Grace stayed in hospital for the week with Linda checking in on her everyday and spending her nights and lunch breaks by Grace's bedside as she watched her sleep and their conversation which was helping them to bond more. The one place Grace was trying to avoid was the one place she found solitude and found out the truth and the one place she would be close to Linda. Linda's colleagues watched as she got close to this particular young blonde girl who looked very much like her. Dixie, Jeff, Noel and Louise were going to find out who this young girl was and how she was related to Linda.

"Mum?" Grace whispered to Linda

"Yes sweetheart?"

"Isn't it funny how this place was always a place I would do anything to avoid and now being here the whole in my heart is slowly beginning to heal all because of this place? It's silly isn't it?" Grace looked round the room and then at her mother as she said the last bit.

"That's not silly at all Grace" Linda smiled but she could feel the tears wanting to slip down her cheeks. Linda kissed Grace's hand that was reaching out for Linda to hold.

"Did you always want to be a nurse mum?" Linda nodded

"Yes, I always wanted to help others" Grace smiled

"You're a good nurse Mum, I've seen you work and well really you're the perfect nurse"

"Thank you Grace"

"Grace I've been thinking maybe when you get out of here that you might want to stay with me for a week or something but it is up to you and you would have your room all too yourself"

"If you don't mind that is? That would be great and well actually the Easter break is this week so that would be great"

"The only thing is now I think about it is that you might have to come to work with me would that be alright?" Grace nodded with a huge smile on her face.

A week later Grace was discharged and Linda took her to her house where she would stay for the week. Grace hadn't heard or seen her Nan since Denise's outburst in the hospital which was a week ago but Grace was grateful for the peace and quiet. Linda went round to her mother's to pick a few things for Grace. Linda sorted the house out in her spare time but she left Grace's room but removed all the things she had put in there as she used it as a spare room but now Grace was hopefully going to be staying regularly now and she wanted to let Grace decorate the room how she wanted it and Linda would help her if she needed it.

Linda and Grace got in from the hospital and Grace went to go into her room but Linda stopped her by rushing over and standing in front of the door.

"errr... mum what are you doing?"

"I have surprise for you"

"O...k" Grace giggled

Linda opened the door and Grace walked into the room which was now bare with just a bed in.

"What happened to the furniture in here?" Grace said as she looked round the spars room.

"well when I was a girl Nan decorated my room without asking me and well you know she chose what I wear, who I went out with and what colour my room was going to be and well she ruled everything and well I didn't want you to feel That I was trying to rule your life and so this room is yours and you can decorate it how you want it to be and it will be where you can seek sanctuary"

"Really?" Grace looked round the room with a huge smile on her face as she thought about what she wanted it to look like"

"Yes, it's all yours and I will help if you need me"

"Thank you " Grace looked round the room turning to smile at her mother before she rushed over and threw her arms round her and hugged her and said 4 simple words Linda would never forget.

"I love you mum" Linda held on to Grace and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you too Grace"

Grace pulled away from her mother to place her bag on the bed. And rummaged through to see what Linda had picked for her.

"Fancy watching a movie and then a takeaway?" Grace jumped off the bed but was careful as she had cast on her broken arm from the car accident and didn't want to put her full weight on it yet.

"Mum" Grace called out and Linda turn round to face grace.

"Is everything alright Grace?"

Grace nodded but rushed past Linda and ran into the bathroom and shut the door.

Grace sat on the toilet and held her stomach which was now painful. Grace felt tears slip down her cheek. Once she finished she wiped herself only to see blood on the tissue which made her panic so she did the only thing she could think of and that was call for her mum.

"Mum" Grace yelled and Linda rushed into the bathroom to see Grace holding her stomach with tears pouring down her pale face.

"Grace, what's happened? You can tell me" Linda bent down to Grace and placed her hand on Grace's knee.

"I'm scared... I went to the toilet and there was... blood and my stomach really hurts and I think I'm dying mum" Grace looked at Linda who smiled calmly

"You're not dying Grace Sweetie, your starting your period that's all"

"What these things are normal?" Grace frowned thinking why didn't her Nan tell her about "Periods".

"yes, sweetie they are normal for girls to have around your age, you're not dying" Linda said laughing which made Grace laugh and she moved forward and wrapped her arms round Linda's neck and hugged her mother feeling herself calm down being held by her mother. Linda rubbed Grace's back and kissed the top of her head and soothed Grace.

They pulled apart and Grace smiled at her mother who smiled back.

"I have some period pads somewhere in here" Linda said as she looked round the room to find them in the draw and handed Grace one.

"How does this work and where does it go mum?" Grace said turning it over in her hands.

"You place it in your underwear and these ones have wings so it stays in place, there are loads to choose from in the shops. How about we go shopping tomorrow for some always towels?" Grace nodded unwrapping the pad looking at it.

"I'll go outside and if you have trouble I will be just outside alright?" Grace nodded and Linda left the room and waited outside.

Grace peeled the back off and she placed it in her knickers and folded the wings and once she was sure it was right she opened the bathroom door to see Linda outside like she said.

"Alright, see they are pretty easy aren't they?" Linda asked placing her arm round Grace holding her close.

"Yeah, it was quiet easy. Thank you" Grace said politely

"You don't have to thank me, I'm your mother and that's what I am here for, how about we watch the movie?" Grace nodded and they cuddled up on the sofa with snacks and soft drinks and watched pitch perfect.

"I love you Grace, you know that right?" Grace nodded and leaned closer to her mother and said "I love you too mum" Grace had just made Linda's day finally hearing those 3 words and finally having her daughter needing her and she was finally able to be there for her.

thank you to WaterlooRoadSianandMadi for your wonderful suggestions for the chapter which I loved wrting about :-) so thank you again.