"Is she okay?" Max asked as Zoe came back down the stairs and threw herself onto the sofa next to him.

"That depends on your definition of fine," Zoe sighed. "she's listening to music on her iPad, she isn't ready to talk yet."

"I'll make us all some breakfast and then we can take it up and see if she's okay." Max spoke getting up and pulling Zoe up with him.

"I'm not sure I have any milk in Max."

"Why am I not in the slightest surprised?!" Max feigned shock as he walked over and kissed Zoe. "I'll go and get dressed and nip down to the shop."

"Thank you." Zoe spoke, kissing Max again before she turned back to sit on the sofa.

"What's this?" She asked, gesturing towards the envelopes that were laying on the coffee table.

"I think they're from Connie, one is to us and the other one says Grace on the front." He told her as he pulled a t-shirt on. Zoe slipped a finger under the tab of the envelope and pulled it open.

Dear Zoe and Max,

I suppose I should first of all thank you for looking after my daughter so well, I haven't heard her laugh, like she was the other night on the phone, in ages.

I'm sorry for all I said in my office the other day, you'd make a brilliant mother Zoe and I realise now that you love Max. I realise that you've probably told Max what I said about him too so I should apologise to you too Max.

You're probably both wondering why I'm writing you a letter, so I'll get onto that now. I've never really been great at saying what I need to when it's something that I find difficult. Grace seems happy with you, which is more than I can ever do for her. I need to get away for a bit, I need to clear my head so that maybe one day I can be as good a mum to Grace as your clearly are. Until then, if it's not too much of a problem, would you be able to keep her? Obviously I'll give you money for her living, I know that this is a massive ask, especially as we haven't exactly been bosom buddies since I arrived here but this isn't for me, it's for Grace. Just drop me a text when you decide, don't give the letter to Grace until you've decided.

Connie

"Zoe?" Max asked as she sat silently rereading the letter. "What's the matter?"

"I can't..." Zoe began. "It'll be like Sharice all over again, I can't be a mother, I always seem to put work first and I'll have to say goodbye at the end and I just can't do that again." Zoe began to cry, burying her head into Max's chest as she did so.

"It's different this time though Zo, this time you have me by your side to share the work of looking after a 7 year old and when Connie comes back, Grace won't have gone far. We don't really have a choice though babe, Grace needs us."

"You won't leave me to do this on my own?" Zoe asked quietly, her voice barely a whisper.

"Well right now I've got to leave you to go and buy milk but after that I'm yours for as long as you want me."

Sorry for the lack of updates in the last few days, I've been in hospital and therefore not able to update. Sorry if this is awful, I'm in a lot of pain and it's hard to concentrate but hopefully it's not too bad.