Katy was almost looking forward to Monday morning and the children going back to school. She had kept her promise and spent the holidays keeping them occupied; quickly deciding that childcare was not for her. Some time spent together outside of school seemed to have settled things between Tommy, Ricky and Ruby, as well.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come to the mediation with you?" Ronnie asked on Monday morning once Glenda had left to take the children to school.
"I don't think you're allowed." Her daughter pointed out with a snort. "Besides, what's that going to look like? They ain't gonna take me seriously if I take my Mum with me."
"It'll show you've got a strong family support system."
"It'll show that I need you holding my hand."
"We both know that ain't true."
'Yeah and they need to know that, too." Katy reminded her. "Nah, I've got this." She finished her coffee and placed the mug in the sink. "You can do me a favour, though. I was supposed to be phoning Ritchie about the contracts for this place. D'you reckon you could give her a ring?"
"Fine…" Ronnie wafted a hand dismissively. "I just don't like knowing that you're off being grilled about the kids and there's nothing I can do to help."
"Mum, it'll be fine. Tyler ain't got a leg to stand on, does he?"
"Mmmm…"
"What's 'mmmm' supposed to mean?"
"Well… Tyler knows you pretty damn well and I'm sure there are things that you wouldn't want getting out."
"Like what?" Katy asked in a challenging tone.
Ronnie rolled her eyes. "Don't be an idiot, Katy. You know exactly what I'm talking about. You probably know better than I do what you don't want Tyler telling no one."
"Right… but if Tyler did decide to tell anyone anything he knows… or thinks he knows… he's gonna be in just as much trouble as I am because he kept it to himself until it was useful to him." She shook her head. "He ain't gonna say nothing more than making out I'm selfish and unfit." She huffed again. "Look, I ain't being funny, Mum, but I don't need you stressing me out right now."
"D'you at least want a lift to this mediation?"
"Nah, I'll be OK, Mum. Like I said, it would be a massive help if you could talk to Ritchie. She thought it would be about two months before it all went through, but that was a week ago so hopefully we're a couple of steps closer now."
With a deep sigh, Ronnie watched as the younger blonde gathered up her things and blew her a kiss as she left the kitchen. Katy knew that her mother thought she was being too blasé about the mediation, but she also knew that Ronnie's approach would probably cause more aggravation than was strictly necessary.
The building where the mediation was taking place was a stark, clinical office; not unlike the one Katy had been to meetings with Ritchie in. She wrinkled her nose as the receptionist asked her to wait for a moment, dropping into one of the chairs on the opposite wall to his desk and immediately regretting it. She huffed, repositioning herself and rubbing her back a little as it ached after hitting the hard frame of the chair.
"Katy."
She forced a smile onto her face. "Tyler. You look well."
"You too."
He awkwardly settled himself in the chair beside hers and Katy rolled her eyes. She leant back, folding her arms and pointedly looking away so that he couldn't make eye contact or think that she was remotely interested in holding a conversation with him. Needing something to do with her hands, she pulled out her mobile and started flicking absentmindedly through her messages.
Isaac had been incredibly apologetic for blowing her off the evening that they had agreed to meet for a drink but, as yet, hadn't given her an explanation. Katy had been cold with him for a while, feeling more embarrassed and annoyed than anything, before deciding that it wasn't getting her anywhere. Instead, she'd suggested that he sort out whatever was going on and let her know when he was ready to rearrange. Even Ronnie hadn't been able to argue with that way of handling things.
"Ms Mitchell? Mr Moon?"
They both looked up at their names being called. As the mediator ushered them into her office, Katy brushed invisible dust off her trousers and stalked into the room first. She didn't look back to see whether Tyler was following her.
Settling herself in one of the chairs the woman was indicating, Katy crossed her legs and looked around carefully. The office was no less stark than the reception area. The only thing that caught her attention was a bookshelf on the opposite side of the room, holding copies of books like 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' and 'The Power of Positive Thinking'. Katy rolled her eyes again and settled herself comfortably in her seat, waiting for the mediator to start.
"My name is Melissa Ferris and the aim of these sessions is to come to some sort of custody arrangement that you both agree with." She started. "I've been given a good level of detail about your history from Mr Moon's solicitor. Would you like to tell me about your past relationship from your view, Ms Mitchell."
Katy briefly considered questioning the request, or downright refusing, before remembering what was at stake. "How about you tell me what you know and I'll agree or disagree?"
The woman looked a little taken aback, but nodded. "Right… well, your relationship started in while you were pregnant with your eldest daughter. You split up the following January before reconciling in 2016. During that time, Tyler assumed parental responsibility for all three of your daughters and his name was placed on their birth certificates. You split up in July 2018 due to irreconcilable differences."
Katy snorted at that. "We split up because he got us into debt while I was receiving treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia and then ran off to Spain and shacked up with someone else rather than dealing with the mess he'd made."
"You know I was dealing with it!" Tyler shot back angrily. "You just never gave me the chance–"
"Whatever, Tyler." She exhaled deeply. "It's the same excuses every time we try and have a sensible conversation."
"So, do you agree with the history I was given by Mr Moon's solicitor?"
"Yeah, it sounds right." Katy agreed with a shrug. "But I know all that. Surely we're here to work out what happens next."
"Exactly." Melissa nodded. "I'm sure we can work together to find something that works for everyone."
Smiling tightly, Katy kept her thoughts on that matter to herself. "Right… so how does this work?"
"We need to set out some ground rules before we continue." The mediator told them. "You will both be given an opportunity to speak, so no interruptions, please. Likewise, this is a safe space, so arguing and shouting will not be tolerated. We will work together, respecting the other's viewpoint, to come up with a solution that has the best interests of yourselves and your children at heart."
"I'm willing to approach this with an open-mind." Katy agreed with a shrug.
"Me too." Tyler added quickly, clearly not wanting to be outdone.
Melissa talked for a long time about the process and what it would mean legally. Katy listened intently, determined to understand exactly what was happening so that there were no surprises later on. She kept one eye on Tyler, who seemed to have glazed over while the mediator was talking. A smirk found its way onto her face and she carefully rearranged it, before either of them noticed.
"So, that's us done for today." Melissa announced.
Tyler jumped. "We're done?"
"For your introductory session, yes. We'll meet again for an hour-long session where we'll start to make arrangements for the children that suit you both."
"When will that be?"
"Got a busy schedule, have you?" Katy muttered under her breath.
"How are you both fixed for next Monday? I've got an opening at five?" Melissa asked, glossing over the comment.
Pulling out her phone and opening the calendar app, Katy nodded. "I'll move some things around, but I'll be here."
"Yeah, me too." Tyler agreed quickly.
"Wonderful." Melissa smiled between them. "Right, in the meantime, have a think about some options that might work for you and the children. We can discuss them next week. I'll also need some financial details and information on your living arrangements."
When the session ended, Katy had said goodbye to the mediator and was out of the office before Tyler could even stand up. She strode straight through the reception area and out of the building without giving him the chance to catch up with her, pulling out her mobile and calling her mother straight away.
Ronnie answered on the first ring. "Sweetie? What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's done. I'm on my way home now."
"That was quick?"
"Mmm… just an introductory meeting, apparently. She set out the ground rules and explained how it would work and what it all means. We've got to go back next week with some ideas for how we want it to proceed."
"I've got a few ideas…"
Katy laughed, glancing both ways before crossing the road and heading towards the nearest tube station. "Yeah, me too, but I don't think she'd go for them."
"How was Tyler?"
"Same old, same old." She replied with a shrug, fumbling for her purse. "I'll tell you about it when I get back. Lunch at the Vic?"
"Eurgh… can we make it Walford East? I've just seen your Dad and Denise going into the Vic."
"Yeah, course. I'll meet you there in about half an hour, OK?"
The tube ride back to the Square seemed to take forever, but finally Katy was stepping out of the station and into the street. She made her way straight to the restaurant, smiling as she realised that Ronnie was already seated and waiting for her with a couple of glasses of wine.
Knowing that if she didn't immediately offer up the information her mother would just badger her until she heard it, Katy started telling her everything that had happened at the mediation. Ronnie, for her part, listened without interrupting until she was sure her daughter had finished.
"So how do you think it went?"
Katy shrugged, taking a small sip of her wine as she considered the question. "Relatively well, I think? It wasn't too antagonistic, although it was the first session, so we'll see."
"Well I'm proud of you for keeping your temper in check." Ronnie told her, raising her glass in a toast.
Chuckling, Katy clinked hers against it before dropping her gaze to her lunch. "So, how did the call to Ritchie go?"
"Everything's going through fine. She reckons we're looking at about six weeks."
"Not bad. I have to go back with financial details and residential information next week, so being able to say we're moving into our own house will surely go in my favour."
"Of course it will; especially seeing as you'll be next door to your dad and uncle and across the Square from your mum, aunt and gran. Tyler hasn't got that family support network here."
"Mmm…"
Ronnie peered at her for a moment. "You're not having second thoughts?"
"No." Katy shook her head firmly. "Of course not. I just… it was really odd, you know? We barely said a dozen words to each other and most of those were disagreeing with the facts. How can you go from thinking that you're going to spend your life with someone to practically being strangers?"
"That's life." Her mother replied with a shrug.
"Yeah, but I had him put on the kids' birth certificates, Mum. If I hadn't done that–"
"You loved him, Sweetie. None of us thought it would end like this." Ronnie sent Katy a sad smile and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're far too much like me for your own good."