1997, ten years on.

"No Kevin, purlease understand. Would you rather we all starved?"

"What do you mean? You know that you wouldn't even need to work and we could be comfortable. You're just being selfish!"

Her face snarled. "I'm being selfish? I'M BEING SELFISH?! Well, my deepest apologies for providing for my family!" Her face reddens and I see the tears welling up in her eyes. That's only happened twice before: when I gave her the earrings and when she fond out she was pregnant. Well, now I feel bad.

"Look, I'm sorry. I just don't understand why you have to go all the time. You gave birth 5 weeks ago, you're entitled to respite." I circle her in my arms and move her round to the couch with me. She can't look me in the eyes and is covering her face. I brush the top of her still cropped hair with a brief kiss and pull her into me. I can feel her hot tears on my shirt and her heart beating through our chests. She looks up to reveal a mascara disaster.

"I'm sorry too. You remember what it was like when we were kids? Nobody cared about me and I never had anything good in my life except for you. I don't want the same for my kids."

Jesus, now I feel awful. I can feel the lump rise in my throat as I fight off the tears. I've always been the emotional one in this relationship; well, I've always been the one who isn't afraid to show emotions. And she's always ribbed me about it.

"I know, it just bothers me that you're going away all ready. Toyahs only 5 weeks old, Suze. You know?" She rubs her face on places a watery smile on her face.

"She isn't going to remember this. I need to work, I have to. Please don't stop me." She gets up and walks out of the room. Seconds later I hear the shower turn on.

Emotional blackmail. She knows that we could afford to live comfortably without her even working. Since I took over the garage four years ago I've been doing pretty well and so has she. She doesn't need to work. So why does she want to so much? And why does she want to leave Toyah and I alone?

. . .

Eurgh, what the HELL is that noise?

Oh yeah, that's the definition of beauty, created on our holiday together.

And she is Toyah.

And she sure has a pair of lungs on her.

Just like her mother.

I drag my head from the pillow and slump across the landing. The crying subsides and I think about going back to bed.

Better not.

As I push open the bedroom door, my eyes hardly open, I see her.

Beautiful and blonde, grown out into a stylish bob, however still bleached. The hoops that pierced her ears 8 times gone with two sets of small studs in their place. She still has them though, and every so often I'll notice she's forced the hoops back in and gelled her hair back into the style it used to be.

Susan Watts.

And Toyah Nelson-Watts.

My world.

And I fall in love with her all over again.

Let her work, if it's what she wants.

Let her have anything she wants.

Because she's what I want.