Liz got home to an empty flat for which she was most grateful. A bit of time to herself was much needed to get her thoughts in order. Everything had gone as she had planned with Jim and now them ere going to be together hopefully. She hoped it was going to work out. She was so excited about it. This time it was going to be for keeps. She was so sure of it.
Unpacking she found she had a smile on her face for what felt the first time in so long and going out in to the kitchen she turned on the radio to hopefully find some upbeat songs (to suit her mood) which she was going to be able to sort herself out too. When she went out tonight she was going to look gorgeous just for the Rovers. She had been looking far too shabby lately and she had been letting like herself go. She was not letting herself go. Not when she had him coming home soon. She had to keep him interested in solely her this time. It was strange; she would never work this hard to keep any other man. But he was different. He was the one she loved.
Jim must have thought deep down she was a right old state and yet he had said she had not aged a day since they had last met. The romantic old devil.
All she had to do was wait three moths and as she thought on it she found her heart and her spirits getting excitable over all the things they were going to be able to do together, all over again. She was sure he was going to need a holiday so maybe they could go away for two weeks some where in the sun before they got really settled back in to there old life here together. She was going to have a home coming party for him in the rovers. No doubt he was gagging for a pint by now.
Maybe she be able to persuade Andy to come back and Steve to stay for a few nights so they could have a bit of time the four of them alone. She had so many ideas of what she wanted to do with the time they had been re-granted. She just prayed it worked.
"Liz, is that you?" she heard a deep male voice as some one opened the door.
Sighing as she knew she was going to have to end things with Vernon soon, she nodded
"It's Me." she said to him quietly and he came in to the living room and pressed a hard, unwanted kiss on her check.
"How's your friend?" he asked trying to strike up conversation and close the gap between them. He had opened it up to begin with. He hoped he hadn't lost her.
"Much better," she replied neutrally and he smile.
"I'm glad." he said but even through that little chat he knew she was still distancing herself from him.
"It's good to have you back." he said. As she made no effort to reply to him, he went in to the kitchen to find the kettle had just boiled. "So what did you girl's gossip about up there?" he asked, trying to get her to talk to him.
"My friend is a he Vernon." she said wearily and he froze for a moment. Maybe he did see what was going on here. Maybe she had had a relationship with this male friend in the past and she had gone to kiss and make up with him. He knew things had been going crap for them sand their romance but he hadn't wanted this. Maybe if he didn't say anything about it she wouldn't.
"Is he now?" he finally replied.
"Yeah." said Liz as she sat on the lilac sofa. What she wouldn't do to swamp Vernon and Jim's places right now. Clearly Vernon wanted to act dumb to the way she was feeling and she had no rush. She didn't want to fight that day. She was too tired from all the travelling.
"And he was glad to see you?" he asked.
"He seemed to be." she replied thinking he was a lot more pleased to see her than Vernon had ever been.
"And you had a good weekend together?" he asked.
"I only got to see him for a hour." she sighed as she got up. She was tired and she was going to have a lie down. Anything to get away from all these questions which were quite frankly doing her head in.
---
Jim was quite and he was keeping his head down. He had nothing up his sleeves either. For the first time in his life he was doing nothing wrong and at the end of it all he was going to wreak the reward in the form of his Elizabeth. When she had turned up yesterday it had been as if something out or his dreams. He had been sure he had been dreaming at the time for it hadn't been uncommon for the prisoner to remember the women he had loved all his life when he had been asleep.
Putting his head on his pillow, he knew soon that he was going to be sharing a nice big comfortable double bed with her instead of all these long lonely nights in here. This wasn't for much longer, and soon he was going to be in Liz's loving arms and every thing was going to be ok for them both becuase they were going to be together again.
Every good time they had had together played through his head. The day when they had had the twins. When they had remarried. when he had leant he was going to have a daughter by her. God rest her soul, Katie had been such a surprising to both her mummy and her daddy and by the time she had got there they had been so sure she was what they both wanted. Then she had been ripped from them. It had been so unfair. And now it looked as if they had many more time to be together.
It was going to be so incredible.
---
Steve was at the flat.
"So you go up to Blackpool to see an old friend who needs your help and who is male and you see him for an hour, then you expect me not to figure out you were with my dad?" he asked her.
"No I always knew you would, but I am not ashamed of what I did." she said. And she wasn't going too be. She had done the right thing by her and Jim. It had just taken her so long to see it was the right thing to do.
"Mum, I am your son. Why lie to me?" he asked. She had ever done that before, so why had she now?
"Do you remember when I married your father a second time? Sweet heart, you were so set against it I couldn't take the risk of bring put off by something you said. By anything any one said." She shrugged. She had been so desperate to see him when she had planned to go.
"I could have helped you." sighed Steve and his mother realised all he did want to do was help her in this. He wasn't going to dissuade her. Not this time. "Are you going to get back together when he gets out then?" he asked.
"It is looking that way." said Liz.
"And he knows about Vernon?" he asked knowing his father was not going to take too kindly to another man with his mother,
"he isn't going to be around for a lot longer." said Liz and Steve smiled. He had watched that git treat his mother like a slave and he had had to watch her dance to his tune and it looked as if that was over now. Finally. She had woken up. She was turning back in to the Liz he knew and loved.
"I'm happy for you mum. You and dad." he said and she went to hug him.
"Thank you," she said to him. She had really needed to hear she had his blessing to do this. She would have probably gone through with it any way, but she was so close to her youngest son that it only added to her joy when he said he supported her choice.
"Any time mum." he said as he held her. "Any time. So when is he coming home?" he asked.
"Three months." she said smiling.
------

Vernon got home to find no music on in the flat which was strange as when ever his girl was in she had something on to keep her company, but today if she was here, then she was being quiet.
It was then he tripped over a few boxes. Looking at all it all he realised it was his stuff and going in to the living room he saw Liz drinking wine her leisure and looking solemn.
"What the hell Liz?" he asked.
"I want you to go, Vernon. I want you to go and I don't want you to come back." she announced to him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Darling there really is no need for this. I know these past weeks have not been easy but that doesn't mean we can't work through it all." he said as he sat by her side and put his hand on her leg only for her to brush it off.
"Aren't you listening? I don't want to work through it. We are not worth the heart ache." she said to him rather cruelly.
"I don't believe you feel like this." he said to her in denial. "What did he say to you?" he asked.
"Who?"
"Your so called friend. Did he and you - I swear Liz 'cos if you did -"
"What, take my own life back in my own hands. Realise I am not your door mat, bring the Liz I want to be back to life. Yes, I did. And don't regret it." she said to him.
"You will do." he threatened her but she sighed and kept her cool. He wouldn't hurt her anymore, because she was going to get her husband home very soon. She was finally in spitting distance of her happily ever after. Nothing and no one was taking it from her. "Get out." she said simply. They were so through.