Returning to Charlie's home, Duffy found herself calmer and with a burden lifted. She'd been right to trust Charlie, and it was good to finally admit some of her feelings and guilt – even more to herself.

Slipping onto the sofa and tucking her legs underneath her, Duffy found herself in a familiar position. She'd been here too many times to count before; at her wits end, emotionally exhausted and feeling overwhelmed by her what was going on in her personal life. But, as ever, the comfort of Charlie's home, amongst his things, she felt safe. She felt bad for Charlie, that he always seemed to be mopping up crisis after crisis in her life. She found herself here, so often, listening to him make soothing cups of tea and then coming to sit with her, before inevitably challenging her to find a solution to her issues. But it was the routine she liked, and she needed it to depend on.

Charlie appeared in the doorway behind her, "I was going to say make yourself at home," he began. "But it looks like you already have!"

He gestured to her place on the sofa where she'd pulled a throw from the back of it to cover her legs and curl up.

She gave a sad smile, turning to look at him, "Sorry Charlie."

"For what?" He asked, leaning on the doorframe.

"For laying all this on you. For being such a mess – again!" She said, looking down and playing with a thread on the throw on her lap.

Charlie rolled his eyes to himself, before resting his hands on her shoulders.

"If you are a mess," he said. "And I am not saying you are. But IF you are – then you are my mess. And I wouldn't have it any different." He placed a kiss on the top of her head, gave her shoulders a squeeze and turned back to the kitchen.

Duffy smiled to herself, feeling privileged to have such a man in her life. Her thoughts though were interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. Reaching into her bag she pulled it out, sighing at the name of the caller.

"Duff," Charlie called through from the kitchen, carrying two cups of tea with him. "Is that your..."

But before he had a chance to finish Duffy had slung it across the room, the phone laying face down on the carpet having had a rather harsh encounter with the wall opposite her. The expression on her face was like stone.

"PPI calls do that to me as well," Charlie remarked, trying to gauge the best way to deal with such an outburst.

Duffy looked at him, expressionless, before letting out a small sigh at his attempt at humour.

"He phones me every day," she began to explain, taking her tea off Charlie. "But today, I just can't do it. It starts off fine, as if we might just have a normal conversation. He tells me anything the boys are up to and some small talk. And then, we just argue. He blames me for it all, and he's right to. And he gets angry that I'm here and not at home trying to sort it out with him and the boys. He's right, I know he is, that's why I get so mad."

"It's not all your fault, Duffy. He's a big part of this too."

""o he might be, but I'm the one that cheated Charlie. Not him. I did the deceiving and the lying – not even you can make me blameless in this!"

Before Charlie had a chance to speak Duffy's phone began to ring again. Charlie looked over at Duffy, who was concentrating on her tea pretending to ignore it. He got up and picked it up from it's place on the floor and checked the screen – unsurprisingly it was Ryan.

Offering it to Duffy she shook her head, "You take it. Just, get rid of him will you. Not today."

Charlie nodded."Ryan? It's Charlie."

"Charlie? Is Duffy with you?"

"Yeah she's with me."

"Can you put her on?"

"She...can't come to the phone right now."

"Can't? Or won't?"

Charlie paused, looking over at Duffy who was resting her head on her hand leaning on the arm of the sofa and had her eyes closed. Charlie walked past her, giving her arm a quick squeeze before taking the call into the kitchen.

"Can't, she's asleep," he lied.

Hearing the muffling sound of Charlie's voice disappear behind the door, Duffy let her mind wander thinking carefully about her boys. She hoped they'd be able to forgive her for cheating on Ryan, for leaving them that Charlie had been right and perhaps one day they might understand. But something in her knew that this was different to any petty argument she'd had with any of them before. This was going to take time.

Interrupting her thoughts Charlie returned to the room, sitting next to her and turning to face her, looking serious. Duffy sat up.

"What?"

Charlie took her hands. "It's Jake...he's been in an accident."