"What? Why? Not that I'm not happy...but why?" Laura asked, stunned.
"Because I knew you weren't happy honey," Caroline said pulling her into a hug. "All I could think since we got back from Christmas was how I used to leave you at other people's houses and now I'm doing it to you all over again." She let her go but kept hold of her hand before continuing, "You're almost completely grown now, and I know you're going to leave me soon. I want to spend time with you whilst I still can."
"I'm not going to leave you," Laura said, her eyes wide.
"Yes you will honey, you're going to go away and start your own family and it will be wonderful. But whilst I can, I want to be a proper mother. I've spoken to the hospital and they've agreed to take me back again but I won't be working shifts anymore. No more nights away from home, no more early mornings. I'm going to be here, like I always wanted to."
"But what about the money," Laura asked, sitting on the kitchen bench herself.
"We actually have savings if you can believe it," Caroline said, still a little surprised by this herself. "But that doesn't make a difference. I'm coming home with or without the money."
Laura smiled widely, "this is great mom."
"And just in time for your birthday," she said, cocking her eyebrow playfully.
"Have you got me a present?" Laura asked.
"Maybe," Caroline replied, "you'll just have to wait and see. Gosh seventeen, you're almost a woman," she said pinching her cheek affectionately.
Laura squirmed a little, it felt strange to be referred to as a woman, even if it was only an almost woman.
"Go get dressed," Caroline said, stepping back from the counter, "I'll take you out to celebrate."
Laura hopped down and hurried to her bedroom to get dressed.
"What do you feel like?" Caroline asked, as the two walked down the road.
"I don't know," Laura replied, "maybe pancakes?"
"Pancakes it is," Caroline agreed.
Eventually the two made it to the diner and swung through the door. Ace and Eyeball were just getting up to leave when they seen them enter.
"You sleep well," Ace whispered in Laura's ear as he hugged her in greeting, keeping some sense of public decency for the sake of her mother.
"Yes," she whispered back.
"What are you two doing here?" Ace asked, draping his arm casually across Laura's shoulders.
"Celebrating," Laura replied, closing both her arms around his chest.
"What's that doll?"
"I've quit my job," Caroline explained. She explained what had happened.
"That's great," Ace said, leaning over to give her a one-armed hug, Laura still firmly attached to him, "so you're sticking around."
"Gives me more time to keep an eye on you," she said raising her eyebrows.
"Well there's always a downside," he replied. He gave Laura one last squeeze, "I'll come around and see you this afternoon," he said kissing her. "See you then," he said waving goodbye to Caroline.
Eyeball said his goodbyes as well and the two walked out into the street.
"You still want pancakes?" Caroline asked as they went to order.
"Yes please," Laura replied, "are you going to get anything?"
"I already ate," Caroline said, "I actually woke up this morning," she teased.
The two Stratford's ate their meal, Caroline deciding to order some for herself after all. Laura went to wait outside whilst her mother went and paid for their meal. She breathed onto the window pane, watching the warm air meet the cold window pane, the cold winning out in the end as it forced the warmth the recede until it was gone.
She heard a noise behind her and turned to see some sort of commotion at the end of the street. She couldn't make out what it was so she kept walking forwards. When she realised it was a group of men fighting her stomach turned cold. She went to run towards them but she jerked backwards as someone pulled her arm. She turned around to see her mother with a serious expression on her face.
"We're going home," she said firmly, pulling Laura in the opposite direction.