A few days later…

Kaitlin was lying on the couch watching TV when the door went.

“Mum the door” Kaitlin shouted forgetting the pain and then realising she held her sides and scrunched up her face

“Hello, I’ve not seen you in a while, where have you been?” Tina said opening the door and hugging Alice

“I’ve just had so much going on” Alice said as Tina let her in.

Bette came down the stairs.

“Alice, hi” Bette said hugging her

Kaitlin looked up from the couch.

“Hey” Kaitlin said “I would hug you but I am incapable of moving.”

Bette, Tina and Alice laughed

“So what brings you here?” Bette asked sitting down

“Well…” Alice began “15 years ago I had a daughter, but her dad was violent. So I had to leave and unfortunately leave her with him. He wouldn’t ever touch her. Anyway I heard he was in jail and I went to the police and they gave me this address so I could see her”

Alice looked around. Everyone was sitting in silence looking at her.

“Well that was bullshit! He did hit her, that’s why she’s here and not there!” Kaitlin growled towards her parents’ friend.

“Kaitlin” Tina said looking at her, Kaitlin looked back not bothered at the fact she swore in front of her parents “Alice, are you Jess’s mum?”

“Yeah, is she here?” Alice said, guilt spreading across her face

“Alice, she may not want to see you” Bette told her “This is up to her; you shouldn’t have just turned up and expected an open armed welcome”

“No I never. She called the police and told them I’d to come here” Alice informed them, looking around for answers

“I’ll go and get her then” Kaitlin said pulling herself up off the couch and slowly making her way up the stairs. Tina had gone through to the kitchen to make some tea.

Kaitlin opened the bedroom door out of breath and continued over to the bed. She sat down.

“The stairs are the hardest” she laughed “You called your mum then?” looking at Jess, she looked away