After the girl scarpers, they're left alone, looking at each other. Charity's breathing hard and when she brings a hand up to sweep her hair back, it's shaking.
"Charity," Tracy begins, unsure what she's going to say. Charity shakes her head.
"I'm fine," she says, the words clipped and tight. "I just...I don't like that word." She nods to the half-finished graffiti on the door. "Nobody has the right to call you that. Not when they don't know the circumstances."
Tracy knows this isn't about her. Not entirely, at least. She doesn't doubt that Charity wants to be supportive, but there's something deeper going on. That haunted look in the other woman's eyes isn't there just because some little kid called Tracy a name. Tracy's not daft. She's heard the gossip around the village about Charity's past. She doesn't know the detail of it, but she knows enough to be sure it was far more prolonged and unpleasant than her own experience.
She takes a step closer, frowning when Charity retreats, cowering almost. "Listen, let's go back inside, eh?" She holds up the bottle of wine. "We can neck this and play something my dad'll be rubbish at. Twister or summat."
Charity gives her a smile that barely reaches the edges of her lips. "I think Vanessa'd have us all beat at Twister," she says. "That woman is bendy."
Tracy scrunches her face up. "I didn't need to know that," she mutters.
"Anyway, I don't think a game where I could potentially end up straddling your dad or Megan would be the best choice right now, do you?"
The door to Tug Ghyll opens and Frank steps out, followed by Megan. "Speak of the devils," Tracy says, nodding her head when they wave. Vanessa catches sight of them and heads after Frank and Megan, parting ways at the end of the path and carrying on towards Tracy and Charity. Without any verbal agreement, both women move to stand next to each other, shielding the door from Vanessa's view. Charity puts her hand that's still holding the can of spray paint behind her back.
Vanessa smiles, lifting her eyebrows. "What you two up to over here?" She wraps her arms around herself against the chill of the wind since she's come out without a jacket.
"Nothing."
The word, spoken in unison and far too quickly, clearly raises Vanessa's suspicions. She frowns, looking between the pair of them, her eyes finally settling on Charity. "Charity?" Tracy feels the sigh Charity lets out just before she steps to the side, showing Vanessa what they'd been hiding. Shock, then anger, wash over Vanessa's face and she elbows her way past them, as if getting closer to the writing might shed some light on it. She stands in silence for a second, before turning back to face them "Who the hell did this?"
"It was Phil's kid," Tracy tells her. "I caught her in the act when I was coming back from the pub."
Vanessa looks around. "And? Where is she now?"
"Charity-" Charity catches her eye and gives her a tiny shake of the head; clearly not wanting Vanessa to know how she reacted. "-chased her off. Gave her a right earful, an'all. I don't think she'll be back."
"Awwwww." Vanessa tilts her head, walking the few steps between herself and Charity. "Look at you, coming to the aid of damsels in distress." She wraps her arms around her waist. "Proper hero, aren't you?"
"Hardly," Charity snorts, but she wraps an arm around Vanessa's shoulders and Tracy watches as the tension she'd been holding in her body seems to leak out of her. She rubs Vanessa's arm. "You're freezing, lady."
"I was just saying to Charity she should come back and help us drink this?" Tracy says, holding up the wine again. She doesn't think it would do Charity good to be on her own right at the moment.
Vanessa nods, looking up at her girlfriend. "They've gone. The coast's clear. No need to stay on...well, I was gonna say your best behaviour, but-"
"Hey," Charity interrupts, frowning. "Any behaviour on my part was only reacting to their behaviour, alright?"
"I know," Vanessa says, squeezing her tighter. "And I'm sorry they were like that. And I'm really happy that you came at all, never mind kept your temper with the two of them going on like that."
Charity sighs, leaning her forehead against Vanessa's briefly. Tracy looks away from the private moment, swallowing down the memories of the easy ways she used to touch David without even thinking, all those little ways that communicate more than words can.
"Fine. I suppose I could come back for a drink," Charity says, and Tracy looks back up to find them smiling at each other. Vanessa stretches up and presses her lips to Charity's.
"Good." She turns back to Tracy and her face falls as the graffiti comes back into view. "What are we going to do about that?"
"You are going to call David," Charity tells Vanessa, as she starts to lead her away, beckoning with her head for Tracy to follow. "And you are going to tell him someone's spray-painted his door and he needs to deal with it."
"I can do th-" Tracy begins, but Charity shakes her head.
"No. It's best if Vanessa does it," she says. "Cleaner that way." And Tracy gets what she means. If she were to speak to David right now, if she were to hear sympathy or concern in his voice, she'd want to go to him.
They make their way into the house and Vanessa takes the bottle of wine into the kitchen to open it. Tracy and Charity take their jackets off and hang them up.
Tracy catches Charity's arm as she goes to walk into the living room. "Thanks." She nods to the door. "For before."
"Don't mention it," Charity mutters, her eyes flitting around the room before locking on Tracy's. She leans in closer, lowering her voice. "And I mean that, don't mention it."
Tracy nods. "I won't," she promises. "But if you, you know, ever need to...talk, or whatever."
Charity seems genuinely surprised by the offer, her eyebrows go up and she smiles. She looks like she might be about to say something, but is cut off when Vanessa calls "Wine time!" from the kitchen.
"We're coming," Charity tells her. She turns back to Tracy with a half smile and winks. "Noted, kid."