"You will go to school, obviously," Mrs Williams says. "It's called Lady Mountridge's," she continues. Cat nods.

"Okay."

"It's nine to three," Mrs Williams bellows. "So you will get the bus home."

"Okay."

"Good girl," praises Mrs Williams, as she takes Cat's hand. She's lead to the breakfast table and given some cereal – Crocodile Crunchies. She hates it, but forces it down anyway.

"Can I see mommy?" Cat says, stirring the left over milk in the bowl.

"No."

"Can…can I see daddy?" Cat asks, looking up.

"Don't be silly, Caterina, you know he's passed."

"It's his birthday on Monday." Cat says quietly.

"Really?" Mrs Williams says, not paying much attention.

"Mommy will be upset."

"I'm mummy now."

"Okay." Mrs Williams leaves the table to collect the mail. She sets a pink envelope in front of Cat. "Can I open it?"

"Yes, dear." Cat tears it open. She can read a lot of words, so she's happy Mrs Williams won't see.

To my darling Cat,

I love you and miss you. I know you're missing me, too. I'll put flowers out for daddy. I hope it's nice where you are. I miss you. Everything about you. I miss your little heartbeat. I miss the way your eyelids flutter when you sleep.

I don't know how to be something you will miss, but just remember mommy loves you.

Goodnight, baby doll.

Mommy xo

Cat blinks tears back and puts the letter closer to her heart. "I miss you." Cat says quietly. "I really miss you."

Marie trails down the stairs later. "Mummy!" Marie screams. "My chair my chair mummy!"

"Shh, Marie." Mrs Williams says. "Use words."

"Mummy she's…in my chair!"

"Yes, dear. Okay. Ask her."

"GET OFF!" Marie shouts. Cat slinks off to her bedroom, trying to ignore the brat screaming after her.

Cat puts the letter inside her picture book; sure no one would steal it there, and then curls up in her bed, buried under her Hannah Montana cover. She snuggles deep, and then closes her heavy eyes.

She doesn't wake until dinner.

"Now now, Cat, you be a good girl and eat it all up, nicely. There's a good girl." Mrs Williams tries, smoothing Cat's hair. Cat knows she's trying, but she can't bring herself to be grateful. Instead she sits at the dining table with a heavy heart, sinking her mood right down.

"Come on, love," Mrs Williams says gently, miles away from her character yesterday. "Eat something."

Cat shakes her head, and once again curls up on her bed.

This time she's woken in the morning for breakfast, which of course, was left untouched. She's nervous and feels sick. It's already her first day of school.

"Now class," miss says, "we're doing a fact file on ourselves today. All you have to do is write your name, age, birthday, etcetera. Get writing."

Jade puts her pencil on her paper.

Name: Jadelyn August West
Age: 7
D.O.B August 20th
Mommy: Savannah
Daddy: Edward
Brothers or sisters? No
Jade sits back and puts her pencil down. She glances over at Beck, who is looking down worriedly at his paper.

"What?" Jade asks, looking concerned. She turns his sheet so she can read it. "Just fill in the blanks," she says her brow furrowing.

"I don't want to," Beck says quietly, looking down at his scuffed school shoes.

"Why not?" Jade says, more gently.

"I was going to have a baby sister last year."

"What happened to her?"

"I don't know," Beck says simply. "Mom said she lost her. But how can you lose a baby? She was inside mom's tummy."

"What did she say? Was she sad?"

"I guess."

"You guess? Was she crying?"

"I don't think mom cries."

"Everyone cries! And if she lost the baby, she'd be feeling annoyed,"

"I guess her face was a little teary. She hugged me tight and kissed my head a lot."

"I think she was sad," Jade says, raising her eyebrows. "I wonder where the baby went."

"Me too. I might ask her,"

"Hmm."

"Can you come round to my house today?"

"I don't know," Jade says, biting her lip. "I'll have to ask."

"Okay, ask afterschool."

"I will." Jade promises. And she does. Gina, the head careworker says yes, and drives her over.

"What time am I picking her up?"

"About 7?"

"Great, see you then."

Jade and Beck sit in front of his mother, and watch her. She chuckles. "What do you want, sweetiepops?"

"Mommy, you know Honor?" Mrs Oliver stiffens.

"Yes, dear?"

"Where is she?"

"You know where she is, baby, I lost her." She paused. "Sorry, darling. Honor is the baby I lost, Jade."

"How did you lose a baby?"

"Sometimes, things just don't work out."

"But isn't a baby really noisy?"

"Well yes," Mrs Olivier stops. "Oh, wait. Losing a baby isn't misplacing it like you would a book, or missing shoe, you silly pair."

"What happens then, mommy?"

"The baby died," she says gently. "She wasn't very well."

"Is she okay now?"

"Yes, darling. She'll be in heaven, playing with Fluffy." Beck smiles at this, and then leads Jade up to his room.

"What do you wanna do?"

"Let's ask your mom if we can bake cookies."

"Yeah, my mom is always baking!" Beck grins. They run downstairs to find Beck's mom getting the cookbook out.

"I thought you might like to make something?" She says, with a glint in her eye. She smiles at them both. "Grab a stool."

They do, and then grin at each other again. They're both discovering new things, and they're so excited.

Jade smiles and laughs, "I've never baked before, Mrs Oliver but I bet you make it fun!"

"Yes, I hope, Jade." She smiles. "Aren't you a sweetheart?"

Jade lights up. She finally, at long last feels like she belongs.

A/N:

I haven't updated in awhile. Sorry about that. I'd say I'm busy, but that would be a blatant lie. So, sorry again.

But obviously you understand I can't spend all day at a screen – mainly because I've been getting a lot of headaches recently, but also other commitments.

Anyway, enough of my personal life, and more onto the end of this A/N. End.