Connie yawned into the back of her hand. She was exhausted from the day, the drive to and from the air port, and from Grace's constant excitable chatter.

She had told her everything. She had described Sam's house in detail, in particular her bedroom which he was having redecorated to her specifications. And the school, where they didn't have to wear uniforms and her new friends, whose names were so bizarre that Connie had forgotten them almost as soon as she had heard them.

She yawned again. She couldn't help but feel oddly estranged from the little girl who sat beside her. It had only been a few weeks but already she was different, much more detached and it shocked her to hear what a lovely time she had been having, living in New York – somehow she hadn't really expected her to enjoy it, or to cope being so far away from everything she knew...from everyone she loved...

Connie arranged the crusts of pizza that Grace had left into a circle on her plate. On her request they had stopped off at a take away and ordered a pepperoni pizza which the little girl had eaten all of, except the crusts, whilst Connie had made herself a salad that she hadn't really wanted.

"We have this every weekend, Daddy and I."

Grace said, swallowing her last mouthful and laying back against the sofa.

"Every weekend!"

Connie repeated, raising her eyebrows, and Grace gave her a sideways glance, a smirk at her lips.

"Saturdays AND Sundays!"

She grinned, and Connie nodded slowly, looking down at her hands.

"Well, I'm glad your father's looking after your dietary needs."

She murmured, running her thumb across a hang nail at the edge of her index finger.

"What?"

Grace asked, frowning.

"Pardon, Grace."

She corrected without thinking, and Grace rolled her eyes and folded her arms.

"Can we watch Frozen?"

She asked, and Connie glanced to the clock, it was half past nine.

"I think it's bed time, don't you?"

Grace raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not tired..."

Connie touched her tongue to her teeth and glanced to the clock on the mantle piece again. Rita would have received her parcel by now, she wondered if she was laying on the sofa watching the film right now. She glanced to the photo of herself on the beach with Grace that stood beneath the clock and smiled to herself as she remembered how Rita had stood looking at that same picture not long ago, and how she had come home to find her standing there, lost within her own thoughts.

"The DVD is in the drawer, I'll make you a milkshake."

She sighed, giving in, and placing her hands on her thighs as she stood up.

"Oh...I don't like milkshakes any more. Melissa says they're nothing but calories that make you fat."

Grace said with a shrug, and she slipped down from the sofa and made her way over to the drawer by the television, oblivious to the wide eyed amazement that had stopped her mother in her tracks.

"I'm sorry? Who is Melissa?!"

Connie asked after a pause. Grace leaned into the draw running her finger over the DVD spines, searching for the right one.

"Melissa! Daddy's girlfriend."

She paused and looked behind her to where Connie stood, her arms across her chest.

"She's got blonde hair."

She stated, and Connie couldn't help but feel that this was a thinly veiled attempt to make her feel second best.

"She says it's a good job there aren't any calories in oxygen otherwise she'd have to stop breathing."

Grace added, and she looked back to the drawer, locating the DVD instantly and tugging it free.

"Well...maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea."

Connie muttered beneath her breath and she watched as Grace unclipped the case and slipped the disc into the DVD player.

"Grace...you are nine years old!"

She began, collecting herself, but Grace raised an eyebrow and instantly Connie realised that she'd already made an error in mentioning her age.

"You're too young to be worrying about what you eat."

She said simply, but Grace merely pursed her lips in a manner so like her mothers that even Connie recognised it, and she sighed, she knew she didn't stand a chance of changing her mind.

"I'm going to make myself a coffee, would you like anything?"

She asked slowly, trying in vain to take the edge out of her voice.

"Drinking coffee causes premature ageing of the skin."

Grace replied nonchalantly without looking up as the film began.

Connie inhaled ever so slowly and let her arms unfold, holding them by her sides as she clenched and unclenched her fists.

"Do you know how many calories there are in pizza?"

She asked tartly, immediately regretting it. But Grace seemed to barely notice, instead she just folded herself up onto the sofa, leaning her head on her hand, her eyes firmly on the screen.

"Can I have a glass of water?"

She asked after a pause and Connie exhaled and left the room, taking pleasure in how cold the air in the kitchen was.

She retrieved her phone from the island in the middle of the room and selected Rita's number, pressing call and moving over to the coffee machine.

Rita answered even before the coffee beans had begun to grind, her voice was happy and sleepy and Connie could hear the murmur of the television in the background.

"Hello you..."

She sighed, and immediately Connie felt the anger that had been bubbling beneath her skin begin to subside.

"Rita."

She whispered her name and let her eyes close as she leant back against the kitchen worktop.

"That bad, hmm?"

Rita asked, sensing the other woman's tension.

Connie breathed a laugh and murmured an noise of affirmation.

"I'm sure she's just overtired and grumpy after the flight."

"She said coffee causes premature ageing of the skin!"

Connie hissed, making sure to keep her voice low, and on the other end of the line Rita smiled, she could hear the coffee grinder whirring in the background and she could imagine Connie standing there, her back against the sink, one hand resting on the worktop, her eyes closed against real life.

"I'll make you feel better tomorrow."

Rita whispered, knowing that nothing she said now would make the slightest difference.

"And I'll thank you for my gifts!"

She added, hoping the vague promise of something more within her voice would be enough to make Connie realise that everything would seem better in the morning...

-1-

Apologies for no updates yesterday! Every time I tried to update the site was down?! Anyway, I will update once or twice more today :) feel free to let me know what you'd like to see happen, or think will happen between Rita, Grace and Connie! xxx

Oh, and I forgot to mention, that was my intention...to have you all worrying about Connie crashing ;)