When Cat stepped through the door, her heart sank at the sight of her mother sitting at the table, a bottle of vodka glaringly obvious in front of her. The sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the scene like a spotlight on a stage, and in that moment, Cat felt as if she were walking into a performance she hadn't rehearsed for.

Cassandra's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Cat. "Where have you been?!" she demanded, her voice sharp and loaded with accusation. "You think you can just waltz in here after disappearing all night? Where have you been?!" Before Cat could reply, she continued. "I found this bottle on the floor this morning when I went to wake you! You're not even old enough to drink! So where did you get it from?"

Cat froze, caught off guard. "Mom, I didn't—" The anger in her mother's voice twisted in Cat's gut, igniting a fire within her. "I didn't drink last night! I was at Jade's house!" she exclaimed, desperately trying to defend herself. "That was from New Years-" She decided to tell the truth, it was stupid to try and dig herself a deeper hole. She'd already been stupid enough to bring it home. She should have left it at Jade's- it was hers anyway, but, for some reason she'd brought it back home. In this moment she regretted it. "We were having fun, and-"

"Fun?" Cassandra scoffed, her face twisted with disbelief. "This isn't a game, Caterina! Your brother is struggling, and you think it's okay to party? And worse for you to bring it back here! When were you planning on having the rest?" She grabbed the half empty bottle, waving it frantically. "You know what that kind of behaviour can lead to! Look what happened to Matteo—he started drinking and doing drugs, and now he's lost in his own mind! Are you really going down the same path?"

Cat felt her blood boil and something snap. "It's not my fault Matteo is sick! I can't just be responsible for everything that happens in this family! You know how hard it is for me, too!" Her voice broke, the frustration and hurt spilling over.

Cassandra shook her head, her expression cold. "You think this is hard for you? You have no idea what hard is! You're selfish! All you care about is yourself and your little life of luxury with your friends! You're acting like you have it so bad, but you don't know anything about real problems!"

Cat recoiled as if slapped. "Mom, that's not fair! I care about Matteo! I worry about him all the time! I'm just trying to have a life of my own, too!"

Cassandra slammed her hand down on the table, causing the bottle to rattle. "If you keep this up, you'll end up just like him! You need to get your priorities straight, Cat!"

"Priorities?" Cat yelled back, anger flaring. "Maybe if you took a step back and saw how hard I'm trying to help everyone, you wouldn't be so quick to judge!"

With Cat's words hanging in the air, Cassandra paused, reaching beside her. "I need you to do this." She said, her voice resolute. She walked toward Cat, holding out a breathalyser, the one she'd brought when Matteo was young, when his problem was only drinking, "You're going to do this right now."

"What? No!" Cat's heart sank. "I'm not doing that!"

Cassandra's eyes narrowed, a mixture of fear and anger flickering within them. "You're living in my house, under my roof, and I have every right to make sure you're safe. After everything that's happened with Matteo, I can't just sit back and let you spiral down the same path. I need to know that you're sober."

Cat felt her stomach twist into knots. "Mom, you're overreacting! I told you I didn't drink! I'm fine!"

"Prove it," Cassandra insisted, her tone unwavering. "Do it. Just so I can know."

"I can't believe you're doing this!" Cat's voice cracked, the frustration spilling over once again. "I'm not Matteo! I'm not the one who messed up! I'm just trying to live my life!"

"And that's why I'm worried!" Cassandra shot back. "You have no idea what can happen. This is my responsibility, and I won't let you fall into the same habits. You're lucky I'm not making do a drug test too. We have them too- I can do it."

Cat clenched her fists at her sides, a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. The anger, the hurt, the helplessness—it all coalesced into a single burning thought: Why doesn't she trust me?

"Fine," Cat spat, her voice cold as ice. "Let's just get this over with."

Cassandra nodded, a flicker of relief passing over her features, and handed Cat the breathalyser. "Just blow into it. It'll be quick."

As Cat took the device, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of humiliation. She inhaled deeply, then blew into the breathalyser, watching as the screen light up. The seconds felt like hours as she waited for the result.

"See?" Cat said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Nothing. I'm sober"

Cassandra stood silent for a moment, her expression softening. "I just... I'm scared, Cat. I don't want to lose you too. Not like we lost Matteo."

The heaviness in the air lingered, and Cat's anger began to fade. She saw the fear in her mother's eyes, the same fear that had been etched there since Matteo's struggles began. "You won't lose me," Cat said, her voice steadier now. "I promise I'm okay. But you need to trust me."

Cassandra looked down at the breathalyser , her fingers trembling slightly. "I know. I just—"

"I'm not him," Cat said softly, stepping forward. "I'm not going to be like Matteo."

Slowly, Cassandra nodded, her defences lowering as she seemed to process Cat's words. "Okay. I'll try. I just want what's best for you, you know?"

"I know," Cat replied, feeling the weight of their conversation lift, even if only slightly. "I want that too. But I need you to let me breathe, Mom."

Cassandra reached out, taking Cat's hands in her own. "I will. I'm sorry I pushed you. I just... I worry too much."

Cat squeezed her mother's hands back, grateful for the small moment of understanding. "It's okay. I'll try to be more open with you too."

The room was silent, the only sound the distant ticking of the clock. Cat glanced at the vodka bottle again, her heart aching. "I'm going to go to my room," she said quietly, turning away, leaving her mother to grapple with her own emotions.

As she walked away, Cat felt the weight of the argument hanging in the air like a dark cloud, a reminder of the fragile balance of their family and how easily it could tip over. She needed a moment to breathe, to process everything that had just happened. And as she closed her bedroom door behind her, she allowed herself to feel the tears finally spill over.

She didn't have a problem, she was just a teenager having fun. Matteo was the outlier not the rule, she wouldn't end up like him, and how dare she suggest that. She let another tear fall.

Then another thought came. What if she had drunk last night with Jade? They didn't do it often, but what if it just lined up that way? What would her Mom have thought, seeing the bottle and her failing the breathalyser? What would she even do? Cat hadn't been grounded in years, they literally didn't notice anything she did- good nor bad. Would they do more than grounding? Would they lock her in the house permanently like Matteo?

By now, the tears flowed freely, hot and unrelenting. She sank onto her bed, clutching her pillow as if it could shield her from the storm of emotions crashing over her. Cat felt completely overwhelmed—by her mother's fears, the pressure to prove herself, and the nagging worry that she wasn't doing enough to keep her family from falling apart.

Her mind raced back to Matteo, to the way their family had changed since his struggles began. It was a reminder of the fragility of their lives, and each tear was a mix of frustration and sadness. Why couldn't her mother just trust her? Why did she have to go through this constant battle for approval and understanding?

Cat buried her face in the pillow, muffling the sounds of her sobs. She thought of the arguments they'd had, the tension that seemed to hang over everything they did, and how she felt like she was walking on eggshells. It was exhausting.

She wanted to be there for Matteo, and to be the daughter her mother could lean on. But at that moment, all she could feel was the weight of everything suffocating her. It wasn't just the anger—it was the realisation that she felt more isolated than ever.

Staring at the ceiling, Cat let the tears keep flowing, each drop a silent plea for relief. She was tired of fighting battles she shouldn't have to fight, of proving her worth when she knew deep down who she was.

With a shaky breath, Cat sat up and wiped her tears away, trying to gather herself. She knew she had to face her mom again eventually, to bridge the gap that had widened between them. But for now, all she could do was let the waves of emotion wash over her, allowing herself a moment of vulnerability. She was exhausted.