Thanks for taking the time to read my work. Enjoy! :-)

Jaimee is leant against the wall outside the bookies, holding her phone to her ear. She is no longer crying but her make-up is a mess, smudged by the tears she shed earlier.

'Guys I really need you right now. Can one of you call me when you're free?' Jaimee said into the phone, a hint of desperation in her voice.

Jaimee hangs up and puts her phone in her back pocket. She lights a cigarette, her hands shaking violently. Michelle approaches her, cheerfully.

'Hiya, I just popped over to see if you fancied going out tonight seeing as you're only here for another couple of days. May as well make them memorable-.' Michelle stops talking mid-sentence, noticing the tears in Jaimee's eyes. 'What's happened? Are you ok? Is Carla alright?'

'Don't you mean my mum?'

'She told you then?'

'You knew?' Jaimee exclaimed, shocked.

'I only found out earlier. You remember when I went to talk to her? I swear I had no idea til then.'

'I want to know what really happened. I want an explanation, a proper explanation. Not some silly story she's made up. I think it's the least I deserve.'

'Course it is. Oh Jay, I'm sorry. Look at you, you're shaking.' Michelle was concerned for Jaimee. She looked like she might pass out at any moment.

'She keeps lying to me and it's driving me crazy. I need to know where I'm really from and why she gave me away and why she never bothered telling me before now. My past, as dodgy as it might be, is what has made me the woman I am today. If I don't understand the past then how can I possibly recognise the person that looks back at me in the mirror?' Jaimee spoke fast as if she was panicking, her heart racing.

'I know you say you don't understand but how do you feel about Carla being your real mum?'

'Now this is the really funny thing-.'

'Oh yeah?'

'Eight years ago I'd have loved this to happen. It was when things between mum and dad started getting really bad and when my life starting spiralling out of control. It would have been a dream come true for Carla to rescue me from it all. I wouldn't have even questioned it. I just would have been grateful she was there.'

'And now?'

'I feel angry. I saw her regularly until I was about eight years old. I was even flower girl at her wedding. She could've told me then but no that would have been too easy. She has to drop the bombshell just when I'm trying to get my life back on track.'

'I can't even begin to imagine how difficult this is for you but it must be horrible for Carla too.'

'Why are you taking her side?'

'I'm not taking anyone's side. I'm just trying to be fair to you both.'

'She's been lying to me all my life.'

'So has your Uncle. And Amy. In fact the whole family has kept this from you, not just Carla.'

'Great way to cheer me up, Chelle.' Jaimee said sarcastically.

'No, no hear me out. I've known Carla since we were teenagers and do you know the first thing I thought when I saw her? She's scared. She's vulnerable. And she wants to be loved more than she'll ever let on.'

'And your point is?'

'Giving you away would probably have been the hardest thing she ever had to do and as she got older and married Paul I'm sure she wanted to get you back. Carla pretends she's fine on her own and that family's over-rated but life's been hard on her. It'd be nice for her to have someone to love and that loves her back.'

'She has you and that fella she's with. What's his name? Peter?'

'I know but you're flesh and blood. Whether you like it or not you're her daughter and she loves you.'

'But what I don't understand is why that love wasn't strong enough to make her fight.'

'She was probably scared, thought you were happy where you were. Believe it or not, Carla does actually have a very big heart under that tough exterior. Give her a chance yeah?'

'I can't.

'Why?'

Jaimee watches as Carla leaves the flat, sunglasses covering her eyes. She walks across the road, towards the factory, avoiding eye contact with Jaimee and Michelle.

'Because as she's kindly demonstrated, she really doesn't give a damn about me. She's a nasty piece of work, hiding behind secrets and lies and she doesn't care who she hurts along the way.'

'But you see, I hear you say all this and I understand where you're coming from but there's a part of me that thinks you're hiding how you really feel. That what you're saying is just a lame excuse to give up on her and it's not nice. So you can either do this the easy way and tell me why you won't give Carla a chance or we can stand here all day and make a big drama out of it.'

'I'm frightened.'

'Of Carla?'

'Yeah. No. More of what she might do.'

'How do you mean?'

'What if I let her get close, tell her about my life, let her see the real me and then she realises she can't hack it and does a runner? I don't think I could cope if she leaves me again.'