"Are you ready yet?" Ronnie yelled up the stairs from her position by the front door. There was a loud sigh and a clattering of heels on the staircase as her daughter almost fell down them in her haste to join her at the bottom. "The hearse will be here soon."
"OK, OK!" Katy muttered, grabbing her jacket off the hooks and following Ronnie through the door.
Quickly they made their way around to Dot's house, taking their place along the wall with everyone else who was there to support the woman. When Dot appeared through her front door, walking along the pavement to get into the car that would take her to her son's funeral, she paused and smiled weakly at the mother and daughter.
She didn't speak, however, and neither Katy nor Ronnie could think of anything to say to her. Instead they silently watched Dot continue her route to the car parked behind the hearse containing Nick's coffin.
Katy wasn't sure whether she trusted the man who'd shown up with news of Nick's death, claiming to be Dot's grandson. She couldn't deny that he appeared to be doing a lot to help her and support her through the difficult time, but she was still suspicious about the timing.
"Where's Sharon?" Ronnie asked Phil as they headed round to where she'd parked her car.
Phil didn't answer and the blonde didn't break her stride long enough to prompt him to do so. Ronnie waited until Katy was buckled into the passenger's seat and then took off around the Square. The brunette knew that her mother hated funerals, but she was still a little taken aback by the apparent anger that accompanied her driving.
"You alright?" She asked tentatively as Ronnie almost screeched to a halt outside the crematorium.
"Fine." The blonde agreed shortly. "Come on, they'll be here in a minute."
Nodding slowly, Katy followed her into the building and took a seat beside her in the back row. It was easier, somehow, the service not being in a church. Although the end result was the same and they were there for the same reason, being at the crematorium didn't upset either Mitchell as much as being in the church would have.
As Phil took a seat beside Shirley, Katy nudged her mother in the ribs, receiving an arched eyebrow and knowing look from Ronnie in response.
"I bet Bimbo Barbie will do her nut when she gets here and sees that." The younger woman muttered.
"I can't wait." Ronnie replied, smirking spitefully.
The funeral started well, but everything went downhill when Ian realised he'd lost his speech about Nick. Jane saved the day and Katy was glad, for Dot's sake. In the end, though, Ian managed to make something up and the funeral continued and ended as well as it could have.
Afterwards, Ronnie was all for going straight home, but Katy convinced her to at least show her face at the wake in the Vic. Reluctantly the blonde agreed and they waited at the bar to be served. Squeezing her mother's arm, Katy nodded her head towards Dot and wandered away to speak to the older woman.
"Grandma… I'm so sorry." She said, not really knowing what to say now she was faced with the grieving woman. "I don't really know what…"
"It's alright, dear." Dot told her with a weak smile. "Thank you for coming. I appreciate it. You have much more important things to do with your time."
"No. You're too important to me for that to be true. To Mum, too."
"Bless you."
Helping Dot over to a seat, Katy sat beside her, keeping her company for a while. She shot suspicious looks towards the bar where her mother was talking to Charlie, Dot's new-found grandson.
Finally, Linda served her and Ronnie carried their drinks over, along with another sherry for Dot. At first the woman refused, but then she succumbed and sipped slowly on her drink. The afternoon carried on peacefully until, inevitably, Phil couldn't resist getting a dig in at Ian.
They listened, Katy tempted to cover her face with her hand in shame, as they argued and sniped at each other. She cringed when Dot stepped in, moving towards them with devastation plain on her face.
"Has everybody forgotten him already?" She asked. "Only I ain't heard a word about my Nick. No one's ever mentioned his name. I know that none of you really knew him and you're only here for me, not for him. And even the two of you what did know him… Sharon, Ian… you was babies when he was my dear boy and you only really remember him when he was taken over by the drugs and everybody shunned him. The Prodigal Son. And he said, 'Father, I am not worthy to be thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants.' And he repented." Dot shook her head. "But my Nick? He never repented and he didn't come home of his own accord. He come home in a coffin."
There was a long, painful silence. Dot stared into space, caught up in her own memories while everyone else shifted uncomfortably and glared between Phil and Ian.
"Grandma?" Katy asked softly, stepping forward and touching the woman lightly on the arm.
Dot jumped and looked around wildly. "Charlie? Take me home, Charlie. I'm sorry… I'm sorry, it's all over. It's finished." She noticed Cora walking towards her with a photo of Nick in her hand. "Give me that! How dare you? Charlie…"
As soon as the doors closed behind her, Phil and Ian were at each other again. Katy shook her head and leant back in the booth, letting their argument wash over her. She felt terrible about Dot, but didn't know how she could make it better. Deciding to let her grieve on her own for a while and visit later, or perhaps the next day, Katy smiled at her Mum and Roxy who had come to join them instead.
Time ticked passed slowly and the pub began to empty. Ronnie excused herself to go to the toilet and Katy slipped outside to phone Lola to check on Ruby and Amy, who were at their cousins' flat. When they returned, Roxy shook her head at them, apparently in disbelief.
"Here you are." She said, pushing drinks along the bar to them. "Listen. FatBoy's just been in. He said that Dot has gone back to the crematorium to see Nick. Like… physically see Nick."
"Did he try and stop her?"
"I don't know."
"Be glad you weren't there, Roxy." Ronnie said with a sigh. "The crematorium was practically empty. Everything about it was just awful."
"Well, I'll forgive Dot for losing the plot, then."
Ronnie scowled at her sister; an expression mirrored by her daughter. "She didn't lose the plot. Everything she said was absolutely right. And why not go back and see him if she wants to? Letting go is the hardest thing you'll ever have to do."
"You know what, Ron, maybe you shouldn't have gone today." Roxy told her softly.
"I know… I just thought maybe I could help in some way... maybe I could say something…" She shook her head and then smiled at the brunette beside her. "I think Katy was more of a comfort to Dot than me, though."
"But you can't!" Roxy interrupted, shaking her head. "You can't. There's nothing… there's nothing that helps, I know. I've tried."
Ronnie smiled weakly and then pushed away from the bar. "I'm gonna go."
"Where you going?" Roxy demanded, worriedly. "Come on, Ron."
"'Come on, Ron' what?" The older sister asked, almost coldly.
"You're going to see Stacey."
"What?" Katy demanded, looking between the older Mitchells in confusion. "What the hell? Stacey? Stacey Slater?"
"Actually–"
"I thought you were gonna drop all this." Roxy said irritably. "It's my birthday tomorrow, yeah? So, if you were stuck on what to get me for a gift, you could leave her well alone. Now that, that, would be the perfect present, Ron."
"I am going to see Dot. I'm gonna to see if she's back, yet." Ronnie said bluntly. "Look, I'm not going to see Stacey. I promise! Just… stop worrying alright? I'll see you both later."
With a quick hug and a kiss to both of them, she grabbed her bag and walked out of the pub. Roxy glanced at her niece and sighed, before leading her other to a booth and proceeding to explain what was going on between Ronnie and the woman who had killed Archie.