Just one more chance.

Curled up, her legs tucked under her, she kept her eyes firmly locked on the book in her hands almost as if she'd gone deaf to the phone ringing across the room. She wasn't even enjoying the book but she knew who it would be on the other end and after a particularly difficult shift she just wasn't up to it. Sadly for her Peter, her eldest son, had other ideas. Marching into the room, irritated by the constant ringing, he heads straight for the phone shooting her a look as he did. "You can't ignore him forever mum. What if something is wrong?" knowing better than to answer that she simply shuts her book as Peter begins to chat to his step dad. She suddenly regretted encouraging them stay with her until they decided where they wanted to live. Just as she was about to make a break for it her mobile flashed beeping to alert her to a text.

Glancing down at her phone the name Paul was staring back at her with a simple text beneath the name saying only 'Please talk to him mum x' She didn't hear too often from her youngest, the baby of the family, but at 16 she didn't expect to he was very independent and out of her three children the most laid back about her choice to move home. But unknown to her that was purely because he didn't expect her to stay away too long, they'd be through this before. She didn't expect him to join her whilst he was still at school and as much as she didn't like it as far as Paul was concerned Ryan was his dad which put him in an more difficult position that her elder two. Jake however was barely talking to her over her moving home and taking a break from Ryan so much so you'd be forgiven for thinking Ryan was his real dad. She understood, sort of, Jake did have a strong relationship with Ryan more so than Peter and of course none of the three knew the complete truth about her relationship with their stepdad or even close to it if she were honest. Breaking her from her thoughts she looked up to see Peter standing before her handing her phone out to her a stern look on his face that made him look even more like his late father than he already did. With an unimpressed look upon her face she finally caves in and takes the phone cursing him greatly in her head.

She'd barely got the phone to her ear when she heard the desperate yet hopeful voice of her husband ringing around her head.

"Hey." She didn't want to answer, he knew that he could tell by the pause before he got a heavy sigh followed by a forced "Hi." Peter refused to leave the room until all the usual politeness was out the way 'how have you been' 'any news' etc and he was completely confident that his mother wasn't going to make an excuse and put the phone down on him. He knew it wasn't any of his business Ryan wasn't even his father nor his brothers but it was for his brothers sake he wanted her to at least listen to him. He hadn't a clue what had caused the latest break-up his mother was fiercely private when it came to her relationship with Ryan. It did strike him as odd when she'd told him a lot more about her marriage to his dad, Andrew, than she had to but neither her or Ryan would reveal the truth behind their problems. It was about 2 years after moving out to New Zealand that they split and himself and his brothers opted to go to boarding school around the same time but after about a year and a half of it

having decided they hated it begged their mother to let them all return to New Zealand. He still felt guilty about it as it was the reason she'd split with her then partner Mike even if he didn't like the bloke. Before he knew it she was back with Ryan and married but this break up came from no where again. He only hoped they could work through it as he knew Paul was missing her more than he liked to admit and he didn't wish to cause his mum any more heartbreak by telling her.

This call seemed to be going on forever, he'd filled her in on any gossip or news he thought she might like to hear, how the boys were really getting on and the dogs who she missed a great deal more than Ryan if she were truthful but so far they'd avoided anything about each other. Until now.

"How's A&E going?" Even if the boys hadn't worked out why their mother was there he knew all to well it was purely for Charlie. Always was.

"Oh you know, A&E never changes not really. Just the faces and the paint." He wished all the faces changed if they had he was damn sure she wouldn't be there. Still bringing up Charlie was sure set way to get the phone put down on him.

"I miss you Lisa..." His voice was full of emotion breaking her despite her telling herself it was all words. All an act, it always was an act. He loved control and mostly for the past 15 years he'd managed to control her until recently. Until she saw Charlie and all those feelings she'd tried desperately to lock away came flooding back. "I know. I just don't know if it's enough anymore."