Charity's phone buzzes in her pocket and she's grateful of the distraction from the maudlin conversation between Sam and Marlon that she's found herself on the periphery of. She pulls it out and smiles at the picture that's there; it's Vanessa after their water fight, soaking wet and scowling at Charity for taking photos of her.

She holds up the phone to the two men. "It's my woman. I'm just gonna take it in the back." She heads out of the bar, feeling a little of the oppressive sadness slip off her shoulders as she leaves the mourners behind. She answers the call as she closes the living room door, leaning back against it.

"Hiya babe."

"Hey." Charity marvels at how much warmth and love can be conveyed in that single word. "How did it go?"

She pushes herself away from the door and wanders over to look at the many cards adorning the surfaces, picking up one and reading the message. "Oh, about as well as you'd expect the funeral of a baby to go."

"Course, yeah, sorry. I didn't mean-"

"No, I wasn't getting at you." Charity shakes her head, consciously trying to move away from her default defensiveness. "I just...it was all a bit-"

"I know. I know." And Vanessa does know, that's the thing. She's seen Charity at her lowest. She's the only one who's heard the full story about the day of Ryan's birth and how it made Charity feel. She knows. "So, did Chas like your reading?"

"Not particularly." Charity sighs, slumping down onto the sofa and looking at the ceiling. "Didn't get to do it in the end. Chas decided the church thing wasn't working for her and stopped the whole thing." She can totally relate. She can't imagine any of that old tripe being a comfort to her if, God forbid, she had to bury a child.

"I can't even imagine. My heart is breaking for her. And you. It must be so hard for you to see her go through all this."

She can hear the tears in Vanessa's voice and it makes her own eyes fill up. She blows out a breath.

"Couldn't half do with a cuddle right now, babe." The words are out in a tumbling rush and she clenches her teeth to catch the sob that chases them.

"I knew I shouldn't have come to this stup-"

"Hey, don't be daft. I'm the one that told you to go." She sniffs and blinks away her tears, trying to make her voice sound normal. Vanessa had wanted to cancel the conference, to show her support for Chas and be there for Charity. But, aware of her tendency to lash out at people close to her in situations involving heightened emotions, she'd insisted that she go. She's regretting that decision a bit now "And you'll be back tomorrow. I'm sure I can last till then."

There's a pause where she knows Vanessa wants to protest. "I'll just have to cuddle you extra hard to make up for today then, yeah?"

Her lips turn up into a smile without her noticing. "Yeah, you will."

It's been an exhausting day, what with trying to remain upbeat for Sarah, and strong for Chas, and she collapses into bed a bit earlier than she normally would. The pub is silent, for a change, and it makes her realise just how accustomed she's become to the sounds of other people. Usually she'd have Vanessa breathing right by her ear and Johnny's gentle snoring across the landing. And Tracy has occasional bouts of talking in her sleep. Or, on the nights she's here, there'll be Noah rattling around his room long after he should be sleeping and Paddy and Chas arguing about him leaving the bathroom light on.

But tonight there's nothing; just silence and her own thoughts. Always a dangerous combination. Especially when all she can think about is that dark, cold hole they put Grace in earlier.

Just as she's considering getting up and making herself a brew and sticking the telly on to drown out the silence, she hears footsteps coming up the stairs. She frowns. Paddy and Chas are in bed and she'd have heard if either of them had gone down. It could be Noah, decided to come home from the mate's house he was staying at. But when her bedroom door opens, she scrabbles to sit up against the headboard, hand flailing for the bedside lamp and switching it on. Her racing heart calms a little when a familiar figure enters, clearly trying to be as quiet as possible.

"What the hell are you doing?" Charity hisses. "I thought we were being burgled!"

Vanessa smiles, eyebrows slanted in apology. "Sorry. I didn't want to wake you." She toes off her boots and sets her handbag down.

"You didn't. Couldn't sleep." She watches Vanessa pull off her jumper and sling it over the armchair. Her throat is starting to ache, matching the burning in her eyes. "You're not supposed to be back until tomorrow evening."

"Yeah, well." Vanessa stumbles a little as she gets a foot stuck in her jeans, steadying herself on the dressing table. She stands up and tilts her head. "You said you needed a cuddle. That seemed far more important than another day sitting in hotel conference rooms looking at slides of perforated horse bowels."

Charity laughs, a couple of tears escaping. She wipes at them and shakes her head. "Oh, babe, you really know how to make a girl feel special." She throws the duvet off and opens her arms. "Well, come here, then. Don't want that four hour drive to be for nothing."

Vanessa moves to the bed and sits down on the edge, pulling Charity into her arms. Charity's eyes close as her own arms tighten around Vanessa, drinking in the comfort so freely given. Vanessa's thumb strokes the back of her neck.

"Thank you," Charity whispers. "For choosing me over horse innards."

She feels a laugh move through Vanessa's body before she pulls back and rests her forehead against Charity's. "There's not much in this world that I'd choose over you, Charity Dingle. I love you."

Vanessa's eyes brim with truth and Charity's chest clenches in her chest as she reminds herself that this is real, this woman really feels that way about her. She nods. "I love you too."

And the darkness and silence that had loomed so large shrink to nothing in the brightness of Vanessa's smile and the warmth of her kiss.