file on the table between them. ‘I can help you find work, offer group therapy sessions, enrol you for further education.’
‘Go back to the group therapy. I had some one-to-one in prison, but what do you do in a group? Is it like those sobriety ones?’
‘It’s more of a safe place for ex-offenders to talk about their life. How they’re coping, what works for them, that sort of thing. It can be helpful for some to be around those with understanding.’
Jamie liked the sound of that. ‘When’s the next one?’
‘Tomorrow evening, upstairs.’
‘I’ll be there.’
‘Great. Now, let’s talk work placement. I see here you did some courses at your prison.’
‘Yes, I did GCSE English and maths, and desktop publishing. One of the men in my group used to create websites for a living, and I liked the idea of doing something like that.’
‘Okay, with that in mind, I know of an evening course you could start in January to learn that skill.’
‘Really? That would be great.’
Henley scribbled something down while humming, then glanced up. ‘Meanwhile, what about a day job?’
‘A friend just offered me some shifts at his café or tearoom, and they’re both along the road where I live.’
Henley glanced at his file. ‘Harbour End Road. Ah, was that Ginny Dean, by any chance?’
‘Her partner, Will.’
‘Kind of him. It might be worth taking him up on the offer. You’ll have something for the day, then come the new year you can get stuck in to your course and, who knows, by springtime, you could start your own website design business. We can help with that too. There’s a woman here who knows all about how to run a small business, tax accounts, that sort of thing. I can book you in for a chat with her after you’ve completed your course.’
Jamie felt a little overwhelmed. He’d made the plans, but now they actually seemed doable. It was quite exciting to have a glimpse of the future.
‘We’ll take it one step at a time, Jamie. Always the best way.’
‘It feels a bit strange, if I’m honest. This day always felt so far away. You know, just dreams, hopes. But I can see how close it is to me now. How I can do this.’
‘There’s a difference between dreams and goals. You did the dream part, wishing, wanting, and now you’re taking the steps that lead to your goals. It’s the action that makes things work.’
‘I’m ready to take action. I’m ready for my life.’
