"Okay I think I'd better get going..." Chris said a few hours later while they were still snuggled up on the sofa. "No, please don't leave, I'm begging you... Just stay..." Karen pleaded in a soft voice. "No I really have to go I can't stay tonight Karen... I'm not staying the night here until you've spoken to the girls, I'm not going to come between you and your girls," Chris protested."No I really want you to Chris! Why don't you go home and bring a few things over here and you can stay a few nights, just think you won't have to face Jill then!" Karen argued, not wanting to let Chris out of her sight."I'm sorry baby," he said kissing her. "I'm not staying until I know it's okay with the girls, it's the best way in the long run I promise you... Ring me later," he said slowly getting up out of the position they were in, nestled into each other. Karen got up behind him and followed him to the door, putting her hands round his waist and sharing one last passionate kiss before she would allow him to set foot outside. "I'll ring you when I get home," he promised, secretly wishing he could stay but he knew it wouldn't be right and didn't want to upset anyone at this early stood in the doorway leaning against the frame as Chris got into his car and reversed carefully out of the gravel driveway and cruising down the road; she didn't go in until the car disappeared right around the corner out of her sight. As she went back into the house shutting the door behind her she sighed heavily and went to the kitchen to boil the kettle. She guessed the girls had stayed out somewhere and she probably had texts from them both but she was in a total daze dreaming about Chris, when Laura entered the kitchen, it took Karen a few seconds to notice her standing there. "Hi, mum..." she said and walked over to where she was sitting, and sat next to her giving her a warm hug and resting her head on Karen's shoulder as she spoke."Oh hi honey, how long have you been here, I thought you were staying out!" Karen replied returning the hug and placing a kiss on her daughter's head."No that was last night mum, I've been here a couple of hours, I just didn't want to disturb you and Chris; I've been in my bedroom catching up on coursework," Laura explained, surprising Karen with her sudden change of opinion over Chris. "Okay so more like you've been on the laptop for hours on end chatting to all your friends on whatever, am I right?" Karen guessed accurately giving Laura a look but not expecting a reply. "And what made you change your mind about me and Chris, the other day you would have done anything to get him out the house it seemed... I kind of need to talk to you about that anyway...""Oh Emma spoke to me... She said I was being stupid," Laura said."Of course you weren't being stupid honey, I should have just told you the truth to begin with... but does this mean you're okay with me and him now?" Karen said hopefully."Erm yeah I guess..." she said still not quite sure. "What do you need to talk to me about then?""Well you know Chris is going through a hard time with Jill and all... well things have got even more complicated for him, you don't need to know all the details and besides it would take rather a long time to explain... anyway, I offered for him to stay here for a while until he finds his own place or whatever? I thought I'd check with you first but I'm really hoping you'll be okay with it because he really hasn't got anywhere else," Karen said quite quickly without taking many breaths. "Of course that's okay... thanks for asking me first, but I guess you're not giving me much choice are you," Laura said laughing a little."Well no I'm not really, I would have just kept on asking you and hassling you until you said yes..." Karen said laughing back, and the whole situation almost sounded as if it should be in opposition, Laura asking Karen permission and not the other way round. "Thank you Laura, for understanding," she said giving her a hug and truly meaning what she said, she'd be totally lost without her girls."Okay so when is he staying?""Well he was going to stay from tonight onward for as long as it takes but I had to check with you first so, probably tomorrow night he needs to get away from that evil bitch of a wife of his as quick as possible," Karen said. "Okay correct me if I'm wrong but I swear Jill hasn't done anything, Chris just asked for a divorce?" Laura wondered."Ah but you don't know the whole story... she's given birth to a baby that isn't Chris's and is expecting him to help her and all sorts, that's basically the gist of it obviously there is a lot more to it but there you go...""Oh mum I'm so sorry," Laura said realizing she'd been to judgmental before, and giving Karen a huge hug holding on tightly."Hey hey, what are you sorry for?" "For being so judgmental before... I said all those awful things about you before I knew the whole situation, and I didn't realize how bad Jill was I just saw her as some innocent woman whom Chris was cheating on with you..." "Oh no don't you be sorry, you didn't know the whole story it's not your fault darling," Karen assured and then she explained the whole full story to Laura assuming that would be the best way forward so she knew everything and wouldn't make anymore too snap judgments. After they'd spent some time together Karen went to go and ring Chris, totally forgetting he was supposed to be ringing her and had probably been trying for a while now, but her phone was no where to be seen. "Hi Chris, you can come and stay tomorrow night and onward until whenever it suits you, I've spoken to Laura and everything is fine now," she said really quickly."Karen I've been worried sick about you! Why aren't you picking up your phone?!" Chris said with panic in his voice she could tell he was really worried, but he also breathed a sigh of relief to hear her voice again."Sorry, sorry! I don't even know where my phone is right now, probably left it in the car... me and Laura were having a bit of a heart to heart," Karen explained innocently. As she was waiting for a reply from Chris she could hear crackling in the background as if Chris was outside in the wind, possibly rain. "Chris are you there?""Yeah I'm here baby..." he said his voice trailing off a little."Where are you, I feel like I'm going to loose you?""I'm erm, outside... oh Karen I don't know what to do.""Why are you outside?" Karen said peering outside at the dark evening sky and shivered at the thought."Jill threw me out, quite literally... and I think I've gone into a bit of a shock I've been standing outside my car for about 10 minutes now," Chris explained. "When I walked in she had most of my stuff packed up in a few bags and they were in the doorway, and she basically in a few words said she didn't want to see me again, but not using those words..." Chris said extremely disheartened. "Oh Chris, I'm so sorry... Get in the car would you, at least it's a bit warmer eh?" Karen attempted to comfort him but wasn't really sure what to say in words. "Come back over, stay here, I can't have you homeless can I?!" "Are you sure it's okay though? I don't want to intrude..." Chris said uneasily."Of course it's okay silly! And don't apologize! Just get over here quickly and we'll get you nice and warm and fed, and we can talk things through. I love you Chris.""I love you too Karen... I will never stop loving you..."