Troubled Souls : A story about Karen and Rob - but what if they had met when they were younger? Aiden and Bex don't exist for the purpose of this story. All characters so far, unless I say otherwise belong to the BBC.
This is a reposting - was once up but chapters got lost when a site got deleted up to half way through chapter 3 - so i plan to restart this, hope you all enjoy. In need of a creative outlet at the moment and I miss these two. I also wrote - Letting Go Of The Past and Holding On to The Future with Sammiee Jay
Chapter 1
Karen remained crouched down as she helped her 6 year old son with his coat. It had
been tough the last couple of years having divorced from her husband after his year long
affair. She was still hurting inside but she didn't have time to mend or think about herself
she had to focus on her children, Harry and Jess. Neither of them were old enough to
really understand what had happened between their parents, even Jess who was now
nearly 8 wasn't quite old enough to really understand the reasons for the separation. "Jess
will you come and put your shoes on please?" Jess bounced through the lounge to the
hallway, her hair in plaits. "Are we going to the park mummy?" "That is what I promised
you both" Jess smiled before tackling the laces on her purple converse, her face
completely filled with ounces of concentration. "Bunny ears...through... Tie" Jess spoke
through the instructions her mum had told her but somehow she ended up in a bit of a
pickle, "come here let me help you" Jess was frustrated with herself "I don't need help I'm
a big girl!" "I know you are, you've done very well you just need to pop this one through
this one" Karen showed her before untying it and letting her do it herself. "You both
ready?" The 30 something year old women wrapped herself up as if protecting herself but
at the same time as trying to prevent people from seeing how troubled she was. Harry was
full of beans, " hold on Harry I need to lock the door". Jess began to hopscotch down the
road as Harry held hands with his mum swinging their arms back and forth, "mummy" he
muttered in a child like wine, " yes darling" " when are we going to see daddy?" " soon
poppit" "when?" Karen had been waiting for this conversation, the kids were meant to have
seen their dad last weekend but Charlie had cancelled at the last minute. Every time Karen
had called him since he'd made up some excuse as to why he couldn't see them. Karen
felt so guilty for the fact that Jess and Harry weren't able to see their dad despite it not
being her fault at all.
"Daddy's very busy at the minute Harry but I'm sure you'll get to see him soon and you'll go
do something fun" , Harry's head instantly bowed, Karen stopped and bent down to his
level. "Your daddy loves you both very much, you mean the world to him. Don't ever think
he doesn't" Karen gave her little boy a hug before encouraging him to catch up with Jess
who had made it to the park. Harry turned around towards his mum for permission to enter
the park "go on, but don't go anywhere I can't see you, that goes to you to Jess".
Karen sat down at a bench, Harry's sad little face completely plastered to every corner of
her mind. Karen impulsively reached for her phone and dialled for Charlie. "What the hell
are you playing at?!" Karen was sick to death of her children suffering. "I'm sorry Karen,
what?" " you can't keep putting off seeing the kids, Harry thinks you don't want to see him,
that you don't love him anymore" "that's not true at all" "I know that, but they're only little,
we may not be together anymore but we still need to be the supportive parents they need"
" I'll always be there for them, but at the minute works taking over. I just have a lot on and
it's a long way to travel from London" "Charlie they're your kids, you can't prioritise work
over them" " what so you would rather I was unemployed unable to support you financially"
" I didn't mean that , but you do need to make time for them. Before you know it they'll be
all grown up and resenting you" " what because you'll have turned them against me by
then" "you really do think about yourself an awful lot" " that is not true" " I am not having
this argument right now, I just want to focus on Jess and Harry because they're the only
thing that really matters" "save it Karen, I don't need to listen to you nag me...and you
wonder why I had the affair in the first place" "grow up Charlie and while your at it sort out
your bloody priorities" Karen slammed the phone down.
Harry bounced over " are you sad? " "I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me" "yes I do"
Harry said rather sweetly. Karen lifted him on to her lap as she enjoyed a cuddle whilst
watching Jess tackle the monkey bars. How was Charlie genuinely siting back and missing
all this, all these precious moments.
