When Norma woke up the next day she glanced around her room, the sun was streaming in, she rubbed her tired eyes and stared at her alarm clock, noticing the time she sprung up quick, 'shit it's after eleven'. She couldn't believe how long she had slept, although she knew she must have needed it but she felt guilty all the same. She quickly jumped out of bed and grabbed her robe pulling it around her, wincing at the pain she felt from her hand and arm, she glanced down and pulled back the bandages, they looked and felt sore. She wondered if Alex would still be at the house, although she half hoped maybe he had gone to work. She was ashamed and embarrassed at everything she told him and not to mention that she finally plucked up the courage to make a move and he rejected her. She was crushed, how could she have misjudged the situation so badly. Norma wasn't hungry, if anything she felt sick, but she decided to at least try some toast, she made her way downstairs but was greeted with the delicious smells of hot pastries. She was a little confused, the house seemed so empty but now it was like walking down into a fairytale, she saw Alex sitting at the table, there was two coffee containers and a plate brimming with delicious looking pastries and croissants, her eyes widened as her stomach ached, maybe she was hungry she thought. She gave a weak smile at Alex but diverted her gaze quickly, Alex noticed she was wary of him.

'I er...Went to get breakfast for you, i thought you might be hungry, you didn't eat anything yesterday evening, i hope you don't mind that it's a take out breakfast, it's just that my cooking skills are limited and i thought you deserved something other than burnt scrambled eggs and toast'

Norma's heart skipped a beat, she couldn't believe he went to so much trouble, no one had ever made the effort to sort her breakfast for her. She tried to ease her insecurities with a lighthearted joke,

'How the hell can you burn scrambled eggs Alex, or toast for that matter?'

Alex laughed, it was lovely to have a little of the old Norma back.

Norma took a seat at the table, and grabbed a pastry, she sipped on her coffee and avoided eye contact with Alex, she didn't know what to say, as much as she appreciated him doing this she found it hard to be in the same room. She exposed a lot about her childhood and growing up and she felt very raw and very sensitive.

'Do you have work today Alex'

'No i don't, i called in sick, im sure they can manage without me for a little while, and anyways i wanted to make sure you were okay after last night, you really let me in and i'm honored you did that. Thank you.'

Norma was visibly embarrassed and Alex decided that maybe he should just drop the subject, but he wanted to address the kiss she gave him, it was important to him that she didn't feel like he didn't want her, he did but maybe she needed a friend more, especially just now.

Norma bit her lip to stop tears welling in her eyes, she wanted him to hold her like he did last night but she didn't want to ask him, that would be pathetic she thought. She needed to clear the air about her stupid kiss, damage control she thought, act like it was a mistake and maybe it might make the feeling she felt easier.

'Alex, i er, i just wanted to apologise for last night about the erm...ki-kiss, it was stupid and i wasn't thinking, i am really sorry that i did it. It didn't mean anything'

Alex was hurt, he tried not to show it but hoped that this meant she wasn't too upset about him not kissing her back, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

'Norma honestly it's okay, please don't worry. How are you...after everything. Do you regret telling me?...About Caleb and Sam and everything else?

Norma eyed him up and down, not saying anything, Alex shifted uncomfortably in his seat regretting what he said.

'Erm, no i don't regret telling you Alex, but i need you to understand that just because i let you in and told you something about me doesn't mean that you can use it against me'

Alex was shocked, did she really think that little of him? He would never dare to dream of doing that to her, ever.

'Norma, that's a little harsh, I would never do that to you, ever, you must know that yeah? Please tell me that after all this time that you know i wouldn't use your past against you. Others might but not me.'

Norma smiled a little, she knew she was rebuilding those walls quicker than Alex could break them down. She'd spent her whole life building walls to keep people out and now she was doing the same to Alex, even if she didn't mean it, it was a coping mechanism.

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean that to come out the way it did. Thank you for breakfast'

'You're most welcome'

Alex's phone buzzed and he answered it quickly, he seemed annoyed as he hung up.

'I'm sorry Norma, i'm going to have to go, there has been an issue at work and they've called me in, if you need me to stay i will tell them to find someone else'

'No no no, Alex, its okay, go. They need you. I'm fine, honest'

Alex walked towards Norma to hug her goodbye, she didn't lean into him like she usually did and he worried that maybe she wasn't okay with his lack of affection last night. He knew it would be a long day, all he wanted to do was stay with Norma and watch films, he would spend the whole day trying to make her laugh, just to hear that sound, her laugh made his heart melt, it was so infectious and made everyone round about smile and laugh too, she always radiated such a glow that it drew people in.

'Goodbye Norma, call me if you need anything, and please call me if Caleb comes back'

'Bye Alex'

Norma muttered under her breath as Alex left,

'Please don't go'

Norma pottered about the house, cleaning, cleaning and re-cleaning, she didn't know what to do with herself, she knew at some point she would need to go down to the motel to clean Calebs room and she really didn't want to have to do that. Part of her had wished Alex had stayed, he could have helped her. But she didn't want to come across as needy.

Norma took a deep breath as she opened the door to Caleb's room, it was empty as she had assumed it would be.- Caleb looked terrified when Alex came in with his gun, she knew he would have ran, especially as he was already in trouble for something- Caleb's room was remarkably clean, there wasn't much for her to clean, what she did notice was a note on the bed, it was sealed in a pink envelope with a single flower next to it. Norma hesitated, she wasn't sure she wanted to read what he had to say, but her curiosity got the better of her.

'Dear Norma Louise,

I don't even know where to start, I am so sorry, i couldn't be more sorry. I don't know what happened. I just lost it, seeing you again brought it all back. I know I need help and i know you will never want to see me again after this but i just wanted to say how sorry i am, thank you for protecting me, again. I will always love you and miss you so much. You're my world. I am going to try and speak to someone about how i feel, maybe someday when i am really better we can talk, or if you don't want to that's okay too. I know how broken you are and how broken you feel Norma Louise because i feel it too, and i just want to be happy, i want you to be happy too.

All my love

Caleb'

Tears streamed down Norma's cheeks, she felt a mixture of emotions that she couldn't quite identify. She was happy Caleb was out of her life, but sad for how broken and messed up he was. He had the potential to be a wonderful human being, he had so much love to give, but he needed help fighting the demons he had in his head, she prayed that he would stick to his word and get help, by god he needed it, truth be told she knew she needed it too, but she couldn't cope with the idea of telling a stranger that her brother sometimes raped her and she enjoyed sleeping with him sometimes, oh and that her son's father is her rapist brother. So many difficult topics to cover, there wasn't enough money in the world to be able to pay for her to talk to a professional she thought! After she sorted through the room and gave it the once over, she went to bin Calebs letter, but she couldn't do it, something inside her pulled at her heartstrings, she knew getting rid of it was the best thing, it would be emotionally healthy for her to do that, but she couldn't and so she folded it up and put it into her pocket.

Back at the house Norma sat on the couch, her leg bounced uncontrollably, she was restless and unsure of the sick feeling in her stomach and heavy weight on her chest. Her mind couldn't seem to escape her past, she kept reliving it and feeling it over and over. She wanted to have a drink, just to dull the pain, maybe she could play some music and have a bath, she got as far as drawing the bath and gave up. The silence was crushing her, she needed to get out, she needed to drown out these thoughts and voices in her head, she hoped maybe she could see Alex, she knew that she probably shouldn't but the vulnerable side of her wanted him to hug her. She needed comfort.

Norma applied the last of her make up, she'd spent the past 35 minutes perfecting her hair, choosing the right outfit and putting on her makeup, it wasn't just for Alex's benefit, although she had hoped he would check her out, it was for her too, she wanted to feel like normal. It was like dressing up when you were a child, you could play anyone you wanted with just a simple costume and some make up. Norma painted her smile on, no one would ever know the darkness that was inside her, consuming her and feeding her insecurities. She looked 'picture perfect', the very definition of a successful & stable woman.

As Norma drove into town, she kept checking the mirror to make sure her make up was okay, she felt nervous at the thought of bumping into Alex, she knew nothing would probably happen with them, especially after him turning her down when she needed him the most but she wanted to see him anyway. Driving through the town something caught her eye, it was Alex's SUV, he was parked next to a coffee shop, she wondered if this might have been where he got their divine breakfast from, as she slowed down to pull into a free space she noticed Alex standing in the alley next to the coffee place, she couldn't really see his expression but he was talking to Rebecca. She felt her blood boil, maybe Alex turned her down because he already had someone, it didn't surprise her that it would be Rebecca, she was beautiful, and thin, and probably came with no baggage or children. She felt like her heart was breaking in two, seeing Alex with her and feeling the way she did was strange, she wasn't really sure what it meant, surely it wasn't jealousy. Norma was in total denial. She'd had her heart ripped open before so she refused to believe that her heart now belonged to Alex Romero.

As Norma pulled up to a bar she parked her car in the carpark around the back, she didn't want Alex to know she was there. She straightened herself up, perfected her hair and make-up again and waltzed out of the car and into the bar. It was dingy and smelt like stale beer, her shoes stuck to the floor but she ignored the disgust she felt and walked towards the bar. It was coming up to 7pm, and she was surprised to see they had a cocktail special, 2 for the price of 1 between 7-8pm. Norma sat patiently waiting for the clock to hit seven so she could grab her cocktails, she just wanted to let loose, be free, forget who she was and pretend to be someone else, anyone else but her.