Claire lay back in her bath, enjoying the peace and warmth. All too soon, the silence would be broken, but for now, she listened to the birds outside, and reflected on her life.
It hardly seemed fifteen years since she'd first met him. At first glance, he wasn't much. She couldn't tell from the way he looked, the way he spoke, that he could be the friend, the lover, the father that he had become. Just goes to show what confidence and happiness can do to a man.
The clock chimed four. Reluctantly Claire climbed out and reached for the towel. She paused, glancing in the mirror at her shape. Not bad for a 30 year old mom, she thought. She caught sight of the star-shaped tattoo on her thigh, and smiled, remembering the night she and John had drunkenly had them done.
Married with kids? Yes. Respectable? Not quite...