Week 32: Missing

"Peter?" Carla called out as she jogged towards where Peter was standing, indecisive, unsure of what to do for the best. "What's wrong?"

"Simon," he gasped, his head shaking from side-to-side as if the mere action would deny the reality of what was happening. "He's missing."

"Missing? But–"

"Why did you take your eyes off him?" Leanne cried, unfairly rounding on Peter in her panic. "You were meant to be looking after him."

"This is not my fault!" Peter shouted in retaliation. "If it's anyone's fault it's yours, fighting in the street like a pair of alley cats."

"Don't you dare turn this around on me."

"Why not? You're the reason I left him on his own in the first place!"

"Hey! Stop it!" Carla cried in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. "This is not helping."

"You keep out of it," Leanne sneered at her. "It's nowt to do with you."

"Can you just drop the attitude for one minute, Leanne, and focus on finding Simon?"

"She's right," Peter admitted.

"You would take her side," Leanne folded her arms across her chest and screwed up her nose.

"Leanne!" Carla cried. "Simon. Focus on Simon."

"Sorry."

"Thank you," Carla sighed in exasperation. "Now, why don't we split up and check all the places that Simon might've gone."

"I'll check the flat," Leanne eagerly jumped on the idea.

"And I'll…" Peter stared at Carla, desperate for a cue.

"Your dad's?"

"Yes, I'll check me dad's," Peter nodded, restless to finally take action. "Call me if you find him!" he yelled after Leanne's retreating figure, already hurrying to complete her mission, before turning to face Carla, appealing to her for guidance.

"Your dad's," she prompted him gently, leading the way.

"Dad's," he nodded, at first matching Carla's steps and then outpacing her, his desperation to find his son was so great.

"Peter!" Carla called out in vain, her breathing laboured as she tried to keep up. Indeed, he was so far ahead of her, that he was already entering his father's house and bounding up the stairs by the time she arrived on the doorstep.

"Mrs Connor!"

Carla turned to see Hayley Cropper shuffling over the cobbles towards her.

"What is it, Hayley?"

"I hope you don't mind," Hayley said. "But I've taken the liberty of locking up the factory for the day."

"Is it that time already?"

"I'm sorry if–"

"No, Hayley, you did the right thing. Can I have your keys? I left mine in me office."

"Of course," Hayley nodded, handing over the keys as requested. "I'll best be off home, Roy will want his dinner before his bat society meeting."

"His what?"

"The bat society," Hayley began to explain. "It's–"

"Never mind," Carla waved away the eccentricities of Roy Cropper's nocturnal hobby. "Have a good night. Oh, Hayley, before you go."

"Yes, Mrs Connor?"

"You haven't seen Simon on your travels, have you?"

"Simon? Little Simon Barlow?"

"Yes."

"No, I'm sorry, I haven't. There's nothing wrong is there?"

"He's probably just wandered off, I'm sure he'll be fine. If you can just–"

"I'll keep an eye out for him."

"Thanks, Hayley."

With Hayley safely on her way home, Carla peeked inside the open door of number 1, wondering whether it would be presumptuous of her to enter without an invitation, when Peter himself came bounding out.

"He's not here," he declared.

"Maybe… it's time to call the police?" Carla suggested.

"Why?" Peter stared at her, aghast, as his mind went into overdrive at the possibilities. "Do you think he's been kidnapped or summat?"

"I'm sure he hasn't, but–"

"No, no," Peter shook his head. "I'm gonna keep looking. You do what you want."

"I'm coming with you."

"Really?"

"Of course," Carla ran her hand lightly down his arm, a comforting gesture, and grabbed onto his hand. "We'll find him together."

"Simon!" Leanne called for her son as she bounded into the living room of her flat. "Si!"

Frantic, she searched the flat, looking in every room, behind every piece of furniture, in every nook and cranny she thought could possibly or even impossibly hide a child.

"Oh, Si," she sobbed as she gave up her search and stood, momentarily adrift in the middle of the living room floor. "Where are you?"

Hurrying down the stairs, she burst out onto the street and began to walk, peering down alleys and doorways as she passed and calling out Simon's name. But there was no reply, no excited cry of 'Mum!' to greet her, no mop of dark curly hair bobbing along as he ran into her arms; there was nothing at all.

Nick pinned the updated menu to the board hanging on the front wall of the Bistro and locked the glass box that protected it from the elements. He placed his hand on the door handle, ready to head back inside and prepare for the dinner rush hour when the sound of sobbing caught his attention.

"Leanne?" he called out to her as she stumbled blindly down the street, her cries for her son intermingled with pathetic whimpers as the fear for his safety escalated. "Lea!"

He ran to her, just in time, catching her in his arms as she slumped against the wall, her body failing her as her spirit weakened.

"Hey," he said, his one arm wrapped around her waist, supporting her, while the other reached up to her face, his palm cupping her cheek gently. "What's wrong?"

"It's Simon," she sobbed. "He's gone, he's run away, or… I don't know. He's just… he's gone."

"Come into the Bistro for a minute."

"No," she shook her head. "I need to keep looking. I need to find him."

"You're no good to him in this state," Nick insisted. "Come in, please, get yourself together and then I will come with you to look for him."

Leanne allowed Nick to lead her inside the Bistro and to a booth where he sat with her, holding her hand, caressing her skin softly with his thumb.

"Tell me what happened."

"I was… I was arguing with Carla–"

"Carla?" Nick exclaimed. "What has she–?"

"Oh, god, what have I done?" Leanne stared at Nick, the despair in her eyes clear. "I've messed everything up."

"What do you mean?" Nick shook his head. "What have you done?"

"I feel like I'm losing it."

"Hey, we're gonna find him, okay? Don't you worry about that. We'll find Simon."

"It's not that, I mean, it is, but… the way I've been acting lately… you must've noticed?"

"Ahhh…" Nick grimaced as he weighed up the wisdom of agreeing with her.

"I can handle the truth, Nick."

"Okay, well… you have been, umm… a little…"

"Deranged?" Leanne suggested. "Psychotic?"

"A little overwrought and emotional?" Nick countered with a shrug.

"Talk about putting a positive spin on things," Leanne joked. "The thing is, when I realised Si was gone, it was like a bolt of lightning had struck me… like I could see everything clearly for the first time, I could see how I've been acting like… a crazy person, let's be honest, the things I've done. Nick! What have I done? With the baby and the wedding and… oh god! I'm gobsmacked you're still talking to me."

"I'd never stop talking to you," Nick said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze and interlinking his fingers with hers.

"I am sorry, Nick, really I am so sorry for everything I put you through."

"Thank you," Nick accepted her apology. "I'm not gonna lie, you did cause a lot of problems for me, but… I know you've been through a lot. It must've been hard for you, coping on your own."

"The worst thing is how it must've affected Simon," she sobbed. "And now he's gone. What am I doing here? I have to go, I have to find him. Nothing else matters, nothing."

"So…" Peter said, glancing curiously at Carla as they walked side-by-side. "Are you gonna tell me what that scrap with Leanne was all about?"

"Let's just focus on finding Simon, yeah."

"Nice try."

"Try what?"

"I think it's called deflection."

"I'm not–" Carla cut off her protest with a deep sigh. "You're not gonna give up, are you?"

"What do you think?"

"Leanne was… I dunno, being her usual snide self. Having a go at me for dumping Nick, having a go at me for getting with Nick in the first place."

"If she floats, she's a witch?" Peter suggested.

"Summat like that," Carla couldn't help but smile. "That woman'd burn me at the stake no matter what I did."

"And that was it?"

"Well… I may have said one or two things in my defence I knew would wind her up."

"That doesn't matter, she had no right to hit a pregnant woman."

"I can take care of myself," Carla reassured him with a grin as they reached a t-junction. "We've already looked down that way," Carla noted as she pointed to the road on the left.

"This way then?" Peter pointed in the opposite direction. "But, if he's not there…"

"We'll find him."

"I think I should call the cops."

"I agree," Carla nodded her support. "Listen, why don't you go on ahead, I need to catch my breath for a minute."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Carla reassured him. "It's hard work is all, carrying this little fella around all day."

"At least he's safe in there," Peter reflected. "Ain't no chance of him running away."

"Simon will be fine," Carla insisted. "You have to stay positive, okay?"

"I'm trying," he said, grabbing hold of her hand and squeezing it gently. "I'm glad you're here."

"Where else would I be?"

"At home resting."

"I–"

"Or at least go back to the factory," he pressed her. "If you cut through the alley back there, you'll be able to get in through the rear door."

"Call me, okay, as soon as you hear anything."

"I will, I promise."

Carla watched Peter continue his search alone, his shoulders hunched forward dejectedly, his fists jammed into his pockets as he walked, his eyes sweeping from left to right and left again, desperate to catch sight of his son.

"There is another person I need to apologise to," Leanne confessed as she walked with Nick, revived in her search for Simon. "Somehow, I doubt she's gonna be as forgiving as you."

"Carla?"

"Yeah," she confirmed with a grimace.

"You don't give her enough credit, you know."

"You wouldn't say that if you knew what I did."

"Oh god."

"I, ahh…" Leanne screwed up her face, fearful of Nick's reaction. "I may have… slapped her."

"Is she okay?"

"Carla? She'll be with the roaches surviving the nuclear holocaust, that one," Leanne sneered, until she caught sight of Nick's face and added a judicious, "calm down, it's a joke."

"Comparing the mother of my child to a cockroach?"

"The point is, she's a tough cookie. A little slap won't do her no harm."

"Sounds to me like you're almost proud of it?"

"Well…" Leanne shrugged noncommittally. "I'm not, really I'm not. And when I think about how I've messed things up so badly for her as well as you, I'll admit it, I'm ashamed of myself."

"And you, don't forget," Nick added. "You've messed things up for yourself. And for Peter."

"And Simon," Leanne finished the list with a sigh. "Oh, god, Nick, where is he? I'll never forgive myself if something's happened to him."

Carla rested her head against the back door of the factory, pausing yet again to catch her breath. "You're tiring mummy out, baby, yes, you are," she cooed as she rubbed her bump. "Let's have a little sit down, yeah?"

She trudged wearily across the darkened sewing floor and into her office, switching on the light and looking forward to sinking into her chair and resting her aching bones.

"What are you doing here?" Carla exclaimed in shock when she caught sight of the person that was sitting in her much longed-for chair.

"Don't tell dad where I am," Simon pleaded with her. "Please, Carla."

"Why not?" she asked, pulling up a chair close to Simon. "He's really worried about you."

"Is he angry with me? For running away?"

"No, of course he isn't. All he cares about is that you're safe. Hmm…? You wanna tell me why you ran away?"

"Dunno," Simon shrugged and cast his eyes downward.

"I think you do, young man," Carla pressed him. "You'll feel better if you get it off your chest."

Simon peered up at Carla, who's heart broke a little at the sight of the sadness and confusion in his warm and innocent brown eyes.

"Go on," she encouraged him.

"Everything's changed," he whimpered. "Everything's changed and no one will tell me why."

"You mean your mum and dad splitting up?"

Simon nodded. "They think I'm a kid and I won't understand."

"They're just trying to protect you, that's all."

"I miss my mum."

"You still get to see her, don't you?"

"Yes, but…"

"What is it, Si?"

"She's sad all the time these days. And angry. Like she was with you today."

"You mustn't worry about that, Si."

"I just want my mum back," Simon sobbed.

"Listen, Si, your mum is still your mum, she's just…" Carla scrambled to find the right words to describe Leanne's behaviour to such a young mind. "You know when… when you're upset about something, and you've got all these feelings going around and around and around inside you, and you don't know what to do with them and then sometimes… sometimes they just burst out of you and you might, I dunno, you might yell at your dad, or you might push your friend over in the playground. Have you ever felt like that, Si?"

"Yeah."

"But it doesn't change who you are, right?"

"I guess not."

"Well, that's how your mum's feeling right now. She's got all sorts of things churning around inside her and sometimes they come out in not very nice ways. But I know for a fact that, no matter what she's feeling, she loves you so so much. And so does your dad."

"Do they love each other?" Simon asked hopefully.

"I'm sure they do, in their own way."

"They're not getting back together, are they?"

"I don't think so, Si," Carla said regretfully as she tousled his curls affectionately. "How do you feel about that?"

"I dunno," he shrugged. "I want it to be like it was before."

"I know, mate, but life's not like that. It's not fair and sometimes we can't get what we want. But, you know what?"

"What?"

"We usually get what we need, even if we don't much like it at the time. But I can guarantee you that you will always be loved, always be wanted, and always be missed when you're not around. So… what d'ya say? Are you ready to go home?"

"Peter!" Leanne called out to her estranged husband, jogging towards him as he turned to her. "Anything?"

"Nothing," he shook his head despondently, "I was gonna call– what's he doing here?" Peter's steely gaze looked beyond Leanne to where Nick was approaching the pair.

"He's been helping me look for Simon," Leanne explained.

"It's all very cosy innit?" Peter sneered. "Is that the first place you went? To the Bistro to fetch your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Peter, mate," Nick interjected, his hands raised in the air, a sign of peace. "That's not exactly helpful right now, is it?"

"I'm not your mate."

"Oh my god!" Leanne exclaimed, ignoring the bickering men and pointing to where two figures were approaching them, hand-in-hand. "Look!"

"Si!" Peter yelled, ecstatic to see his son.

"Go on," Carla urged Simon, letting go of his hand and giving him a little shove in the direction of his mum and dad.

With a sheepish grin, Simon walked and then ran to Peter and Leanne, happy to be swept up in his father's arms and showered with his mum's kisses.

As Carla watched on, revelling in the glow from this joyous family reunion, Peter glanced up at her and, with a smile, mouthed the words "Thank you."