That night I went to bed anxious, but somewhat relieved, for what ever reason.
"Try and sleep, K" Robert muttered from the other side of the bed, after I had been tossing and turning for the past 3 hours.
"Sorry, I can't sleep" I shot back.
"Obviously" Robert muttered again. I frowned, and slapped him across the arm, making him flinch.
"Now that wasn't necessary Katie" Robert scowled, pulling the covers up to his chin.
"Not for you it wasn't" I smirked to myself, making Robert narrow his eyes.
"Right" He said, closing his eyes again. I sighed, and stared up into the ceiling, counting the lines in the white swirls that lay there.
After a time in which I couldn't identify, I fell asleep, though not the type of sleep I like.
The May mornings this year always seemed be bright, but this particular Tuesday May morning caused unusual warm sun to fill up the room, and light to illuminate the pictures on the wall.
I rolled out of bed, and slipped on my slippers, before heading down stairs in need of a good cup of tea. As I boiled the kettle, I heard familiar, footsteps pad down the stairs, and I saw a Pyjama clad Liam at the door.
"Breakfast, Li?" I asked him, and he nodded enthusiastically, before running over and sitting at the table.
"Is Mabel up?" I questioned, as I placed a box of Cornflakes in front of him, along with a spoon, and bowl and a carton of milk.
"I dunno" Liam said, shrugging, and continuing to pour his Cornflakes.
"Thanks, Liam" I said sarcastically, and rolling my eyes.
"You're welcome" Liam replied, looking me dead in the eye, staring me out. I blinked at him, and walked back up the stairs to wake my daughter.
I pushed open the door, and gently woke Mabel.
"Wakey wakey" I cooed quietly in her ear, as she started to arouse. I felt a bit creepy saying 'wakey wakey' but it's some toddler way to say, 'get up you lazy arse', so I use it. I plucked her up as she let out the biggest yawn, and placed her on the floor.
"So which princess are you today?" I said happily, hoping she would catch my mood and start waking up properly, but, alas, she simply just let out another huge yawn in reply.
"Right, I'll choose then" I announced, striding up to her closet, but almost immediately I heard Mabel dash towards me, and shoving me off.
"No. I choose" she told me firmly, and she stood with her arms out in front of the clothes. I grinned, and nodded my agreement.
"So?" I said, after a few moments of thinking.
"Tinner bell" she said, eyes wide.
"Tinkerbell?" I wondered. This was a new one.
"Yes! Timper bell!" she tried to copy, only making me laugh. I rummaged in her selection of clothes and found a green dress.
"Is this ok?"
"Yah huh!" Mabel seized the dress from my hand, and kicked of her nighty. I helped her into the dress and did her hair into a little bun at the top of her head. I think I'll do Tinkerbell often. She looks adorable I thought as I handed my daughter a small plastic wand from her toy baskets.
"I a fairy now!" she shrieked, waving her wand in utter delight.
"You are indeed" I laughed, walking out the room and picking up Liam's freshly laundered school uniform.
"Liam!" I yelled down the stairs, "Let's get you ready for school!"
"Comin'" Liam yelled back, trudging up the stairs, his cress sheep held proudly in his hand.
"Look! It grew! I got leaves!" he told me excitedly, holding out the puff of wool with cress on its back for me too see.
"I told you it would grow" I said, raising my eyebrows.
"Can I eat the leaves?" Liam asked, completely disregarding my sentence.
"It's cress, but yes, you can eat it" I nodded, leading him into his room.
"Cool" Liam said, placing the cress sheep on his bedside table lovingly. I handed him his shirt and shorts and helped him get changed.
"I can do my tie!" Liam said suddenly, pushing my hand away, and twisting his tie into a knot himself.
"Who taught you that, Liam?" I questioned, looking curiously at the almost perfect knot at my 4-year-old son's neck.
"James told me" Liam said, pushing his head into his jumper.
"James told you?" I said, surprised. Liam nodded.
"He said his Daddy told him how to do it"
"You're very good at it" I praised Liam, giving him a proud look, making his eyes crinkle in happiness.
"I'll be a tie do-er upper when I'm older" he said as I packed his bag for him by the door later that morning.
"You'll be great at it" I nodded, putting Liam's colouring book in his bag.
"I will. I'll ask James if he wants to do it with me" Liam almost screamed, jumping from one foot to the other.
"I'm sure he'll agree"
I ushered my children into the car, and set off down the lane.
The journey was extremely pleasant. The sun shone through the trees creating dappled flickering light on the windshield. I opened the window to let the cool breeze touch my face as we cruised through the winding Downlow lanes. The swallows were just coming back after the winter, and the sounds they were making were beautiful to my ears, and as I arrived in the car park, I was in a very good mood. That was until I saw the red Bentley in the car park, and a figure inside, with her head in her hands.
I immediately got out the car, and gently knocked twice on the Bentley's window, making Ginny look up. She glanced back behind her, and spoke inaudibly to the children in the back. She then turned back to me, and got out her car.
"No news?" I asked her quietly, and she shook her head in despair.
"Were you at Harry's work last night? After you collected James and Al?" Again, she shook her head, before prising her mouth open to speak.
"Didn't sleep a wink last night. Neither did any of the kids"
"You must be exhausted!" I exclaimed, giving her a sympathetic look.
"I am, but so is James. So make sure you apologise to Liam on my behalf is he's moody" she said simply, opening the rear doors, and letting James sidle over Lily to wait with his Mum.
"Hi James!" said Liam happily, having accompanied me to Ginny's car.
"Hullo" James said gloomily, yawning as big as Mabel did earlier. Liam's face fell.
"Are you not happy?" he said, a little worried.
"I'm happy" James said firmly, though not smiling. Liam looked nervously at me, before asking if James wanted to come with him to the classroom.
"I'm stayin' with my Mum" James said, shaking his head, and grabbing Ginny's hand. However, Ginny shook her head at him, and released her hand.
"Go with Liam, please" she said, bending down to hug James. James wrapped his arms around Ginny's neck and didn't look like he would ever let go.
"Can I stay home today?" I heard James whimper.
"No, of course not" Ginny said sincerely, straightening up, and kissing James on his forehead.
"Tell me of Daddy comes?" James whispered.
"Promise" Ginny said, smiling slightly at her eldest child. Liam was still glancing at me, and then back at James, before James signalled with his head that they could go together now.
"He's not going to want to come to school tomorrow, if Harry doesn't come back" Ginny muttered, gazing after the retreating children.
"Will you bring him anyway?" I speculated, looking at Ginny.
"Well, yes" Ginny said, pulling her gaze away from James and focusing it on me instead.
"And he'll agree?" But Ginny shook her head.
"No, he'll agree not too" she explained.
"Are you going back into Harry's office today?" I asked, catching Mabel as she started to wander away.
"Uh, no. Not if I'm not called in" she said, a bit hesitantly, glancing back into her car, and then over her shoulder. I saw her groan, and I followed her gaze and saw Helen sidling over, clutching Florence by one small arm. Ginny shot me a panicked look, but turned around anyway, facing the other woman.
"Ginny, dear! I haven't seen you in a while" Helen smirked, clapping her hands together.
"It was what, yesterday morning?" I muttered under my breath, making Ginny grin slightly, however she answered Helen.
"There's no reason why you should have, it's not like you're watching out for me in the playground, surely?" Ginny said idly. Helen reddened a bit, and respect for Ginny rose up in side of me.
"Of course not, I had just happened to noticed" she said hastily, glaring at me as I had chuckled slightly through my nose.
"Right" Ginny said, raising an eyebrow, and nodding slowly.
"Yes, yes, that's right" Helen nodded, still eyeing me, looking disgruntled. Suddenly, Ginny looked down at her watch,
"It's quarter to 9, Helen, shouldn't your daughter be going into the classroom?" Helen looked down at Florence is surprise, and quickly let her go.
"Oh, yes, you're right" she said, pushing Florence at bit too hard towards the gates, "Go on, off you go" Florence trotted off and Helen didn't eve bat an eyelid when Florence almost ran smack bang into an oncoming VW Golf. Ginny had stepped forwards slightly, as did I, when we saw this, and we both turned astonished to Helen, who was fiddling with her bag.
"Your daughter almost ran into a car" Ginny said calmly, distaste flickering through her tone.
"She's fine, independent, more independent than your children I'm sure" Helen said, looking up.
"Independence doesn't involve almost sending our 5-year-old children to their deaths" Ginny growled.
"Well that's a bit extreme" Helen snapped back, glancing at Florence who had just stumbled over the curb. I was now staring at Helen like she was mad, which in my opinion she was. Liam was much to precious to let run over the road by himself. Obviously, Ginny was thinking the same thing, and she turned her head to see Florence's progress. I subconsciously tightened my grip on Mabel.
"So, the important question; Where's that man of yours?" Helen said, her eyes boring into Ginny's.
"My husband has nothing to do with you, so I advise you to take a step back and stop prying into other people's lives" was Ginny's smooth reply.
"I'm not prying if the investigation was all over the news, dear" Helen said cheerily, "I heard 23 police were killed"
"That's enough, Helen" I said suddenly, stepping to Ginny's aid. Helen looked at me, annoyed.
"That's not your duty to tell me to stop, Katie, let the girl speak" she barked at me. I felt a hot flush creep up my cheeks, but Ginny was looking at me gratefully.
"No, she's right. I don't my family's lives concern you" Ginny said quietly, blinking at Helen.
"Lives? He was one of the 23?" Helen picked up sharply.
"I told you, that's not your information to know" Ginny said, her voice rising and alarm bells ringing through the air.
"Knox tried contacting the BBC you know, to make them tell us who was involved" Helen said, unpleasant proudness in her voice. Ginny turned her back on Helen, and rolled her eyes at me. I grinned sympathetically at her, and also turned my back at Helen, starting to walk back to my car, after a brief wave goodbye to Ginny.
When I had finally got into my car, Ginny had already left, but Helen was talking to an eager Zara by the gates now. I scowled, and silently sent my blessings to Zara for all the bullshit that Helen was feeding her, as I drove out the school exit, in a much worse mood than I had arrived in.
