All characters are owned by ITV except new ones which are my own

Monday Morning Blues

"It was blue," shouted Lucy excitedly.

"No it wasn't! It was grey" replied Simon

"What are you on about?" Becky asked leaning over to where the kids were sitting.

Lucy stopped staring out the window to look at her mother "Were counting the blue cars"

"Yeah 34 so far" Simon chipped in

"36!" he screeched, as 2 more passed by.

"Oh I missed them" Lucy said in a sulky tone.

"Don't worry" Becky smiled at her.

"Its not too far now kids" he said, pointing down to the town sprawling out over the landscape in front of them.

A layer of cold mist hung over the town, the giant cooling towers of the power station loomed through the grey.

Lucy was 9 and Simon was 7 it was the last week of the Christmas holidays and the family were enjoying the crisp air.

The needle hovered over the red bar; Richard tapped the fuel gage, it moved a little to the left.

"Nearly empty."

Becky sighed "But we only filled up a few miles back!"

"This stupid heap of junk" Richard thumped the dashboard with his fist.

"Don't worry love were nearly there now it's only a couple of miles to town."

Becky tried to calm her husband down.

"When we get home this thing is goin' to the tip" he chuckled starting to see the funny side of the fact his 30 year old pride and joy was really on its last legs.

Slowly they made there way through the early morning traffic.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Stuart popped his head round the bathroom door

"What did you do with the keys?"

Julie looked up flicking her wet hair back

"There by the kettle where you left them last night"

She continued drying her hair with the towel.

"Oh yeah, I remember now" he replied walking off towards the kitchen.

"My god was I really that drunk" he laughed grabbing the set of keys from the worktop.

"Yep" Julie called out.

By the time he was back Julie was putting her hair into a scrunchie.

Stuart leant over to give her a kiss

"Right I'm off, I'm gonna get some petrol and I will meet you later at work"

"Don't be too long" Julie shouted

Stuart slammed the front door shut.