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Eliza Scanlen as Juliet Johnson
"Henry," Juliet called out softly from across the room as she placed her book down in her lap. Her older brother glanced up acknowledging whilst shining his best church shoes, raising his eyebrow at her hesitation to voice her concern.
"Who was that man who came by earlier? I heard mother shouting and..." She droned off, watching as Henry's expression turned to one of dread. He had been trying to put the mysterious visitor to the back of his mind, but the phone number, name and address still remained crinkled up in his jacket pocket that hung limply on the back of his bedroom door.
Taking a deep breath, he placed his shoes neatly beside him, causing Juliet to sit up straight to hear whatever he had to say, "He said he was from the council. He knows my real mother, and said she wants to meet me."
Juliet's blue eyes widened in surprise, but soon an excited grin covered her face, "Henry, that's amazing!" She exclaimed, jumping up to celebrate with him, but he seemed a lot less enthusiastic than she was. Noticing his reluctance, Juliet toned down her happiness, but still went to sit beside him to show some support, "Isn't it great that you can meet your biological family?"
Nervously, he glanced across at the sixteen year old beside him whose eyes gleamed ever so brightly, and whose smile rarely faltered even after years of being in and out of foster homes and adoption centres. Henry had met Juliet the very first day he was taken from his family, and from there, they had remained inseparable. Since his biological little sister had quickly been taken elsewhere immediately after their removal, Juliet took that place in his heart, and had stayed there ever since. They remained in a questionable care home for many years, before finally, late into their single digits, they were taken in together by the Johnson family.
"I have a family here. You are my sister, and Sam is our brother now. Rosemary and David are nice parents, they've been good to us." He explained, as if trying to persuade himself to stay. Whilst all of what he was saying was true, it didn't displace the fact that Henry had his own family out there; a mother that loved and missed him with all her heart. Surely she deserved a visit, if nothing else.
"Where do they live, your family?" Juliet urged with a nudge of her shoulder, but instantly became worried as Henry rose to his feet. She thought she had pushed him too quickly, maybe he didn't want to go at all.
Fortunately, as he stopped at the door, he only reached into his pocket to pull out a piece of paper before returning to his previous position on the floor, "Small Heath, Birmingham." He stated, turning to Juliet who he knew was better at geography than he was.
"That's not far from here at all, we could get the train and be there in an hour." She revealed, before glancing back over at the note.
"We?" Henry asked curiously, half shocked, yet half grateful that Juliet would be willing to go with him to meet his family. He knew how much she longed to know where she came from, but she had never had such fortune, so it had to be hard to see him living her dream.
