Hannah Butler, 29, Sandgate
Sitting on the sofa, I bounced my 3-year-old daughter, Jessica, on my lap.
‘This is Paul, ’ I told her, introducing her to my new boyfriend.
A big moment…
It was March 2019 and I’d started dating Paul a month earlier.
A colleague for two years at the care home where I worked, we’d grown close.
I was falling for him.
But Jessica came first.
She was my world.
Born with complex developmental needs, Jessica was being tested for autism, among other things.
‘Life can be challenging, ’ I’d warned Paul.
Jessica’s condition made her non verbal, a fussy eater, and she had to wear a protective helmet as she’d hit her head against things.
‘I bet she’s wonderful, just like her mum, ’ he’d smiled.…
