Chapter 9

Jim was at last home.

Walking in to number eleven, with Steve who had picked him up he surveyed the house. It was a bit of a tip. But he had been expecting that with just the two twins to keep it in order.

A little flash of blonde hair ran in to his arms. Catching Katherine happily as she flung herself in to his arms he picked her up and kissed her. She was so trusting. She had simply known he was going to catch her, he thought to himself. But what if one day he couldn't?

"It is so good to have you home dad!" she said to him as she rested her head in the groove of his shoulder.

Resting his head on her he nodded.

"It is good to be back wee lass." he said as he held her. "So it is." he added, as he looked for his eldest son who was coming out of the kitchen to greet him.

"Yer alright son?" he asked and Andy nodded, as his father slapped him on the back in greeting.

The twins of course by now were far to old at twenty two to run in to there fathers arms and greet him, showing them there happiness in his return as there baby sister could but they smiled nodded the less. It was good to have their old man home.

Later that night to celebrate the kids and there dad got a curry in.

Anne and Vicky came over to welcome Jim back and join them for dinner. It was a nice night, and drink flowed, as did laughter as the family sat round the table.

It was rare they had such a good time at the moment.

"I'll get it." said Andy as the door knocked upon.

Opening it he was shocked to see who it was.

"Mum!" he said, letting them all know Liz was there.

Tighten his hold on Katherine (who had been sitting on his lap most of the night cuddling him) Jim stood up. He was furious of the treatment she had given him still.,

Entering the house she looked at him.

"I only want to talk." she admitted to him.

"I wanted to talk to." he reminded her. "That was all I wanted."

"And now? Do you still want that?" she asked him.

"Yeah." He sighed. He knew they had too. "Boys, clear the table, girls can yer do the dishes please. Katie, go upstairs and get your pajamas on please love," he said as he put her down.

Giving her mummy a small smile for the first time in days she did as she was told and ran upstairs.,

The other four went in to the tiny kitchen and shut the door so they had room to talk,.

"Why did you do it? Why have the order taken out against me? I love you more than…any thing, any thing in the world. I did love you back then." he reminded her.

"You hit me. I never thought you'd do that. " she said to him. "You left me in the middle of the night and I was scared. I didn't know what you'd do - I thought you were going too - !" she said as she begun to fill up with tears.

"What? I'd kill you? Dint be silly Liz. Your mother of my kids and I will love you for giving me the twins and Katie no matter what." he said to her.

If he had killed her then he automatically killed his relationships with the kids too. It wasn't worth it.

"You were crazy that night and then we were at Deirdre's. For gods sake Jim you were stalking me and Katie."

"Because she is my little girl and I wanted to see she was ok -"

"She is mine too. I was never going to let her get upset or hurt."

"Then why did she have a rough week at physio?" he asked. Both of there tempers were rising.

"I didn't come here for fight." she said to him.

"Then what did you come here for. Make sure I hadn't killed the kids," he asked sarcastically.

"To see if you were ok. To see if we could try and sort this mess of a marriage out, to see if we can sort out Katherine's care and where she's staying."

"here." he said simply. "This is Katie's home and this is where we are going to bring her up. Or at least I am."

"It was never going to be any good trying to talk to you tonight?"

"No. I came home for a nice night getting back and catching up with the kids. I didn't need this tonight." he sighed.

"Fine then I am going to go, and I will come back in the morning and see if you aree in a more civil mood." she said as she turned and went out of the door.

That went well…

-

"We're going to get a divorced. Me and your mother, well we think it id for the best so we do." Jim announced to the kids.

"Best for whom? For you and mum yes but what about the three of us?" said Andy.

His mum and dad had been separated for two months only. And they had been apart that long before and they had not divorced, so why were they this time?

"Dad no please." said Katie.

To her young mind, divorce was an evil. In all the stories when people got married it meant they got to live happily ever after. The prince and princess…

Wasn't her daddy her mummy's prince?

"Kids it's the right thing to do. That way we can go on and we can sort things out for you three with out worrying over our marriage."

It was the right thing to do he had convinced himself. If he had no wife then he could devote himself to the kids and there needs.

Well Katie's at least the twins didn't seem to even need dad any more.

But Katie didn't seem to take it very well. She wanted her mum to come home. For things to be as they were. As they had been…

Tears filled her brown eyes, and she ran to her small room upstairs.

-

"But daddy I thought it was always just going to be the five of us."

Jim held his daughter as he had been for the past two hours whilst she had been crying her eyes out. She needed both of them. Her mum and her dad.

"So did I wee lass. I wanted it to be like that, so I did, but baby things change. We are going to go on and we are going to adjust."

She nodded sleepily. Time for bed thought Jim. She'd sleep it off.

But that night a new problem develop.

In all the upset of the past few weeks were always going to be unsettling. But he hadn't been expecting it.

When he went in to her room the next day, Jim went to make her bed when he saw some thing. A dark patch.

Her bed was wet.

-

Katie sat at nursery miserably.

When she had woken to fine the bed wet when she had got upset. Only babies wet themselves.

And she was four!

The nurses who looked after her saw the change in her daily. She became with drawn. Quieter. She didn't seem to want to talk. Or play. She just seemed so vulnerable.

Finally one o'clock came.

It was Monday and Liz came up to the door to collect her, as she now had her alternate afternoon with her mum and dad and then every other Saturday.

All the others times it made sense for her to be at home. That was what she was used to after all. It was where she wanted to be, with her daddy and brothers.

"You ok baby?" she asked as Katie came out.

What if her mummy and her daddy had been talking? What if they got mad at her like they did at each other? Surely they were going to understand that they hadn't meant too. She just hadn't waked up. She had been so tired after she had been crying.

Yyeah." she said as she took her mummy's hand.

Passing the garage on there way down to the flat where they were going to go have some lunch before they went swimming, for the first time Katie didn't even look for her dad Liz noticed. She was quiet, far too quiet.

"Are you ok baby?" she asked.

"I think I did a bad thing mummy. Then I didn't tell dad. I didn't mean to mum." she said to him, as she looked up, eyes brimming with tears.

"Oh Katie, what is it?" said Liz as she picked her up and she begun to cry.

"When I - I woke up this m-m-morning I got u-up and my b-b-ed was wet," she said. "And now daddy is going to be mad at me case I know I shoulda waked up but mummy I didn't and I didn't me to neither but," she said as she burrowed her head in Liz's neck.

"It isn't your fault if you didn't wake up baby." Liz said soothingly. You heard about it all the time didn't you? Kids wetting the bed…it was common. And it was nothing to be ashamed off.

Suddenly there was another figure with hem.

"Is this about what I think it is wee lass?" Jim asked.

"I think it is," replied Liz.

"Daddy I didn't mean to -" she said but he shushed her.

"It wasn't your fault love," he said as he took her from her mother. "You didn't mean it, did you lass?" he asked as he gave her a cuddle.

"Then your not mad at me?" she asked innocently.

"Of course I'm not sweet heart, so you just go and enjoy your swim with your mummy, and then I will see you when you get home " he smiled as he gave her to Liz as she calmed down.

"I'll bring her home bout six." she said to him still fearfully. The beating had been terrifying. Even if he wasn't going to touch the kids, he might her. She hated the fact that she had succumb to her son s. But she just had been unable to hurt them by taking there sister.

Jim wasn't going to hurt Katie. He wouldn't…he wasn't capable. Not of that.

-

"So what if she does it again tonight" asked Andy.

"Then I am going to have to have to get up and cha ge her sheets and then go back to bed." Jim sighed.

"I can't believe she thought she was going to get in trouble for it." said Steve.

"Is it really a surprise? I mean look at the way us lot have been fighting these pasts few weeks " Jim assigned. "Especially me and her mother. TYhings will get better." he said as he poured him self a whiskey.

"How is that going to happen?"

"By having a break from the street. Me and Katie are going to go over to your granny Maisy's for a bit. She isn't to well and she's asked to see me and Katie's never been to Ireland before so it might be a good chance to give her a bit of heritage. Show her where her dads comes from."

"Sounds like a plan to me." said Steve. If he could get the time off work then he would go too but he couldn't.

"Yeah, but I am going to have to tell your mother. Time me and Elizabeth started building beiges and making our peace again so we can get on, so we do." he sighed

"That might be a good idea. She needs us as much as you do." Andy said as the door knocked.

"Speak of the devils." sighed Steve as he got the door.

"You alright sis?" he asked as Katie ran in, much happier than she had been when she had gone.

"Yeah, we had a really good time didn't we mum?" she asked.

"Yeah well, she did. She kept dunking me." sighed Liz as she winked at the twins, making it clear she had played along with her daughters little games.

"alright then you little pest' go get your hands washed before dinner" said Jim as he directed her to the stairs.

"Mummy, can you stay with us for tea?"

Liz and Jim looked at each other, neither knowing what to say.

"Aunty Deirdre's going to be cooking my tea, I'll see you in two days time baby. " she said as she kissed her fore head. "Be good for your daddy, ok? You to boys!" she said as she went to the door.

"See you later mum." Steve nodded.

"See ya Liz," said Jim.

"Yeah, later on." Said Liz

"Oh I need to talk ter yer. I was thinking about taking the little to Ireland for a few days." he said. "See my mum."

"Yeah that might be a good idea." Sighed Elizabeth. She wished she had been able to take her away from all this but she couldn't. She hadn't the money. And he did.

"Then when you get back we can start getting the divorce under way." she sad and he nodded. He didn't really wanted too. Twenty two years down the drained. Not what he had wanted. Ever. He had meant every word of his vows to her. And he was going to miss her. He already missed her.