"Oh look at you," Carla smiled walking over to the sofa a mug in her hands, "Up and dressed before 12 o'clock, you do know it's the weekend right?"
"Haha so funny," Lia rolled her eyes opening her bag, "Me and Maisie are going shopping."
"Shopping at this time? It's 9:30!" Carla exclaimed turning the tele on.
"Cease the day mother," Lia retorted grinning.
"You wouldn't know how to cease the day if you tried," Carla rolled her eyes as her daughter tutted, "Anyway I thought we could have a movie afternoon today cause this baby has done nothing but kick all night so I'm not doing anything today. I thought we could chill together with a movie."
"Oh yeah, go on then, that sounds proper nice, can we get a new DVD though cause we've literally watched every movie in this place?" Lia asked.
"Go on then, surprise me," Carla nodded grabbing a five pound note out of her purse.
"Call me if you need me and I'll come home, okay?" Lia smiled at her mum.
"Don't be silly," Carla swatted.
"But the baby-"
"Lia, go and enjoy yourself, the baby is not kicking half as much as you were, I'll be fine," Carla assured her.
"But if your not call-"
"I will call Chelle or Rob I promise," Carla interrupted, "Now go on have a nice morning and bring back a good DVD not a rubbish one, okay?"
"Okay," Lia smiled leaning over the back of the sofa to give her mum a kiss, "Love you."
"Love you more," Carla smiled waving bye to her daughter as she left the flat.
A few hours had passed and Carla had barely moved, the baby was constantly kicking making her ribs ache and all she wanted to do was sleep or eat. Michelle had phoned and asked how she was so she talked to her for a bit but she couldn't even be bothered to nip over to the rovers to see her. After a little while she finally gathered the energy to go and run a bath. As she waited, Michelle text to say she was popping over in her lunch.
"Where you off too?" Rob asked coming out of his shop as Michelle made her way across the road.
"Carla's, she's been up all night with the baby and craving chocolate so thought I'd pop over with some," Michelle explained.
"I'll come with then," Rob nodded.
"God do you ever actually work?" Michelle teased.
"Says you, your meant to run the place and I recon Sean does more hours than you," Rob retorted as Michelle tutted and rolled her eyes.
"Whatever," Michelle shook her head as she turned the key in the lock to get into the flat.
"Do you recon she's defo over yesterday, like if she hasn't slept do you think she's gonna be down my neck?" Rob asked.
"Trust you to think of yourself," Michelle scoffed as she pushed the flat door open as she reached the top of the stairs, "Carla?"
"I'm just sorting the bath out babe, put the kettle on," Carla called back.
"There you are, you can suck up to her by making the drinks," Michelle smirked as Rob rolled his eyes.
"Coffee or tea, sis?" Rob asked.
"Tea please, there's some ginger in the cupboard," Carla replied as she walked out into the living room.
"Oo, right little mother hen," Michelle quipped as she took her jacket off and took a seat, "Ginger tea in the cupboard."
"I can be when I want to thank you," Carla retorted as she rested her hand on her bump and went to sit next to Michelle.
"Oh sis, before you sit down," Rob stopped her and reached for the chocolates that Michelle had placed down on the counter top, "After yesterday I thought I'd get these to say sorry again, and I knew you'd been craving chocolate a lot right now, so..."
"Wow, how nice of you Rob," Michelle sniped pulling a face at him.
"Awe," Carla cooed picking up the box, "Thank you...Michelle."
"Ha!" Michelle grinned at Rob as he pulled a face.
"Erm do you not think I'm capable of getting you some chocolates," Rob asked.
"Nope," Carla sang with a grin taking a seat with the box of chocolates, "But you do you make a gorgeous cup of tea."
"Thanks I guess," Rob rolled his eyes placing the mugs in front of Michelle and Carla.
"So," Carla began, "Have you too not got work today or are you just skiving for me?"
"We do have lunch breaks you know," Michelle answered.
"Just cause you wouldn't know one if it hit you in the face," Rob retorted and Michelle laughed nodding to agree with him.
"Shut up," Carla rolled her eyes.
"So where's Lia gone?" Rob asked.
"She was up and out at half past nine this morning, going shopping with Maisie," Carla replied.
"What unprompted?" Rob asked.
"Yeah I didn't even know she was going, she was dressed and ready, I hadn't had my eyes open for 10 minutes," Carla informed them.
"She's probably planning something knowing her," Michelle replied as the two others nodded.
"Yeah well I've gave her movie for a new DVD and we're gonna have a movie afternoon cause I don't think I can bare to come out of this flat today. All this baby has done is batter my ribs all night, all morning," Carla sighed.
"Oh that baby is definitely a boy, difficult before he's even here," Michelle scoffed and Carla laughed and agreed.
"Erm I don't think you two know how hard it is to live with women," Rob quipped as Michelle and Carla laughed and rolled their eyes as the buzzer went, "I'll get that shall I?"
"Good lad," Michelle nodded grinning as he shook his head and got up.
"Hello"
"Hello, is Mrs Barlow there, it's the police."
"Erm yeah come on up."
Rob put the intercom down and looked over to his sister who was talking to Michelle.
"Carla," Rob interrupted as the pair looked over to him as he began to open the door, "The police are here."
Carla sighed as Michelle held her hand as she began to sit up, "It's fine, don't worry babe."
"Remember you have done nothing wrong," Rob reminded his sister, "It's all circumstantial evidence."
As she nodded and stood up, the police walked into the flat, "Hi, can I help you?"
Carla Barlow," The detective began as an officer walked past him towards Carla, "I'm arresting you on suspicion of attempted murder, you do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something, which you may rely on in court, anything you do say may be given in evidence."
"Oh come on, you let Peter Barlow walk away and come after her!" Rob complained as the officer continued to place the set of handcuffs on each wrist.
"Chelle look after Lia," Carla turned her head towards her friend, "Don't tell her where I am."
"I'll ring your solicitor, okay," Michelle nodded as the officer began to guide the woman out of the flat.
"Promise me Chelle," Carla called as Michelle nodded and her and Rob began to follow them out of the flat.
"God I'm actually shattered now," Lia yawned as the bus pulled around the corner, "Remind me never to go shopping early again."
"You're like an old women you," Maisie laughed shaking her head.
"No I just need my beauty sleep," Lia rolled her eyes as she began to get up to leave.
"See you Monday, yeah," Maisie smiled as Lia sighed.
"Unfortunately," Lia grunted as Maisie laughed and watched her friend walk to the bus doors.
Lia stepped off the bus and walked along slowly waiting for the bus to leave, however once it left it revealed the police cars outside of the flat and the flat door began to open.
"Mum!" Lia shouted as the girl sped across the road, a car stopped in the road and beeped its horn at her.
"Lia," Carla replied her voice broke slightly, "I'll be back soon."
"Mum," Lia repeated a tear fell from her eye as Carla broke away slightly from the officers grasp and slotted her arms around her daughter bringing her into tight hug.
"Lia," Michelle whispered after a few seconds of the hug pulling her away from her mum and pulling her into her embrace, Carla looking to the three before slotting herself into the car as the officer shut the door.
"Come on we need to ring her solicitor," Rob told Michelle as she nodded while the car sped off in the distance.
"Actually, Mr Donovan" The detective stopped them, none of the three really noticing he was still there until he spoke, "We need to search the flat before you can go into it."
"What for?" Michelle asked her eyebrow raising.
"Evidence," The detective laminated.
"You take my mum away and now I can't even go home," Lia spat.
"Joke," Rob shook his head turning away.
"Come on leave it, we need to call her solicitor," Michelle sighed looking down at her niece who clung onto her like a child and kissed the top of the head, "We'll go to mine."