you almost don't recognise anyone

They didn't unpack any of their bags; just dumped their stuff in their allocated bedrooms and headed straight for the pub, choosing to walk after some quick calculations revealed that they would be unable to all fit into just one car. Emma was still holding Megan's hand and it appeared that Megan had already begun to idolise the older girl, having stated to Charlie as he zipped her coat up that she wanted to sit next to Emma at the pub and hold Emma's hand as they walked. He liked seeing Megan interact with the older girl; it amused him to watch her hang onto Emma's every word and decide she liked everything Emma liked, even if just the other day her favourite colour had been yellow as opposed to green.

Charlie led the way into the pub, pushing open the door and instantly being greeted by a few of the staff members. Jude could tell he was popular with all his co-workers by the loud chorus of cheers that aroused when he entered and, she hates to admit it but she almost tried to hide behind him, she felt nervous about meeting the people this time next week she'd be working with.

'Where did you get all these kids from Charlie?' she hears someone pipe up and feels herself going a shocking shade of crimson, despite the fact she doesn't really have much to be embarrassed about.

'Wait a minute, is that Jude hiding behind you?' she suddenly realises she recognises that voice, it's not changed a bit.

'Ash?' Jude steps out from her hiding place. 'What are you doing here?' she asks, surprised to see him 'you left before me, don't tell me you've come back too?'

'Am I missing something?' a man with dark plaited hair asks 'do you three all know each other?' Jude and Ash ignore him; both too shocked at seeing each other to pay much attention to the rest of the conversation.

'Actually I have, only this time I hold a higher rank than you Nurse Kocarnik because I am a consultant!' he teases, stressing the word 'nurse' and spreading out the word consultant, emphasizing each syllable far more than necessary.

'Mum, can we get some crisps?' Alice tugs on Jude's sleeve having just noticed that behind the bar is a rack full of crisps.

'Mum?' Ash questions 'are all of these yours?' he asks, trying and failing to cover up the surprise in his voice as he indicates to the five children.

'All except the little one, yes, they are Ash; try not to sound too surprised.'

'Sorry, I just never saw you as the kind of mumsy-type' he tells her while Megan attempts to climb onto his knee. He heaves her up and sits her down, then asks the killer question. 'So, where's Matt?'

Again, Charlie watches the façade crack as she begins to tremble. Ash realises he's put his foot in it and so turns to the children in an attempt to give Jude some space. 'Right, did I hear someone mention crisps?' he asks them and Alice and Tom nod eagerly. 'Come on' he says to them all, including the older two, even though Emma protests, voicing her dislike for crisps.

Jude slips into a chair Charlie has pulled up and he introduces her to all the rest of the staff but she isn't really listening. She catches that the lady who spoke as she came in was 'Zoe' and the man who asked if Jude, Ash and Charlie knew one another was 'Noel' but other than that she couldn't really gather much, she was far too wrapped up in her own thoughts. She heard someone called 'Sam' ask her if she had any funny or embarrassing stories about either Charlie or Ash and she's not sure what she answered but she imagined it was something along the lines of 'plenty' and 'I'll tell you them over time.'

That night Jude lay in her bed, awake. She stared up at the ceiling and felt tears begin to well in her eyes, stinging them. She tries not to cry but before she knows it she's sat up, knees pulled tightly up into her chest, tears spilling down her eyes and silent sobs escaping her mouth. She's in a small room with the window facing out to the back garden of Charlie's property and she knows Alice and Poppy are in the twin room next door to her, with Tom and Emma on camp beds in Megan's bedroom.

'Mum?' she jumps as she realises her middle daughter is stood by the door, a torch clamped in her right fist and her eczema cream in her left.

'Emma, what are you doing up?' she hisses, rubbing her eyes, trying to hide any sign of her crying even though she's well aware Emma saw her crying. Emma doesn't say anything, just runs to Jude's bed and launches herself into her arms.

'My eczema got worse and I miss Daddy. I want him to put my cream on.' She too begins to cry and Jude rubs her back, shushing her as she does so, trying to hold back her own tears.

'I miss Daddy too' Jude tells her daughter, pushing her away and tucking a lock of curly hair behind her ears and wiping the tears off her face. 'but we're going to have to get used to him not being here, aren't we?' she takes the cream from Emma's hand and begins applying it to the places on her skin where small red patches have formed and where Jude knows will be irritating Emma most.

'Why?' Emma questions innocently, genuinely misunderstanding 'why do you we have to get used to not having him here?'

'We just do, okay Emma; we're just going to have to.' Jude snaps. 'He's no longer part of our lives and we need to be accustomed to that. Now go to bed.' She tries to send Emma off but her daughter isn't having any of it.

'Can I sleep here tonight?' asks Emma, indicating to Jude's bed and Jude sighs. She can't help but say yes because, if she's honest, she wants Emma to stay. She wants someone to hug close, someone to hold. Emma crawls under the covers and even though it's a squash Jude instantly feels more comfortable; soothed. And Emma relaxes too, her head rested in the nook of Jude's shoulder. 'Night night mum' she says 'I love you.' She tells her and places a gentle kiss on her cheek.

'I love you too, Ems'

notes- again, thanks to gillian kearney fan and tatty ted for reviewing and hopefully the next chapter will be up later today or tomorrow because i already have it written out, i just need to type it up.