It was late. Gill had been in the office since 7.00am and she desperately wanted to go home to Chris. Oh, Chris. Was she doing the right thing by shacking up with someone right in the middle of Sammy's A Level's? Could Dirty Dave possibly be right? Janet had been very quick to laugh when Gill had first told her about Chris. "Oh My God! Gill Murray's got a toyboy!"
Gill had heard Kevin and Rachel joking about "The boss and her new fella", and she knew full well that she had set herself up as the butt of all office gossip for at least the next couple of months! Even Julie Dodson joked that her mother was paying him to go out with her. Gill knew this was a joke, and she also knew that everyone- with the exception of king knob- did not believe there was anything really wrong with her relationship with Chris. I mean, he was a sergeant. He was well liked among the syndicates in MIT and he certainly had a sound reputation for being bright and honest.
Gill didn't know how Sammy felt about Chris. He was always nice to him when she brought him home- which she hadn't done straight away as she didn't want to push a new relationship in his face. After all, It had been just the two of them for so long. She knew that Sammy, like herself, didn't wear his heart on his sleeve. If he was in a bad mood she wouldn't see him for days. Then again, she didn't anyway! The long hours and the stress of the job meant that their time together was always limited. Poor kid! Gill could see why he was upset with her. But why did he have to move in with him? Just because the whore doesn't nag him like she does! Well, just wait until he leaves his dirty underwear half-way down the stairs for her to trip over. It'd be interesting to see her restrain herself from "nagging him" then, when it's Sammy's fault she's broken one of her precious finger nails.
That whore had ruined her marriage, and was now twirling her son right in the middle of his A-Levels. How did they do it? Actually, she knew how. It was all done by captain underpants and his 'Jim'll fix it' promise of a new car. Gill knew they were just punishing her. As Janet had said, "how dare she try and have a life and a career at the same time whilst still pretending to be anything resembling a decent mother."
Gill considered herself to be a good mother. However, she felt so much guilt for not being there for much of Sammy's childhood. There were regrets she had about the way she had brought him up and the career choices she had made. She could have been one of those mothers who read to her son, played with him, and helped him with his homework. This could all have been done, if she hadn't put the job first. It had turned out alright- apart from Sammy's recent ridiculous decision to choose the whore over her. Sammy had applied for a place at Exeter. He was on track to get the grades in his A Levels, and she considered him a most even tempered lad considering his rocky upbringing. But the guilt was still there. Eating away at her, whenever she had 5 minutes to really think about what she had chosen and what she had neglected. Should she have done more?
Her mobile phone rings and Gill snaps back into the present. She looks down to see "Sammy calling" on the display. She clicks 'accept' and holds it to her ear. "Hiya kid!"
"Mum?" said Sammy's voice uncertainly from the other end of the line.
"What's up?" asked Gill, hoping and praying it was the answer she had been waiting for.
"Mum..." There was a pause, and Gill hardly dared to breath. "Mum, I'm coming home" said Sammy quietly.
Gill smiled. Her heart had lifted and she felt tears well up in her eyes. "I'll see you in an hour kid!" she said triumphantly, and with a sigh of relief she ended the call.