Danielle carefully walked down the stairs, trying not to drop the dessert as she went. She could feel Ronnie's hand on her back, following her and guiding her down. "You ok?" Ronnie asked. Danielle turned round to look at her mother as she walked out the door, trying desperately not to drop the box.
"Yeah thanks, just trying not to drop the cake. That wouldn't be a good start would it?" Both Ronnie and Danielle giggled to each other. "Why do we need to bring a cake anyway?" Danielle asked. "Just Mitchell tradition, when we have family dinner like this one of us always ends up bringing dessert." Ronnie said.
They reached the front door of The Vic and Danielle paused for a moment, looking up at the flat windows. "It is going to be fine promise. Peggy just wants to welcome you into the family" Ronnie said, taking Danielle's hand as they entered the Vic, went through the back door and up the stairs.
Peggy looked out the window and down onto the stairs. In the corner of her eye she noticed two blonde figures walking towards the Vic. "They're coming" Peggy squeaked excitedly. Phil, Ben and Roxy sat on the sofas looking less enthused about the situation than Peggy.
"Are you sure this is a good idea Aunty Peg?" Roxy asked as she placed the wine glasses around the table.
"Danielle needs a proper welcome into the Mitchell family" Peggy stated as she hurried round putting the final touches to the table and the food, checking herself in the mirror as she went. They heard footsteps and voices up the stairs as Ronnie and Danielle entered the lounge.
Peggy rushed over to the pair, hugging them tightly. "How are you my love" She said to Danielle, placing her hands round Danielle's face. Ronnie noticed that Danielle had started to get nervous again as the situation over whelmed her. Danielle just smiled back at Peggy, nodding her heard slightly.
Peggy pulled Danielle away from Ronnie and placed her on the sofa next to Ben, forcing the two to converse for the first time. Roxy noticed Ronnie standing in the corner, staring at Danielle so she went over to Ronnie. "Is she ok?" Roxy asked, as they both looked over at Danielle who was sitting squashed against the arm of the sofa, clearly not comfortable with the situation.
"Yeah she is fine, just nervous about today" Ronnie said.
Roxy smiled. "Fair enough, one Mitchell can be daunting enough but the whole family together!" Ronnie and Roxy smiled at each other as they joked.
"Everyone sit down now please" Peggy barked as she re-entered the lounge with a hot bowl of roast potatoes. Relieved Danielle jumped up and headed straight for Ronnie, not wanting to be separated from her mother at the dinner table as well.
All the family sat down together and after a few tense and silent moments Peggy started the conversation off. As she ate Ronnie looked over at Danielle, who was slowly eating her roast. She could still see how nervous her daughter was so she placed a comforting hand on Danielle's leg, hoping to calm her down.
The family had got through the main course and were just starting on dessert. The mood round the table became a lot less tense and more relaxed as everyone started to joke and have a good time, enjoying each other's company.
Peggy rose from her chair, glass and spoon in hand. "I would like to raise a toast to Danielle. The newest member of the Mitchell family" Peggy said and with that everyone toasted they're glasses and got back to dessert.
Just at that moment the phone rang and Peggy stood up to take the call. "Who would call during Sunday lunch?" Peggy asked, frustrated that her special dinner had been interrupted.
The family looked over as Peggy answered the phone. The table went silent as they saw Peggy smile turn to one of confusion and then upset. Peggy slowly put the phone down; obviously in shock at the message she had been given.
"Mum?" Phil asked, leaning out a hand to Peggy.
"It's Archie, he's dead" Peggy said, staring at the confused and shocked faces around the table.
*end of episode*
Everyone was silent, digesting the news Peggy had just delivered. Danielle stared back between Ronnie and Roxy. Her mother sat there, no reaction to the news that her father was dead but Danielle could see tears welling in Roxy's eyes.
Peggy put the phone down and sat back at the table, staring down at the half eaten plate. No one knew what to say or where to look until Roxy finally cracked, bursting into tears, sobbing into her hands. "Right, who wants so more Brussels Sprouts?" Peggy asked, obviously struggling to cope but not wanting to accept the news.
"What?" Roxy asked shocked as she looked up at Peggy, mascara streaming down her cheeks. "I said who wants more....." Peggy repeated. "I know what you said" Roxy screamed, slamming her plate on the table as she stood up. Danielle's heart started to beat faster; she felt guilty that all she kept thinking was this wasn't how her first family meal was supposed to be going.
"Ronnie?" Roxy asked desperately, turning to her sister, hoping for a response. But Roxy was devastated to see Ronnie sitting perfectly still, obviously less effected by the news than her sister. Ronnie stared up at Roxy, silent for a moment. "C'mon Danielle, I think it is best we go" Ronnie said, standing up and taking Danielle's hand.
Danielle accepted her mother's hand and stood up with her, wanting to leave the awkward situation as soon as possible. She felt conflicted; on one hand she should be upset that a member of her family had died but on the other hand she hated Archie for what he did to her and Ronnie. She looked on as Ronnie started to reach for their coats from the sofa arm; she assumed her mother was feeling the same thing as her.
"Ron, what are you doing?" Roxy screamed, storming round from the other side of the table to face her sister. "What do you want me to say Rox?" Ronnie demanded, staring at her sister. "Do you know how many times I have wished he was dead?" Peggy let out a small cry as the situation started to dawn on her and she broke down as she sat at the table.
The sight of his mother breaking down prompted Phil to stand up and close the lounge door, making a point of slamming it very loudly. "No one leaves, we deal with this as a family" He said authoritivly. Phil's tone prompted both Ronnie and Danielle to sit back down on the sofa. Phil and Ben were now comforting Peggy, whilst Roxy stood alone and devastated in the middle of the lounge.
One hour had passed and very little words had been said between the family. Peggy just kept repeating what the Prison Officer had told her other the phone to Roxy, who was desperately hoping that it was all a mis-understanding. Phil had now taken Ben over to Tanya's; wanting to distance his son from yet more family tragedy.
Ronnie and Danielle where stood in the kitchen, hand in hand. "Are you alright?" Ronnie asked a clearly nervous Danielle. Danielle nodded, "You?" Danielle replied. Ronnie didn't respond to her daughter's question, continuing to pour the tea into the mugs.
"Ron" a voice whispered from behind the kitchen door, as Roxy made her way into the kitchen. "Are you ok?" Roxy asked. "Yes I'm fine" Ronnie barked, slamming a mug against the work surfaces, breaking off the handle. Ronnie sighed and threw the broken mug parts in the bin. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Ronnie replied.
"Because you have just been told you dad is dead, a normal person would be quite upset!" Roxy screamed. Danielle stood between the sisters, the small kitchen felt like it was closing in on her as the situation became more and more tense.
"I said, I'm glad he is dead!" Ronnie screamed back, now turning to face her sister. "I know what he did was wrong but he was trying to make a mends, he was paying for what he did" Roxy said, trying to reason with her angry sister.
"Only because of what I did!" Ronnie screamed, before she could think about what she had said. Roxy and Danielle were both taken aback by this comment from Ronnie. "What does that mean?" Roxy demanded.
Ronnie knew how much it would hurt her sister but Roxy needed to know the truth. Ronnie paused for a moment and then revealed the truth to her stunned sister and daughter, "I lied ok Rox, I lied so he would finally get what was coming to him."
*end of episode*
The kitchen was silent but Danielle could see that Roxy was about to explode. "You were the one who called the Police on dad?" Roxy asked, struggling to hold back the tears over her sister's actions.
"Yes ok, I called the Police on dad; I lied and said he hit Danielle on purpose!" Ronnie blurted out, pointing her finger at Danielle who was slightly taken aback by her mother's aggression. Danielle felt a rush of mixed feelings, whilst she was shocked at her mother's revelation, at the same time she felt happy because her mother's lie showed just how much she cared.
"Danielle could you give us a minute please?" Roxy asked, not even turning to look at Danielle. Danielle knew this was more of an order than a question, so she headed for the door. "Wait, don't go anywhere!" this time the order came from Ronnie, so Danielle stopped suddenly, not knowing what to do, where to look or who to listen to.
"Danielle hasn't done anything wrong and she stays with me. You want to say something to me, you say it in front of my daughter as well" Ronnie barked at Roxy. Danielle smiled as Ronnie referred to her as her daughter but she soon noticed Roxy angrily staring at her, so she immediately dropped her smile.
"Fine, how could you do this to dad? He may have made mistakes but he was still our dad and he is dead because you put him in that place, you put him there for something he didn't even do!" Roxy screamed, all the anger she had boiled up inside her started to spill out.
"He may not have hit her on purpose but he was the one that took her my little girl away from me in the first place. You have no idea of what he was really like; he may have acted like a saint in front of you but..." Ronnie was interrupted.
"Can you her yourself Ron? What gives you the right to play God, deciding who gets punished for what?" Roxy demanded. "He was a good man, who loved us both" Roxy spluttered as the tears started flowing uncontrollably.
Danielle sat down at the kitchen table as she was struggling to deal with the situation. She had heard the rumours about Ronnie and Roxy's fighting but she never thought it was true. Danielle had always held onto the hope that her mother could never been harsh and cruel to someone she truly loved, but Danielle was learning firsthand how wrong she was.
"Girls, what is all the shouting about?" asked Peggy as she entered the kitchen. "Nothing Aunty Peg" Ronnie stated, trying to forget and move on from the previous argument. But Roxy looked at Peggy in a way, like something had just clicked into place in Roxy's head.
"You said it wasn't an accident?" Roxy said quietly towards Peggy. "What are you talking about?" Peggy asked back, confused at the statement. "You said to the Police that dad hit Danielle on purpose but Ronnie just said she lied to Police" Roxy continued. Peggy looked down to the ground ashamed that her lie had been revealed.
Peggy's look was enough of a guilty confession for Roxy. "So you lied to? What were you in it together?" Roxy said. "What! No!" Ronnie screamed. "Love I'm sorry but your father he did some terrible things and I..." Peggy said before she was abruptly interrupted.
Roxy was struggling to cope with what she was hearing, holding her head in her hands. "What is it with the Mitchell's? Why are we so high and mighty that we can lie and manipulate....?" Roxy said. "Rox, that's what dad did. Why can't you see what he was like" Ronnie demanded, slamming her fist on the table, making Danielle jump.
Danielle felt like her new found family was imploding in around her as Peggy, Ronnie and Roxy stood in the very small kitchen screaming at each other. Danielle just stared at the table cloth, trying to block of her ears from all the cruel words and accusations. Danielle decided she needed to get away and she stood up, causing Peggy, Ronnie and Roxy to finally stop screaming.
"I've got to.....I'm just going to...to go" Danielle stuttered, trying not to make the situation worse. "Oh I'm so sorry sweetie, I just got carried away" Ronnie said. Ronnie felt a wave of guilt overcome her as she had momentarily forgotten that Danielle was even in the room whilst her and Roxy were arguing.
Ronnie put her hand out to grab Danielle's arm as she stood up, trying to stop her leaving but Danielle pulled away. This shocked Ronnie and she stepped back, devastated to realise how much the fighting had upset her daughter.
Ronnie watched on as Danielle opened the kitchen door but she was stopped in her path by Phil, who had two Police Officers by his side. "Mum, they are here to ask about Archie" Phil said. All four women looked at each other, no one moving or saying a word as they realised that their lies could land them in big trouble.
*end of episode*
"We need to speak to Miss Veronica Mitchell and Mrs Peggy Mitchell please" One Policeman said as he read the names of his notepad. Still everyone stayed silent, the panic drawn across their faces.
"Dani, just go wait back at the flat please?" Ronnie said, offering a re-assuring look to her daughter. A look from a mother to a daughter that everything would be fine and she had no need to worry. Danielle went to leave but in the doorway a Policeman stepped in front of her path.
"Are you Miss Danielle Jones?" The policeman asked. Danielle froze, ever since Ronnie had got her arrested she was panicked by the presence of the Police, especially if they wanted to talk to her specifically. Danielle looked at her mother, who face had lost that reassuring look and like Danielle, Ronnie looked nervous and edgy.
Danielle nodded in answer of the Police's question. "Can we talk in private please then Miss Jones?" the policeman asked. "I would rather just stay here, I don't mind talking in front of my family" Danielle said. Ronnie felt a second of happiness that Danielle referred to the Mitchell's as 'my family' but her mind was instantly brought back to the situation with the Police.
"Ok then. On the night of the 10th April 2009 you were involved in a car accident." The Policeman said, looking at Danielle for an acknowledgement of this fact, Danielle nodded again. "Mr Archie Mitchell was driving the car that hit you" said the policeman, Danielle nodded again. "After the accident an accusation was made against Mr Mitchell that he deliberately ran you over. Do you believe this is the case Miss Jones?"
Danielle didn't nod this time, she stood perfectly still staring at The Policemen. She gulped loudly, has fear choked her body and mind. Danielle looked over at Ronnie, desperately hoping for that same re-assuring look that everything was going to be alright, but Ronnie's face was one of panic, tears welling in her eyes as she watched her helpless daughter freeze under the pressure.
Danielle glanced over to Peggy, who had a look of desperation. Danielle stared at her family, who were all bunched tightly together, all eyes staring down on her. "Miss Jones?" The Policeman asked, as Danielle realised she still had not answered the Police's question.
Danielle took one final look at her mother, who now like Peggy, looked desperate for Danielle to save them and Danielle nervously obliged. "Yes" Danielle stated firmly as Peggy sighed in relief at Danielle's answer.
The Police stayed for only twenty minutes longer, speaking to Peggy, Ronnie and Roxy about the night of the accident and what they saw. After the Police had gone, Ronnie found Danielle sitting alone in the lounge, where she had been waiting for her mother whilst she spoke to the Police.
"C'mon Dan, let's go" Ronnie said, ushering her daughter out of the lounge. "Are you ok?" Ronnie asked as Danielle walked past her and out of the lounge, "yep" Danielle said sharply as she kept walking. Ronnie could sense something was wrong, but she knew it was best to get Danielle home and ask questions later.
Danielle and Ronnie returned to the flat and Danielle immediately headed up the stairs, dropping her bag on the lounge floor and throwing herself onto the sofa. Ronnie felt nervous that her daughter was clearly angry but she felt unsure of how to deal with Danielle.
Ronnie poured Danielle and herself a drink, offering the half full glass over to Danielle. Ronnie was pleased when Danielle took the glass, but the tension was heightened when Danielle put it straight down on the coffee table, clearly not wanting to drink away any anger that she had inside of her.
"What did the Police ask?" Danielle said, getting in before Ronnie with a question. "Oh nothing much, they just asked me what I saw and if I was sure that what I reported was true" Ronnie said, sipping her drink as she spoke. "So you lied again?" Danielle asked, though it sounded more like a criticism than a question.
"I didn't lie; I just twisted the truth so he would get what he deserved. I did it for, you know I did it for you right?" Ronnie said, looking into the eyes of her daughter but Danielle just chuckled to herself, shaking her head.
"What is it Danielle, what did I say?" Ronnie asked desperately, placing her glass down on the table knowing she needed a serious chat with her daughter.
"You didn't do it for me; you did it to get one over on your dad. You finally got the chance to beat him and you don't care that you had to lie and manipulate to do it. You're just as bad as him." Danielle said strongly, believing her words.
Ronnie was taken aback, she hated any reference to her father, let alone being compared to him by the person she loved most in the world. "That's not true" Ronnie struggled to say as she became upset.
"Yes it is. This has never been about me and you; it's always been about him." Danielle said, Ronnie tried to interrupt but Danielle kept going. "You were happy to find out I was your daughter for what an hour, then you were off lying to the Police so you could get him arrested." Danielle said.
"That's not true. Everything I have done has been about you, about you and me being mother and daughter." Ronnie said desperately, reaching out to an angry Danielle.
"Then why aren't you being a proper mum! You put me in a terrible situation tonight; you made me lie to the Police. Mums are supposed to protect their kids from this sort of thing not stick them in the middle of it" Danielle said, as her emotions once again overcame her.
"Oh sweetie I'm sorry" Ronnie said, devastated as she realised the mistake she had made. But it was too late; Danielle had stood up and stormed to her room, slamming the door behind her.
*end of episode*
Ronnie was sitting on the floor, he head resting against Danielle's bedroom door. She had desperately tried knocking for 20 minutes but Danielle was not moving. Ronnie could hear her daughter sobbing to herself and it broke Ronnie's heart that, know at a time when she should be comforting her daughter she couldn't. She thought about calling Jack, getting him to break the door down but she knew it wouldn't fix the problem between her and Danielle in the long term. She needed to get Danielle to open up herself; she needed to be a proper mum just like Danielle wanted.
"Dan, please open up" Ronnie called out desperately once again, banging her fist against the door. "I'm sorry about making you lie to the Police, I was just so scared that if they found out that I lied they would separate us again and send me to jail, and I couldn't bear losing you again" Ronnie explained.
Ronnie heard a quiet movement as Danielle wiped the tears from her eyes and headed towards the door, but instead of opening it she sat on the other side, with only a piece of wood separating mother and daughter.
Ronnie listened intently as she heard her daughter slump against the other side of the door. "I'm sorry to mum" Danielle whispered. "You have nothing to be sorry about, I promise" Ronnie said, wishing she could hold her daughter and comfort her.
"I have been so selfish. Through the whole of today all I have been thinking is that my day with my new family had been ruined. I just wanted it to be perfect, but it wasn't and then the Police turned up....and I looked at you, just wanting you to step in and make it all go away. I just wanted you to take me away from it all, but you couldn't" Danielle said, resting her face against the door.
Ronnie was doing the same, crying as she heard her daughter reveal her failings as a mother. Danielle sat back and started to talk again, as her feelings exploded out of her. "That's all I ever wanted from you Ronnie, all I ever wanted was a proper mum.
"I remember one day at school, I must have only been about nine years old and we were sitting in class, making mother's day cards. And when we were done the teacher asked us to stand up, show the class our card and say what we loved about our mum the most.
"All the other kids said the usual; she's kind, caring, buys me cool toys but then it came to me. I stood up, holding this little card that I had been making for hours and I froze. All my friends were looking at me and I couldn't speak.
"The teacher came up to me and said, 'what's your mum like Danielle?' and I just looked up at her and said 'I don't know her'. And all the other kids just burst out laughing, pointing at me because they didn't understand how I didn't know who my mum was.
"I always remember that day, because from then on, even though I loved you and wanted to know you, I started to resent you a little bit because you weren't there, you were not around to protect me from all the bad things that happened to me.' Danielle stopped speaking and dropped her head in her hands, choked up by the emotion that had just spilled from her.
With each word that Ronnie had just heard her heart was breaking piece by piece.
Ronnie was crushed; it felt like she was unable to cry anymore. She could still hear Danielle crying on the other side of the door. Ronnie needed to explain her side of the story. "I wanted to be there more than anything. From the moment you were born and I looked into your beautiful big eyes I knew that you were going to be the best thing that ever happened to me."
"As I held you in my arms for those two hours after you were born and you grabbed my finger so tight, I never wanted to let you go, I just wanted to superglue your little finger to mine. But he wouldn't let me, he took you and I couldn't stop him.
"He wore me down, physically and mentally till there was nothing left of me. When he took you from my arms he killed me. That's what he never realised that he could never hurt me anymore than he did that day, however much he tried.
"As much as you wanted to have a proper mum, I wanted to be a proper mum. When I was younger I wondered what you were doing, what you looked like, how your first day of school went.....all the things that mums are supposed to do.
"And when Roxy had her little Amy it all became worse because I missed you so much and I thought you were dead, I thought we had missed our chance to have what he should have had twenty years ago.
"But then you came back, you walked back into my life and gave us both a second chance. And you know what, when I read that letter you left me at the Slater's I had this rush of pure happiness, just like the day when you were born.
Ronnie went to continue but she felt her back slide of the door as it slightly opened. Danielle had only opened the door a few centimetres but to Ronnie, even this was a small step towards fixing the problems with her daughter.
Ronnie lifted a small piece of jewellery out of her jeans pocket and slid it along the carpet and through the gap in the door to Danielle, leaving it on the floor.
Danielle looked down as Ronnie's hand slid in and out of the room, leaving the necklace in front of her. Danielle lent down ad picked it up, dangling it in front of her eyes. He heart skipped a beat as she realised it was her locket, the same locket she had fished out of the bin early one morning before the bin men arrived after she regretted throwing it away the night before. Danielle had not even realised that her mother had taken her locket until now.
She slowly opened it up and looked inside. On one side was the familiar picture of a young Ronnie, the same picture that Danielle had been staring longingly at for most of her life but the other side now also had a picture in it.
Danielle wiped back the tears from her eyes and looked at the locket. She couldn't help but smile as she looked at a picture of herself and Ronnie, only taken a few weeks ago laughing and joking as they sat on Ronnie's sofa.
Danielle carefully placed the locket around her neck and pushed open the door fully to see Ronnie sitting before her, wearing her locket with the same picture in it. They both beamed at each other and started crying once again, but this time they were tears of joy as mother and daughter embraced.
*end of episode*
Danielle was awake but she didn't want to move from her comfy bed. She wrapped herself amongst the duvet and rested her head against the pillows, slowly closing her eyes again.
"Wake up sleepy head" Ronnie's voice interrupted as she barged in Danielle's room and placed a cup of tea on her bedside table. "We are leaving in 20 minutes, so you better get up." Ronnie said before leaving the room.
Danielle rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock, it said 9.00. Danielle sighed, not liking the idea of getting up early on a Saturday morning. But she obeyed her mum's orders and grudgingly limped out of bed. "Where are we going?" Danielle called, intrigued by her mother's vague statement earlier.
"It's a surprise" Ronnie called from the kitchen. Danielle smiled and she felt a new enthusiasm to get up and dressed.
20 minutes later and Danielle was just about ready, grabbing her jacket and she raced down the stairs. "You just about made it" Ronnie said jokingly as she held the taxi door open for her daughter. Danielle jumped in, followed by Ronnie and the taxi pulled away.
Danielle watched out of the window as the streets and people of London passed her by. Crowds were walking past, chatting and smiling. Danielle always liked to wonder who they were and what they're lives were like. Ronnie looked over to her daughter in the back of the cab and she noticed the intrigue on Danielle's face as she looked at the passers-by.
Ronnie leant over to Danielle, looking out the window with her. "I wonder what they are all thinking." Ronnie said. Danielle beamed back at her mum, "I was just thinking the same thing!" Danielle enthused, excited that her and Ronnie were both thinking the same thing at the same time.
The cab pulled up and Danielle looked at their destination. It was hard to see clearly where they were as the crowds of people swarmed around them but she noticed the rows of shops and could finally recognise that they were on Oxford Street. Ronnie paid the cad driver and ushered Danielle out the cab, "I thought we could do some shopping then maybe Lunch at a cafe, my treat" Ronnie said.
Danielle jumped out of the cab, ecstatic at the thought of spending a day shopping with her mum. As the pair walked hand in hand down Oxford Street Danielle couldn't help thinking of the time that she had explained this situation to Stacey all those months ok.
But back then it was just a dream. She looked at Ronnie and realised that this was all really happening, just like she had imagined it.
The pair had spent hours popping in and out of the shops down Oxford Street, dragging more and more bags with them as they went. Danielle admired her mother as she tried on clothes in the shop dressing rooms, looking at Ronnie twirling in the mirror in a fall length ball gown.
"C'mon it's your turn" Ronnie said smiling, handing her daughter a beautiful royal blue dress and pushing her into the dressing rooms. As Danielle stepped out in the dress Ronnie was blown away by how beautiful her daughter looked and how much she reminded her of both herself and Roxy.
Danielle felt a rush of confidence as she tried on dress after dress, the next one always more gorgeous and expensive than the last. She wasn't sure if it was the dresses or the presence of her mum that made her feel so confident; Danielle felt it was a bit of both.
After leaving the final store with one more bag to add to the rest Danielle headed into the street but the busy crowd overcame her and she felt herself being pushed and pulled away from Ronnie. She could see Ronnie coming out of the shop but Danielle struggled to move against the crowd and back to her mum.
Ronnie closed the shop door behind her and looked in front of her, expecting to see her daughter. But Danielle wasn't there. Ronnie began to panic, turning quickly on the spot, desperately searching for the young blond figure of her daughter.
Ronnie's heart started to beat faster as the crowds kept moving past. "Mum" Danielle called. Ronnie heard the voice in the distance and was relieved to see Danielle pushing past the bodies towards her.
Ronnie immediately grabbed Danielle hugging her tightly. "I was starting to panic then" Ronnie said. "It's ok; I just got pushed down the road by the crowds. C'mon let's get a cab, I'm a bit tired now" Danielle said, grabbing Ronnie's arm and waving down a cab. Ronnie felt a bit embarrassed by her over-reaction but she couldn't help it, her motherly instincts kicked in whenever she lost sight of Danielle.
As the cab pulled up outside the flat, Ronnie and Danielle got out of the car, dragging the bags with them. Ronnie paid the driver and both headed up the stairs into Ronnie's flat.
"I'm exhausted" Danielle said as she dropped the bags on the floor and collapsed on the sofa. Ronnie joined her, both leaning back on the sofa staring up at the ceiling. "Thanks for today mum, I had a great time." Danielle said, turning to smile at Ronnie.
"Me too" Ronnie said, smiling back. Danielle looked at her mother, resting her head against Ronnie's shoulder and she wondered if this was the happiest she had ever been.
