Chapter 2

Nine year old Connor Mulgrew tied his school shoes, he was pretty independent for his age, always getting himself up and dressed in the morning, preparing breakfast and walking himself to his primary school. He was used to this routine, he had found himself following it after realising his mum was going to be either drunk or hungover most mornings. Something Connor was used to.

"Mum wake up?"

"Mum? Muuuuuuum!"

"What?" Christine snapped, clearly suffering a hangover after drinking like nobody's business last night. Her head was pounding.

"You've been drinking!" Connor pointed out.

"No, I'm just tired," Christine tried to correct him, but Connor was smart for his age. He wasn't an idiot. He's seen his mum in this state far too many times to tell the difference between being hungover and being tired.

"No you've been drinking...again," Connor said pointing to the two empty wine bottles on the floor.

"Oh please Connor...I just have a headache," Christine rubbed her head and tried to sit up straight. "Your gran is taking you to school today,"

"I need my PE kit,"

"Well I haven't washed it," Christine poured back the rest of the glass of wine that had been placed on the coffee table.

"But you promised you would," Connor whined.

"Connor...I haven't had the time,"

"You always break promises," the young boy justified.

"Connor enough!" Christine warned.

"Because you've been too drunk to do anything else!"

"CONNOR! ENOUGH!" Christine roared loudly aggravating her headache and making the child in front of her jump slightly. Connor picked up his jacket and school bag "I hate you when you're like this," he mumbled walking towards the front door following the beep of a car horn from outside alerting him that his nan was here to pick him up.

Christine sighed, she had a tendency of raising her voice to Connor when she was under the influence of alcohol. Christine opened her third bottle of wine and poured a glassful before leaning back on the sofa, not even considering the thought that her own child may be scared of her when she acts like this.

Christine was sobered up enough by the time her mother Jean dropped Connor off that night after giving him his tea and letting him do his homework. Christine after spending the day feeling horrible after shouting at Connor and spending her afternoon in Toys R Us picking out a new toy for her son to say sorry.

Christine smiled as Jean and Connor came through the front door "I just took him for a burger for tea for quickness," Jean smiled giving Christine Connors coat and school bag as the youngster went to watch TV in the front room. "Thanks for picking him up!" Christine smiled as she made herself and her mother a cup of tea. Jean smiled and sat down at the table.

"Connor tells me you snapped at him this morning?" Jean asked as she took a dishes give biscuit that was offered to her by her daughter and dipped it into her tea. "Oh did he now?" Christine replied sitting across from her mum at the table.

"Yes he did as a matter of a fact," Jean replied, looking at her daughter closely "He told me you were drinking? Were you?"

"No mum, I was not drinking," Christine protested.

"I don't understand why he would say something like that.." Jean replied.

"He's obviously telling lies!" Christine said, not wanting her mum to know she has been drinking again for quite some time now.

"I can't imagine a nine year old lying about something like this,"

"Mum can we please just drop it, clearly it is a misunderstanding!" Christine retorted pouring the rest of her tea down the sink.

Jean didn't say another word about it, but she wasn't completely sure if her daughter was telling the truth. But she didn't want to constantly keep on nagging at her.

Half an hour passed when Jean finally left her daughter and grandson as she went home. Christine went in to the living room to see her son watching the TV. She smiled and ruffled his hair "I'm sorry for shouting at you darling," she said honestly. Connor just nodded, "Come up to your room for a minute, I want to show you something!" Christine smiled, Connor gave her a confused look but followed her anyway. They climbed the stairs to his room and on the bed was a action figure that Connor had been wanting for ages and a new drawing pad and pens. "I thought I would treat you darling," Christine smiled, kissing his hair. Connor beamed and hugged her tight "Thanks mum,"

Christine smiled "Right go run your bath, it's getting late and you have school tomorrow Mr,"'Connor did what he was told. He had already forgotten what had happened this morning, but that wasn't the last of Christine's drinking. Not for a long shot.