5 years later

(Claire is in the living room playing with her dolls. Her little blonde curls are in is wearing a pink and white striped shirt under overalls. Stella is in the kitchen,she looks disheveled and has a large bruise on her wrist,her stomach is swollen from a second pregnancy)

Claire:Mama,Dolly gots hair like the pretty picture lady!

Stella(turns around and raised an eyebrow):What Picture lady,Angel?

Claire:(points to a photo on the mantle):That one

Stella:Oh.( her smile drops,she goes over to the mantle and takes the photo down ,putting it in her dresser drawer)

Claire:Why'd ya put it away,she's pretty

Stella:Mommy doesn't want you looking at that

Claire:Why?

(Just as Stella goes to answer her daughter ,the front door slams hard)

Stella:Clairy,go up and see what your God-mama is doing .

Claire:Why?

Stella(slightly panicked):Don't ask questions,just go

(The little girl runs upstairs to Eunice's flat. Just as she gets upstairs,Stanley comes home...flat out drunk)

Stanley:Where's my Dinner

Stella(flatly) In the oven.

(Stanley slams his fist on the flinches,a protective hand on her ever growing belly,knowing what was next)

Stanley(Half shouting): I told you I expected my dinner on the table,the second I walked in the door,you can't even do that. You useless woman

Stella:Claire had her kindergarten picnic today,I volunteered to help

Stanley:Sure,because that little BRAT,is more important than your husband...then me

. .CLAIRE.

(Stanley steps forward,he slaps Stella sparks in Stella,she takes the pork chops out of the oven and throws them at Stanley)

Stella(now crying,but she has a sense of strength that she never had before):You want your god damn dinner...HERE

(She runs off and locks herself in the bedroom,taking out two suitcases,she packs her and Claire's Babbity,Claire's stuffed rabbit on the top. She picks up a newspaper. An add is circled "Writer and Editor needed" Stella smiles through the tears.)

Stella (Whispering,a hand on her belly):Our new beginning

3 months later

(Baby Charlie is in her arms,and Claire holding her free hand. The little family stand outside a building. Claire is chattering all about the new friend she had made in school,her pink "princess" lunchbox in her hand)

Claire:Mommy can Emma come over to see my new room? Mommy can Charlie sleep in my room tonight?Mommy why are we here?

Stella(smiles softly,whispering) :We've come to make our family whole again

Claire:Huh?

Stella:Remember the lady in the picture?

(They walk out into a garden. A woman with white blonde curls is sitting on a bench. She is wearing a yellow tie front top,and wide legged woman's trousers. She has a tragic elegance to her)

Stella: Blanche?

(The woman looks smiles)

Claire:You're the lady in the picture!

Stella:Claire,this is my big sister...your aunt

(The almost six year old looks confused,but then a huge smile emerges. She runs up to Blanche,hugging her. Soon she pulls her mother into the hug as well. Blanche is hesitant at first,but then relaxes as she realises that her little sister is finally happy)

Two weeks later...

(Claire drags Blanche up the stairs,Stella is behind her dragging Blanches suitcases. The apartment is much bigger then the one in New Orleans,and much more cheerful too. A typewriter sits on the kitchen table,toys are spread about in an organised but chaotic manner. A hand turkey is pinned up on the fridge,flanked by pictures. The Christmas tree is small,but beautiful. Four,not three stockings hang on the wall

Stella smiles softly as she watches her daughter "introduce " her aunt to all of the stuffed animals and toys in the living room)

Stella(softly as she watches from the kitchen) Welcome home big sister,Welcome to our little slice of heaven

The end