A/N - More updates tomorrow I promise! A bittersweet day, crashed laptop and a hard physio session stopped my plans of having lots of updates up tonight! Let me know what you think, just a short one :) x
Lauren quickly pulled out her phone to inform her Uncle Jack that she'd arrived, letting it ring for three rings before hanging up as planned. She knew her arrival would stir things up a bit, so if she was going to have to deal with the fall out either way, she'd make a dramatic arrival as she could.
Jack had planned to get everyone together in The Vic, to celebrate and toast her grandpa Jim's 80th birthday even though he wouldn't be there. Lauren thought today was a good as a day as any to turn up, get seeing everyone again out of the way as soon as she could. She was back for her siblings, without Bradley she was the eldest and so far she hadn't done the best job.
She'd missed her sister's birthday, something she felt guilty over knowing that with Jack returning right beforehand she had been expected to return too. But she wasn't ready, actually to be fair she wasn't sure she was ready now. But either way it was too late, she was back.
With Tanya gone, and Max's focus on Kirsty, it fell to Lauren to look after Abi and Oscar. She wasn't sure Walford was the best place for her, or for them, but she'd decided that for now anyway, her place was with them.
Stopping in the train station bathroom to compose herself, she scanned her appearance in the mirror. Her hair was now fully back her natural colour, no more depressing black. She'd cut it short, when she left but it had grown a lot since then and now hung over her shoulder in a messy fishtail braid she'd done on the train.
She knew she looked healthier, she regained the weight she'd lost; being drunk so often and heartbroken was a killer diet combo. And she had a light tan now and had returned to casual Lauren – neutral make-up, a flicky cat eye and glossy lips, and her now go to outfit – tight grey skinnies, a long red and white striped off the shoulder top, ankle boots and a leather jacket flung over her shoulder bag.
She knew she didn't look drastically different, it was more the way she now felt on the side, but she still scanned herself in the mirror. Checking her phone one last time; a missed call from Uncle Jack like planned, and a text from Stacey wishing her luck & love; she picked up her bag and stepped out of the station into the Walford sunshine.
Standing outside the Vic, Lauren was somewhat surprised she hadn't bumped into anyone she knew but she was relieved. Shaking her head, she reminded herself that they were all most likely inside the building she was standing in front of. She'd made a detour, back to number 5, slipping in the open backdoor to dump her suitcase before heading here. Gulping in deep breaths, she reminded herself that she could do this. That she was Lauren Branning, and no-one could make her feel like crap unless she let them.
Hand on the door, entrance closest to the park as planned with Jack so that her family celebrating would be the table closest to that door, ironically the same table and setting that everyone found out about her relationship with Joey at, she took in one final breathe before pushing it open.
Her confidence and sarcasm evident in her tone as she spoke
"Starting the party without me?"