Chapter 13:
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you for moral support?" Frank asked Carla as he watched her apply make up.
A week had gone by and the day of Carla's mother's funeral had arrived. Frank knew that she was stressed about it. She had hardly slept the night before and all she did was toss and turn which meant his sleep suffered as well.
Carla sighed and fluffed up her hair a little, "no. I'll be fine. My brothers going to be there and there's going to be enough tension between us. We don't need to have to add any awkward introductions into the mix." She reassured him.
"Ok. Just remember I'm only a phone call away." Frank told her as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
Carla smiled and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. "I know, thank you." She replied.
Just then, Carla's mobile rang and once she saw the name on the caller ID, she answered right away. "Hi, baby. Are you all ready for school?"
"Yep. I just wanted to talk to you for a little bit before we leave. I'm going to miss you not taking me today." Rachel replied somewhat sadly on the other end of the phone call.
Carla pouted and put the phone on speaker phone, "awww, I know, darlin' but remember I'm saying goodbye to my mum this morning. I'll be leaving soon." She looked at Frank and winked, "You're on speaker phone. Frank's with me at the moment." She then gestured for Frank to say something.
"Good morning, blondie." Frank spoke into the phone.
There was silence for a few seconds. Carla was worried that the girl was about to just totally ignore the man before her but breathed a sigh of relief when Rachel responded rather timidly.
"Morning."
Frank and Carla gave each other a smile both rather surprised at the child's pleasant tone.
"CC?"
Carla took the phone off of loudspeaker and returned the device to her ear. "I'm here, Rach. What's up?"
"I hope today doesn't make you too sad." Rachel stated softly.
"Aww. Thank you, baby. I'll be fine." She then looked at the time on the wall clock, "listen, Rach…I'm going to have to say bye now otherwise Frank and I are going to be late and I'm sure Hayley is waiting to take you to school. I hope you have a great day. I'll phone you at bedtime, ok?"
"Ok. I love you. Bye." Rachel said and before Carla could respond, she hung up the phone.
Carla smiled at the phone and then looked at Frank. "That child is so sweet. She just told me she hopes I don't get too upset today." She gushed. Her phone pinged and she looked at it to see a text message. "My taxis outside. I'll see you later?"
Frank nodded and gave her one last hug before she left the flat.
Carla decided not to hang around after her mother's service and instead she chose to return to Weatherfield. She just couldn't stand to be around her brother's snarky words or the rest of her so called 'family' who had spent the whole service shooting her accusing looks.
Carla knew what they were all thinking. Where was she all those years? Why show up at the funeral when she never bothered with her mother while she was still alive? Where was she when her mother lay dying?
As she stepped out of the taxi, she thought about going to the factory but she didn't particularly feel like being under Frank's watchful eyes. She just wanted to be on her own for the time being. She could hear the loud music coming from the Rovers and decided that seemed like a good spot to hide. If there was a party going on, the other punters in there would be too distracted to pay her any attention.
Before she knew it, hours had gone by and she had downed two bottles of red wine and was about halfway through her third. She was sat in the first booth gently swaying to the beat of the music when a voice interrupted her solitary state.
"Anyone sitting there?"
Carla rolled her eyes and lazily looked to her left only to see that a young, but handsome, lad had taken it upon himself to interrupt her time alone.
"Yup!" She said point blank, making it clear that she didn't want any company.
The young blonde didn't seem to get the message though. He looked around the boozer before shaking his head. "I've not seen you with anyone." He pointed out.
Carla retorted with her usual wit, "oh that's because they're my imaginary friend," she joked and slapped her palm down on the empty space beside her in the booth, "and they don't take too kindly to anyone sitting on them so do one." She told him nonchalantly before taking a big sip of her wine.
Her unwanted companion shrugged off her rejection and sat down beside her uncaringly. "Well I'm sure they wouldn't mind budging up." Carla hummed and scoffed, not looking at the young man. She felt his breath on her cheek when he spoke next, "so, how's things?"
"And I thought my day couldn't get any worse." She slurred and turned her head to face him.
The unknown intruded held out her hand for her to shake. "I'm Tommy Duckworth."
Carla grinned, a teasing glint in her eye, "Tommy, eh? That figures because you're deaf, dumb and blind kid if you can't take the hint now be a good boy and run along." She chuckled just as Frank made an appearance by the booth.
"Is he bothering you?" Frank asked his quite obviously drunken girlfriend as he looked between Carla and Tommy.
Carla made a noise of agreement whilst Tommy looked up at Frank with a hint of unease although he tried to cover it up with his next words, "what's it to you?"
Frank chose not to make a scene but instead announced loud enough so that only Tyrone and Jason - who were at the bar laughing g at the scene that was unfolding before them - could hear, "well let me explain…outside. It won't take long I promise you that."
Tommy took that as his cue to leave and return somewhat embarrassed back his friends at the bar.
Frank sat down beside Carla and examined her. She had her eyes closed as she went back to ignoring her surroundings. Carla was aware of his presence but she just wanted to be in her own little world for a little while longer. She really couldn't deal with one of his lectures in that moment in time.
When Frank didn't say anything, Carla opened her eyes and waved her glass in his direction, "drinkie?" She suggested and nodded to the unfinished bottle on the table.
"No thank you. I'm driving…" He paused for a beat, "you home."
"Oh are you now? Well you'll have a long wait because I'm not ready to go yet." She informed him as she topped up her glass. Her hands were shaking and Frank was somewhat surprised that she didn't spill a single drop of the dark red liquid.
Frank sighed and nudged her gently, "come on, Carla, I think we both know you've had enough. Let's go."
Carla huffed and took one last sip of her drink, "flaming hell, I knew I should have stopped off in town and stayed away from this dump." She mumbled and made to stand up but a wave of dizziness washed over her, forcing her back onto the bench she had been sat on for the past however many hours.
Frank glanced around the pub and was thankful that everyone was still too busy partying the summer afternoon away to notice Carla's embarrassing behaviour. He stood up and grabbed her arm in order to bring her to her feet, quickly wrapping his arm around her waist for better support.
They were just about to leave the pub when none other than Leanne entered. She looked Carla up and down and scoffed. "Drunk again are we?" She then turned to Frank in order to address him, "make sure she stays away from my husband this time!" At her warning, Frank gave her questioning tilt of the head. She laughed in response as she went on to inform him. "So I take it she didn't tell you about her cosy little chat with Peter in here last week? Yeah, the day her mother died, I believe."
Frank glanced at Carla who looked down at the floor. She didn't have the patience to deal with Leanne at that moment nor did she particular want to start arguing with Frank in the middle of the Rovers.
Carla's silence was all the confirmation that Frank needed though but instead of questioning her there and then, he decided to leave it for when they didn't have an audience. Leanne made no other comments as she felt like enough had been said and once she was out of the way of the doors, Frank continued on with his plan to get Carla home.
"You can explain what she meant when you've sobered up." He mumbled into her ear as they stepped out onto the pavement.
As soon as the fresh air hit her, Carla seemed to liven up a little and pushed herself out of his arms. She went to step forward but the heel of her shoe broke and she lost her balance. A loud giggle escaped her lips. "These bloody shoes." She grumbled to herself as she remained on the floor in order to take off the bothersome footwear.
Carla then stood up with Franks help. "Right, wait here. The cars just at the factory. Wait here."
"No. No, I'll get a cab." Carla insisted aware that it wasn't quite time for the factory to be closed.
"You're not getting a cab! I'm driving you home." Frank told her adamantly.
Now that she was more stable due to not having to balance on high heels, Carla made to cross over to the other side of the street on her own. Frank promptly followed her as he called out just as she stepped onto the cobbles, "Carla, watch the road!" He scolded her as he guided her quickly and safely to the other side of the street.
Carla shrugged out of his hold and began to dig through her handbag, "oh Flamin hell, I've forgot my keys. Oh well, I'll get a hotel room." She shrugged, mostly talking to herself.
"Carla, I have keys. You're not going to a damn hotel where there will be a bar." Frank told her and made her sit down on the bench just outside the Windass home.
Carla laughed loudly and pointed at her partner. "You are such a spoil sport!" She exclaimed.
While this was going on out in the street, Rachel and Faye were sat in the front room watching TV at Faye's. Rachel peeked outside the window and gasped when she saw Carla sat on the bench outside. Her eyes lit up as she looked at Faye.
"My CC's outside! Come say hello!" The blonde suggested.
Faye shrugged and got up from the couch and followed after her new best friend who had already left the house.
Rachel trotted over to the bench excitedly but froze just in front of Carla when she saw that the dark haired woman had no shoes on. Carla was swaying on the bench whilst Frank was trying to get her to come with him. Neither adult realised the child was there until she spoke.
"CC?"
Carla gasped and she looked at Rachel with unfocused eyes but once she realised who was before her, she seemed to become more aware of her surroundings. "Hi, baby! Come here you!" She exclaimed and without warning tugged the little girl onto her lap.
"Is she drunk?" Faye questioned no one in particular, gaining the attention of Frank. He made eye contact with Anna who was stood just behind her own daughter. He hoped for the earth to swallow him whole there and then. Carla's behaviour was about to become a spectacle that neither of them needed. He felt his anger rise but swallowed it down in order to try and do some damage control.
"She buried her mum today." Frank told Anna who gave a subtle nod as if to say she understood.
Frank then turned back to Carla and Rachel. The little girl was still on Carla's lap and it didn't look like Carla was going to let her go anytime soon. "Carla, come on. I'm sure Rachel's got homework that needs doing. Maybe she should go to the cafe and do it."
Carla placed a kiss to Rachel's hair and shook her head, "no. Not yet. Hey, maybe she could come home for a bit and I can help her with her homework?! How does that sound, sweetheart?"
Rachel's face lit up as she nodded in agreement. "Yeah! Can I really?"
Frank saw Anna take a step forward out of the corner of her eye but he held up his hand in her direction and gave her look as if to say he would deal with the situation they found themselves in. "Maybe another time, blondie. Carla's had a long day and needs to go home to bed. She's really tired."
Rachel glared at Frank before turning back to her CC. "Maybe you could have a sleepover with me at Roy and Hayley's? I'm sure they won't mind. We can share my bed."
Carla, who had sobered up slightly in her girl's presence, cupped the child's face in her hands, "you're so sweet. Do you know that?" She said before placing a kiss to the child's forehead. Rachel wrapped her arms around her and Carla felt herself tear up. All she wanted was for the three of them to be a proper family. As much as she had been happy with seeing Rachel around almost everyday, it wasn't the same as having the girl under her roof. How much longer was she going to have to wait in order for her dream to become a reality?
Frank could see that Carla was on the verge of becoming an emotional wreck so decided to once again attempt to take charge. "Mrs Windass, would you mind taking Rachel home to the cafe?" He called over to the woman.
"Of course. That's no bother." Anna agreed before turning to Faye and telling her to collect Rachel's backpack from inside their own home.
Frank then attempted to extract the little blonde child from his girlfriend's arms. Rachel struggled and pushed him away but of course she wasn't strong enough and he was able to accomplish his goal.
"Get off me! I don't want you! I want CC!" Rachel exclaimed. She then went to climb back onto Carla's lap but Frank rested a hand on her shoulder which kept her firmly in place.
"I've already told you that Carla is tired. She's going home to bed. You should go home too." Frank told the girl, trying his hardest to keep his cool.
Rachel shrugged his hand off and practically spat her next words at him, "that's not my home!"
"It is for the time being!" Frank yelled back.
Anna decided that was the right moment for her to step in, "come on, love. I'll take you back to Roy and Hayley's. You can see Carla tomorrow when she's feeling better."
Rachel let out a sob and gave Carla a quick hug. "I hope you feel better soon." She whispered to the woman.
"Thank you, sweetheart. You go with Anna. Hopefully after I've had a nap I'll be able to give you a call before you go to sleep tonight. Be good for Roy and Hayley ok?" Carla spoke quietly, only slurring her words slightly. Rachel nodded before going over to Anna who rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Once Anna and the two children were out of sight, Frank rounded on Carla who gave him a small glare. "What? Don't look at me like that." He told her.
"You didn't have to lose it with her like that. She was upset." Carla retorted.
Frank threw his hands up in exasperation, "and who's fault is that?!"
Carla looked away and shook her head. "Don't start. Just…go and get the car. We'll talk when we get home. I think we're done with public displays today."
Frank shook his head and chose not to say anything back. Instead, he stormed off in the direction of the factory in order to fetch his car.
The next morning, Carla woke up and groaned. To say she felt rough would be an understatement. Her head was banging and her mouth felt like it had been stuffed with cotton it was so dry. She stretched out in the bed and frowned when she realised the lack of warmth beside her.
With a small struggle, she picked her head up from the pillow and glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table. She sighed in relief when the time only read seven. For a moment she thought she may have overslept.
Carla hauled herself out of bed and glanced down at herself. She was still in yesterdays clothes which didn't surprise her in the least. The last thing she remembered was making a beeline for her bedroom as soon as herself and Frank had stepped over the threshold.
Deciding to freshen up with a hot shower before facing Frank, Carla made her way to her en suite bathroom. Once under the spray of water, she closed her eyes and sighed. Memories of the day before came rushing back to her and she cringed. Then she remembered how confused and upset Rachel was when she had seen her outside the Windass house and she kicked herself for being so stupid.
She quickly finished up in the shower and wrapped her bathrobe around her before going out into the living room. Carla inwardly groaned when she caught sight of Frank busying himself with folding the blanket which was usually kept in the airing cupboard. It was obvious that he had chosen to spend the night on the couch as opposed to in their shared bed.
"Morning. Do you want a coffee? I think I'm going need it extra strong this morning." Carla casually spoke as she made her way over to the kitchen area.
Frank scoffed and shook his head disbelievingly. It was safe to say that he was still upset over the previous days events. The thing that got to him the most though happened to be the fact that Carla hadn't mentioned her chat with Peter the week before. Why wouldn't she mention it to him? He couldn't help but feel like she was hiding something from him.
"I'll take that as a 'no' then, shall I?" Carla called out to Frank who was brought back to the present.
"No coffee for me thank you. I'm going to head over to the factory soon." Frank told her, his tone cold.
Carla squinted over to the couch area. "What's wrong with you? You've got a right face on you. You're not still angry about yesterday are you?" She questioned him.
Frank shrugged but refused to look in her direction. "You tell me. Should I be angry about anything? Can you even remember yesterday?"
His girlfriend shot him an affronted expression. "Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean?"
Ignoring her question, he decided to let her know what exactly was bothering him. "Leanne told me about your little date with Peter Barlow." He said bluntly and this time he did turn to look at her to see if her face or body language confirmed his suspicions.
Instead, Carla just looked confused. "What? I have no idea what you're talking about. That woman hates me. You know that. She will say anything just to stir things between us." She defended herself as she made her way over to the sofa and sat down beside him.
Frank let out a mirthless laugh and shrugged. "So she was lying when she said she saw the two of you talking in the Rovers the evening of the day your mum died?"
Carla huffed and rolled her eyes. She had never been a fan of anyone trying to dictate what she could and couldn't do and she wasn't about to let Frank do so either. "So I'm not allowed to just sit and have a chat with a friend without your say so?" She scoffed at the thought of her obeying his every command, "Get a grip, Frank! This is the twenty first century!" She reminded him.
Frank glared in response. "No. You can't. Not when you hide that fact that you were with a man that you've been known to have flirtations with in the past!"
Carla laughed out loud mockingly at that and looked away, "flirtations." She mumbled to herself as if she found the word amusing.
Frank realised there and then that Carla had no intention of listening to him but he knew one way of grabbing her attention. "You need to stay away from Peter." He warned her once more.
Carla rolled her eyes and looked at him, "who do you think you are? My father? You can't tell me who I can and can't associate myself with." She insisted. This whole conversation was ridiculous and to be honest she was just about done with it.
Frank's face darkened and he reached out to hold onto her hand tightly in order to grab her full attention. "I mean it, Carla." He began, his tone patronising, "stay away from him otherwise I don't think we're going to work. Our family won't work. Are you really prepared to lose everything over some pathetic drunk?"
Carla stared at the framed photo just over Frank's shoulder. It was a picture of herself, Frank and Rachel at the bistro on the night Rachel had first arrived on the street. They all looked so happy. The little girl stood besides Carla and had her arms wrapped around her whilst Carla herself had her arm around the little girl. Frank was on the other side of Carla, an arm around her back.
That's when Carla realised that Frank was right. She couldn't lose what she had. Her life was so close to becoming perfect. She had to forget about Peter. He was a married man and there was no way he was ever going to leave Leanne for her.
"Ok. Ok. I won't speak to Peter if it makes you happy but just know that you have nothing to worry about where he is concerned. You're the man for me, Frank." She told him, knowing that he needed to hear it. However, deep down she knew it was going to be extremely difficult for her to cut Peter out of her life. How could it not be difficult when she felt like the Bookies owner understood her demons more than her actual partner? She had to try. For the sake of getting her girl back. She had to try and make things work with Frank. She just hoped she was strong enough to do so.
"Good. I'm glad to hear it. Look, I should really start getting ready to leave for the factory. With you being off again today I'm going to have to get an early start on the paperwork for that new order." Frank said as he rose from the couch.
Carla shot him a curious look, "why am I taking the day off?"
Frank chuckled, "you said you wanted to take today off to get the flat ready for Jackie's visit, remember?" He reminded her.
The dark haired woman's eyes widened. "That's today?!" Frank nodded to confirm her thoughts. She looked around the flat and groaned, "oh gosh, this place needs scrubbing from top to bottom. It's been a while since I've done a spring clean." She fretted.
Frank stooped down and placed a kiss to the top of her head. "Don't stress. The flat isn't exactly filthy."
Carla disagreed but said nothing and just watched as Frank retreated to their bedroom.
Later that day, Carla paced the empty space behind the couch and stopped every so often in order to look up at the clock. Meanwhile, Frank sat on the couch as cool as cucumber but her relentless movements was starting to become bothersome for him.
"Carla, will you just sit down? It's not like you have never met the woman." Frank pointed out.
Carla sighed and leant against the back of the sofa. "I know but it's the first time she'll be seeing the flat. She will probably want to have a look around. What if she doesn't think it's suitable for a child?" She rambled.
Frank rolled his eyes. "There's nothing wrong with the flat. It's a decent size with two large bedrooms and two bathrooms. They don't call this a luxury apartment building for no reason you know."
"Yeah but-" before Carla could finish her sentence, the intercom buzzer went off. She almost practically jumped out of her skin before rushing over to the device. "Hello?"
"Carla, it's Jackie."
"Hi, come on up." Carla said and pressed the button to allow the social worker access to the building. She then turned to Frank who had made his way over to her.
It wasn't long before there was a knock on the door. Carla almost tore it off the hinges when she opened it. "Hi, come in." She said politely and stood aside so Jackie could enter.
Frank held his hand out to the woman whilst Carla closed the door. "Hi, I'm-"
Jackie smiled and nodded. "Frank Foster. I remember you. From the hospital?" She replied and shook his hand.
Frank nodded, "that's right." He told her.
Carla stepped forward slightly, "take a seat, Jackie. Can we get you anything to drink? Coffee, tea, juice?" She was still clearly very nervous about the meeting but she did a good job at remaining calm.
Jackie sat in the armchair adjacent to the couch and smiled, "I would love a coffee. Milk, one sugar."
"Coming right up." Frank said, "do you want one, Carla?" His girlfriend shook his head in response. Frank leaned forward and kissed her cheek, "sit down and just breath. It will be fine." He whispered before he went over to the kitchen area.
Carla shot Jackie a friendly smile as she lowered herself onto the couch. "I hope you like strong coffee. Frank tends to go overboard with the amount of coffee beans he puts in." She joked in order to cut through the tension only she felt.
Jackie chuckled and waved her off, "strong is exactly how I like it and, Carla, please don't be nervous. I'm sure this meeting is going to go just fine." She assured just as Frank came over with two mugs - one for himself and the other for the social worker. Frank sat down beside Carla and put a steadying arm around her waist. Jackie took a sip of the warm beverage before placing it on the coffee table, "so I understand you're both interested in fostering Rachel together?"
Carla cleared her throat and nodded, "uh, yeah. We thought if we both went through with the process then Rachel would feel more stable when she comes back here."
Jackie nodded and wrote something down, "I see and how long have you two been an item? You didn't mention being together when we met at the hospital so I just assumed you were only business partner's."
Frank chose that moment to join in on the conversation, "we made things between us official a couple of months ago. We just didn't go public until recently. We've known each other for about a year though." He told her, exaggerating the timeline of when their romantic relationship started.
The social worker nodded, "so your personal relationship is still quite new? Are you sure you're both ready to take on the responsibility of a child?" She asked, obviously a little skeptical.
Carla's eyes widened and she sat up straight, "we've spoken about it a lot. Since that day in the hospital actually. Frank's even moved in here permanently so that he's all settled for when we get Rachel."
Jackie focused solely on Frank who nodded in agreement with Carla. "And do you and Rachel get on? It's known in the department that she struggles to accept men as authority figures. How has she been with you?"
Frank heaved a sigh, "I'm not going to lie to you, she has had some trouble accepting me being a part of her and Carla's life but I think she's slowly coming round to the idea. I mean, I'm not an expert on children but what new parent is? I'm sure my parents will help myself and Carla navigate parenthood. I mean, I turned out ok." He said light heartedly.
"Not to mention, Roy and Hayley have become almost like grandparents to Rachel themselves. You know she calls them 'Pops' and 'Nana Hayley'?" Carla laughed. She was shocked but glad when she first heard Rachel refer to her friend and her husband as such. She owed a lot to the couple who had been nothing but supportive over the past few weeks and she was eternally grateful for them.
Jackie smiled and nodded, "yes, Mrs Cropper told me about that when I last spoke to her over the phone to see how Rachel was getting on. I'm actually quite surprised at how well she's adjusted to being with them." She replied.
"Yeah, the Croppers are Coronation Street's agony aunts. It's such a close knit community. Everyone looks out for each other and they've certainly made me feel welcome ever since I brought into the factory." Frank told her and gave Carla a smile.
Jackie took a couple of more notes before reading over what she had written down. "Well, I'm not going to lie to you. At first I was skeptical due to how fast your relationship has grown but it's quite clear that you both care about Rachel's best interests. I'm quite convinced that you would both make more than adequate foster parents what with you being successful and responsible business owners." She informed them. Frank and Carla both looked pleased at the praise and they waited for Jackie to continue.
Carla gripped Frank's hand tightly and he squeezed hers in response, "does that mean…" she trailed off, not wanting to get her hopes up.
Jackie nodded, "yes. I'm going to recommend that you both be approved as foster parents. I'll make sure to put in a good word for you when it comes to Rachel's case." She confirmed and laughed when Carla let out an excited squeal.
"Thank you! You don't know how much this means to us." Carla whispered, feeling quite emotional.
Frank nodded in agreement, "Carla's right. Thank you, Jackie."
"You're welcome. I'm sure Rachel will be very happy here with you both." She said, "before I go, I just want to have a look around if that's ok?"
Carla and Frank both got their feet, "that's no problem at all. I guess you want to make sure everything's safe. Shall we start with the room that's going to be Rachel's?" Carla spoke and gestured for Jackie to follow her.
The tour of the flat concluded about fifteen minutes later and soon, Carla and Frank were stood by the door as they showed Jackie out. They both shook the social workers hand and said goodbye.
Once the door was closed behind Jackie, Carla turned to Frank and grinned. "I can't believe it. My girl's coming home!" She exclaimed and kissed her boyfriend rather passionately.
They pulled apart and Frank cupped her face in his hands, "correction. Our girl is coming home!" He said before drawing her in for another kiss.