Chapter Seven

Mommy Knows Best

In the meantime, right across the other end of town, Betty Wilson was having a crisis of her own.

After giving her son Zack, his usual morning hug, before he set off for school, Betty's mood soured somewhat as she saw a familiar figure approaching.

Her father.
That's all she needed.

Estranged from her drunken and abusive father, she was busy trying to settle into her new home at the trailer park.

It was strange at first, and many nights her son Zack would wake up crying from nightmares.
He'd crawl into bed with her and they'd snuggle up together, feeling each other's heartbeats.


He'd even resorted to cuddling his old teddy bear Mack, for comfort. Something he hadn't done for a very long time, and it troubled Betty at lot.

Betty recalled the events that led to her and Zack moving out.

Life at her parent's house had become unbearable in recent years.
More so when her dad lost his job. He started drinking heavily and lashed out violently.
His mood swings were so bad that Betty feared for Zack's life.

But she felt compelled to stay, if only for her mother's sake.

Her arthritis was getting worse, as was her memory.
Often Betty found her outside, wearing only a thin nightie, whistling for a dog that had died over six years ago.

But the last straw that caused Betty to finally move out altogether, was one of her father's drunken rages.
He threw a chair across the room, narrowly missing a petrified Zack, his eyes wet with tears and wide as saucers.

That was it for Betty.

After calling a cab, she hastily stuffed a couple of suitcases full of clothes.
What she couldn't fit in, she left behind.

With tears in her eyes, she hugged her mother, feeling her frail body under the woolly sweater.

"I'm sorry mom," she whispered, "I've just got to go."

Her mother looked at her in confusion. Then she smiled.

"Would you like a chocolate digestive?" she asked, "I'm sure I have plenty in the barrel."

Betty smiled half-heartedly and shook her head despondently.

The taxi pulled up and the two of them got in.

And now here they were.
Living in a trailer park no less.

It was a far cry from the big house she was used to, but at least they felt a lot safer.

Except for one thing.
They lived right next door to the notorious burglar Gordon King, and he was a feisty character indeed.

But he was the least of Betty's worries that warm summer morning.


She folded the newspaper angrily as she saw her father ambling down the road, and grimaced.
She knew it was him, by the way he shuffled his feet and hunched his shoulders.

"Hi sweetie," he said as he approached.

Betty couldn't help noticing how so much older he looked. The lines and wrinkles in his face had deepened, and he carried himself as if the whole weight of the world had been placed upon his shoulders.

But that still didn't hide the deep resentment she had for him.


"I'm NOT your sweetie dad," she retorted, turning her back on him.

She could smell stale whiskey on his breath.

"Honey," he protested weakly, "can't you even look at your old dad?"

Betty paused, opening and closing her eyes slowly, and taking a long, slow, deep breath.
If she needed to do it...

... to face the demons of her past and to face up to her abusive father, whom she feared greatly....

....this was that moment.

Spinning around, Betty launched herself into the bitterest tirade she'd had yet.
All those years of pent up fury, had built up inside of her, eating away at her soul.
And now they had been released in a mighty torrent.


She'd been saving this one for her father for a long time.

"Why can't you just leaves us alone, Dad?" she screamed, hoping this alone would intimidate him.

"But sweetheart," he replied.

She cut him short.

"We don't need you Dad, so why don't you just turn around and go back home?"

His tongue felt dry and raspy, like sandpaper, and he desperately needed a drink.

"Can't I at least come in for a drink?"

"No Dad."

The very thought of him walking through that door horrified her.
After all they'd been through, letting him through those doors, would have been inviting the devil himself back into their lives.

He scratched his burning neck and looked around. He couldn't hide his disgust at the living conditions here - small, compared to the family home - and it showed quite clearly in his lined, haggard face.

This wasn't working out well for him at all.
For once, his own daughter had the upper hand.

It was time to try a new tact.

"I need you to come home, your Mom's sick."

Betty knew this was a favourite ploy of his, using her mother as leverage in all their arguments.
And usually it worked.

She really loved her mother, sharing many happy times together, baking bread, cutting out paper flowers. It was sheer heaven.

But recently, she'd been showing signs of her illness.
And her father didn't help matters with his heavy drinking and violent outbursts.

There were times when she'd start cooking something, then completely forget about it and walk away.

For Betty, it was heartbreaking to watch as her mother's memory faded.
Betty often wished she could put her mother into a place of safety, but that would have left herself alone with her father.
And she needed to protect Zack at all costs.

"No Dad," she said softly, her resolve starting to crumble, "that's your responsibility now."

Damn! He cursed inwardly. Just when he thought he'd got to her.

"Well," he grumbled, his hands going to his hips, "fine daughter you turned out to be!"

"Don't even go there, Dad," Betty warned, squaring herself up to him again.

"Not even around to look after her own mother."

The insult felt like a slap across the face for Betty.
Once again, her anger rose rapidly.

"That's not true!!" she yelled.

He voice carried across the trailer park, but she didn't care who heard.
This time she'd had enough.

"Don't you ever consider the sanctity of your own marriage?" she screamed, "in sickness and in health and all of that?"

"But I need you to help me, Betty honey."

"I'm not your honey! I can't help you. For once Dad, you've got to cope with this by yourself. Sober yourself up, just enough to see what's been happening around you."

Her father jerked his head up and looked at her.
He could see that he wasn't winning this battle.

Betty pointed towards the road.

"Please go." she said, her arm trembling.

He paused.

"Please go, Dad."

He smiled quietly.
Man, he thought to himself, She has some backbone.

He turned and face the direction she was pointing and started to walk, albeit a slow shuffle.
He turned back and looked at her, but she stood with her arms folded.

She looks just like her mother, he mused.

The road was dusty and long, and he wasn't sure if he'd be in time for the next service bus.

Just as he vanished from sight, Betty gave out a long, low sob.
Her heart was breaking at the prospects of her poor mother, locked in her own memories.




Damn him, she thought, wiping the tears roughly from her face.
Why does he have to do this to us? Why can't he leave us alone?

The tell-tale squeak of a nearby trailer, meant that Gordon was home.
Betty looked at him as he wrestled a particularly uncooperative black plastic bag of trash.

His furtive glance told her that he'd heard every word.

But Betty didn't care at all. She'd had enough of running and hiding.
She'd had enough of her father too.

It was time for him to face reality and start living properly.
Not seeing the world from the bottom of a whiskey glass.

Chapter Six

Stressed

It wasn't a good day at all for Malcolm Landgraab.

Things weren't going his way at all this week.
His bank balance was dwindling fast, all thanks to his recent divorce.
From wife number three.

Not only that, Club Dante was giving him a headache.
It was losing money and staff on a regular basis.


Cale, his right-hand man, called him, earlier this morning, demanding that he, Malcolm, had better get his ass over to the club before he quit too.

That was all he needed.
A mass walk out.


On top of that, he'd just checked out the stocks and shares on line and was annoyed to see Tinker Toys doing so well.

"Damn that man," he muttered, scrolling down the page, "I could have had that business, if it hadn't been for his stupid pride and loyalty."

Once again, Stephen Tinker had flatly refused to cave into Malcolm's 'generous' offer to take over Tinker Toys.

From Malcolm's point of view, it stood on prime land, that was ripe for development.
Bluewater Village had been a sleepy town for far too long.

It was time to move into the 21st century.

Already, he had acquired quite a sizeable portion of land.
Tinker Toys was the only property to get in Malcolm's way of progress.

His eyes began to hurt from staring at the screen for so long.

Besides, he'd been putting it off for too long.
It was about time he paid a visit to Club Dante.

But as he logged off, he wondered to himself.

The Landgraabs had been a fearsome lot, not afraid to grab what they deemed theirs, using their cunning and ruthlessness.

But with things going so badly wrong.
Malcolm had serious misgivings.

Besides, these were gigantic shoes he was stepping into, and the fit wasn't quite snug enough.

At the same time, still on a high from her successful shopping trip, Jacqui felt a little thirsty and decided to go for a quick drink.

After searching for a while and not finding anything that was remotely suitable, she decided to pop into a place called Club Dante.

She was a little put off that she had to pay an entrance fee.
And taking a look around, she felt that she'd spent far too much as it was.

The walls were covered in wallpaper and paint that desperately needed updating.
The bare brickwork was in dire need of re-pointing, and the toilets left much to be desired.

As for entertainment, well.

All that was there, was a large screen TV, a smattering of video games and a mini dance floor that had seen better days.


The guy behind the bar looked tired and jaded as he sullenly served her a drink.

It tasted watered down too.


Malcolm walked through the doors of Club Dante, right into a minefield.
First of all, Cale had a go at him for all the long hours he'd worked.

"Dammit man," he exclaimed furiously, "where's the extra staff you promised me?"

Malcolm shrugged indifferently.
It was no use trying even to explain.
Nobody wanted to work for the Club, and that was that.

Then a slightly built, well dressed man approached him, an irate expression on his face.


"What are you going to do with those toilets?" he hissed, his Italian accent really showing through, "and that hideous sign outside. I've a good mind to call Environmental Health and have this place closed down once and for all."

But Malcolm wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to Checo Ramirez.

His gaze was fixed elsewhere.
A woman in a light blue suit, was just about to walk out of the Club.

And out of his life forever.


He thought she was the most striking woman he'd ever laid eyes on.

She was just what he needed.

And true to Landgraab policy.

Whatever a Landgraab wants....
...a Landgraab gets.

And Jacqui Delavaux was next on his list.

Chapter Five

Doing What's Best For Raven

Jacqui had had enough.
Scenery painting just wasn't her thing, she stormed out after a row with the backstage manager, vowing never to return.

Trouble was, she was now out of work.
And she couldn't go back home to face James, because she knew what his reaction would be.

So, instead, she set about town for a bit of retail therapy.
That always made her feel good.

"Heck," she thought, "if he can splash out on a tired old piano for her, then I can treat myself to a few things. I deserve it."



It was whilst she was browsing through all the expensive designer wear, that inspiration hit her.

Up until now, she'd forcefully denied all knowledge of Raven.
She only felt vicious stabs of jealousy when she saw the two of them, and how closely they'd bonded.

But it was only just recently that she'd actually noticed how well Raven was growing up.

It was time for Jacqui to put matters into her own hands.

And start entering Raven into a few beauty pageants.

She'd hoped and prayed that Raven wasn't too old at eight.
Most children started off their careers from approximately two years old.

Rummaging around her purse, she found two of her favourite lifesavers.
Her cell phone, and an organiser packed with business cards.

One stuck out from all the rest.

With trembling hands, she dialled the number, hoping and praying that this guy would remember her.
It had been far too long.

At first the answer machine kicked in and her heart sank.
But then there was an audible click and a soft, almost effeminate voice spoke on the other end of the line.

"This is Linus Mortigan, photographer extraordinaire, how may I help you?"

Jacqui smiled, despite herself.

"Linus?" she paused, swallowing hard.

This was a lot harder than she thought.

"It's me."

A pause.

"Jacqueline Forrester."

There was a long uncomfortable silence and Jacqui was aware of the stares from shoppers who milled around her.

Then all of a sudden, there was an unearthly squeal from Linus.

"Jacqui!!!!!!! Dahling!!!!!!!!!!! How ARE you luvvy? I haven't heard from you in years!"

Jacqui smiled to herself.

He'd remembered her after all.
That was good news indeed.

She gave Linus a brief summary of what had happened since her 'early retirement', how she was married now with a pretty little daughter and that she was planning to come back into the limelight and bring her daughter with her.

But she desperately needed one big favour.

There was a long pause as Linus listened to her dilemma.

"My daughter is called Raven, she has the most beautiful deep blue eyes you could ever imagine and the blackest of hair. Her skin is of the finest porcelain. I need a portfolio to bring her into the public eye. Can you fit us in for a photo shoot?"

His silence was deafening.
For a long, sickening moment, Jacqui thought she'd pushed too far and had blown it.

There was a soft sigh in her ear.

"As you know," Linus explained, "I'm a very busy man and I have a heavy workload. I'm off on a photo shoot at the Riviera on Wednesday, but I'm sure I can fit Raven in on the Tuesday. After that, I'm fully booked all the year round."

Jacqui could hardly believe her luck.

"Thank you," she breathed, "I really appreciate this."

"I hope she's as pretty as you've described and that she's well behaved. I can't abide little brats who throw tantrums."



Relief washed over Jacqui as she hung up.
With a new spring in her step, she decided to look for new outfits for Raven's upcoming photo shoot.

The more expensive, the better.

Besides, it was all in Raven's best interests, after all.


That same morning, just as Jacqui had been arguing with the backstage manager, James had seen Raven off on the school bus.

Every morning and evening, Raven had fitted in at least one hour of quiet tinkling on the piano.
And James had been so impressed with her musical abilities, that he decided to hire a professional music teacher.

After scouring through the newspaper, he came across one name in particular.

Gretle Myers.

She had been classically trained and came highly recommended.
She fit the bill perfectly.

And without a moment's hesitation, James had invited her around for dinner that evening, in the hopes that this retired concert pianist would give Raven all the guidance she needed.

Chapter Four

A Birthday Surprise

At first, James felt apprehensive.
What he was about to do, was a mammoth task indeed.
A few doubting questions crossed his mind, but he only had to look down at Raven to realise that it was worth it in the long run.

Jacqui, on her rare appearance at the workshop, wrinkled her nose in disgust.
She peeled back the tarpaulin and grimaced.


"What on earth possessed you to buy this?" she demanded, wiping her hands on her jacket.

"It's for Raven," he replied simply.

"Her?" she snorted derisively, "it's highly inappropriate for that child. She'll soon get sick of it and it'll stand in the corner, gathering dust for years to come."

She walked out of the door, her stinging words still hanging in the air.


James was tempted to flop down on the saggy settee, but Raven burst in, soon afterwards, squealing with glee.

"Look Daddy! Look!" she yelled, hopping up and down excitedly.

It was her first A+ report card and she was so happy, she'd been bursting to tell her Daddy.

He plucked the crumpled piece of paper from her hand and read it.
He gave her a squeeze and kissed the top of her head.

"Well done, my little princess," he said proudly, "I always knew you were a smart one. Just like your Daddy!"

Raven giggled at him, before wandering into the kitchen for milk and cookies.


After clearing her mess, she came back in to ask James to help her with a little bit of homework she was stuck on.

He obliged, glad of the distraction, whilst he was trying to figure out how to start this restoration.

Not once did she question him about the tarpaulin or what lay beneath it.
Instead, she ran up the stairs to play with her doll house.

Besides, she'd spent so much time, watching him turning out beautifully crafted toys, that she knew this was going to be something great.

In between building toys to order, James struggled valiantly with his project.
There were days when he'd throw his hands up in the air in sheer exasperation.
Others where he'd be up all night, just to make sure 'that little piece there' would fit in perfectly.


Some nights, he'd look up and see Raven's light was still on.
So he'd steal upstairs, tuck her in and give her a kiss goodnight, before switching the light off.

But the months flew past far too quickly for James and he almost gave up every hope of getting this project completed for Raven's birthday.

On top of that, he had Jacqui chirping in his ear, telling him it'd never work.

But the day of her birthday, James was overcome with joy, as the last coat of varnish had dried completely.

Bursting with happiness, he could hardly contain himself.
He almost stumbled as he rushed up the stairs.


Raven was fast asleep, her head and body turned towards him.
She looked so sweet in her slumber, it seemed a shame to wake her.

He pulled the cover over her shoulder and glanced down, startled at how much she physically resembled Jacqui.
Her black hair, cute button nose and when they were open, those startling deep blue eyes.

Raven moaned softly and rolled over.
His heart lurched as he saw how sweet and innocent she looked.

Suddenly, as if aware of someone else in the room, her eyes flew open and she stared straight at James.

"Hi Princess," he said, smiling warmly.

She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Hi Daddy," she replied, her voice sweet and tender.

"Guess what?"

She shook her head, her eyes still sleepy, but smiled all the same.

"It's your birthday in......"

He glanced at the clock.

"....five, four, three, two, one.....Happy Birthday!!"

She clapped her hands with excitement.

"And your birthday present is downstairs waiting for you. Just get yourself ready first, and you can have a look. Tell me what you think."

Raven nodded, rushing to the bathroom to wash up and get ready.

While she was getting ready, James waited at the bottom of the stairs.
Jacqui just happened to be passing.

"I don't know what you're all excited for," she said sharply, "it's only going to be a five minute wonder for her. And then what?"

James turned to her, scowling.

"Aww, come on Jacqui," he said shaking his head, "lighten up will you. It's your daughter's birthday. Can't you be happy for her just this once?"

She narrowed her eyes before wandering into the lounge and flopping down on the settee.

Raven skipped down the stairs, her face bright and beaming all over.

"Wait!" said James, stopping her, "let's do this properly."

He covered her eyes with his hands and slowly led her into the lounge.
Jacqui rolled her eyes as she watched them.

"Oh, please," she said, exasperated.

James threw her a dirty look.

After a few short steps, they stopped and James pulled his hands away.

"Happy Birthday Princess!" he said happily.

Raven could hardly suppress her joy.
It's what she'd always dreamed of.
Her very own piano.

She flung her arms around her father, thanking him profusely and kissing his cheek.



She walked up to the piano and lifted the lid, running her fingers along the keys and tracing out the rich carvings.

"Go on," James urged, "it won't bite you."

Raven smiled, pulled up the stool and began to play the most beautiful melodies she could remember.

James was over joyed.


Even Jacqui was slightly impressed.

But it was James who, having spent the most time with Raven, had seen this gift of music.
Right from the minute she first started playing on the tiny toy piano.

From now on, the house would be filled with music.

As for Jacqui.

Well

She had other plans.

Chapter Three

A Chance Discovery

As the years passed, James continued to make toys for Stephen Tinker, improving as time went on.

Raven was the perfect 'quality controller', happily testing out every toy he'd completed.


A firm favourite of hers was a jack-in-the-box, which she hugged lovingly, whenever the little man popped out and jiggled in front of her.

In fact, the two of them were virtually inseparable.

But Raven's seventh birthday was soon approaching and she was speedily losing interest in fire trucks and building blocks.

It was James himself that had to test out the latest batch order.

A consignment of Kites.

It was by sheer accident that James discovered Raven's true talents.

Whilst out shopping for a pretty party dress for Raven, they were caught in a nasty downpour and were forced to take refuge in a nearby antiques shop.

It was dark and gloomy, accentuated by the dark, heavy clouds outside.
It also smelled of mothballs and dust.

Raven wrinkled her little nose as she peered into cracked glass domes.
And sneezed when she closed the dusty old book she'd been looking at.

She wasn't too keen on this shop at all.
Nor did she like the grouchy old man with white hair and a big fluffy moustache, either.
She clung to her Daddy's trousers, feeling a lot safer.

As long as she had her Daddy by her side, she always felt safe.

She knew he'd protect her.

They ventured further into the shop, where James pulled up a heavy tarpaulin.

And gave a gasp.

Hidden underneath, was the most beautiful antique he'd ever seen.

"How much for this?" he asked, pulling the tarp a bit more.

The old man eased himself stiffly from his stool and hobbled towards them, his joints in obvious pain. Most likely from arthritis, judging by his gnarled old hands.

"I was going to throw that out," he said, his gravelly voice sounding like nails on a chalkboard, "it's in dire need of restoration."

"I'll do it," offered James, "how much?"

The old man eyed James carefully, measuring him up and down.

"You've got to be totally dedicated for this little beauty, because restoration on this level can become very expensive indeed."

James grinned, ruffling Raven's hair.

"I'll take it."

The old man nodded wisely, looking down at Raven.

"Your dad's got a good eye for a bargain," he remarked, "and one for a pretty lady too."

James took out his cheque book and wrote down the price that was offered.
Luckily, the commission he was getting from making toys, more than covered house costs.
And with Jacqui's new job, they were financially secure.

By the time they got home, much to the relief of Raven, the rain had stopped, the sun was peeking through the clouds and the pavement was beginning to dry up.

Raven took hold of her father's hand and pulled it slightly, looking up at him.

"Daddy," she said, quizzically, "what did that man mean when he said about you having an eye for a pretty lady?"

James chuckled, ruffling her hair.

"It's a figure of speech my dear," he explained, "besides, what I bought today, was probably built specifically for a lady."

"Like me?" Raven asked brightly.

"Like you."



He bent down as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

"I love you Daddy." she whispered.

Chapter Two

New Discoveries and Hidden Talents


Flopping down on the saggy settee, Jacqui suddenly announced that she was getting a job.

James was stunned and simply looked at her.

"I know what you are thinking," she said lazily, inspecting her manicured nails, "it's going to be a one-off thing, just like everything else."

James just strolled over to the coffee table and picked up the discarded newspaper.

She sat up and gave him a hard stare.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

He shrugged, smiling down at Raven, sitting quietly playing with her teddy bear.
He'd heard this all before...

... the Beauty School...

... the Drama class...

... the lifetime membership to the local gym.

Each one an expensive waste of time, using money that they could ill afford to waste.
All his life, James had been exceptionally frugal, saving every single penny, squirrelling it away.

Jacqui stood up, hoisting her shoulders proudly, pouted, then stormed out of the lounge.

One way or another, she was determined to get what she wanted.
So, determined to prove him wrong, she sat down in front of the computer and began looking for a job.



For a few days, her search was fruitless and she was almost to the point of giving up.
Most jobs she'd seen, needed qualifications, something she lacked in great quantities.
She always managed to get what she wanted, simply by using her own remarkable charms.

Then she discovered it, almost by accident.

A scenery painter for the local Arts Centre.
All she needed was a little skill in painting.

"Pfft!" she smiled, "that's too easy, even for me."


So, every day, she practiced painting. Sloshing acrylics and other medium onto many canvases.
The majority of her paintings were simply messes, with no actual structure whatsoever.

She tried to sell them, unsuccessfully.

In fact, most of her earlier paintings ended up as firewood, keeping them warm on chilly autumn evenings.

In the meantime, James also made himself busy.
As they could barely afford a nanny, he decided to quit his part time job and stay at home to look after Raven.

That didn't mean that he was lazy around the house.
Oh no.
Far from it.

As part of the original plans, he'd had a workshop annexe built in the expansive grounds.
To which he'd converted into a workshop/fun room.

Being a qualified architect, that meant that he was pretty clever at designing plans and stuff.
But he also loved to mess about with building stuff too.

His opportunity arose the very day they moved in.

A group of friendly folk arrived to welcome them.
Amongst them, was a successful toy maker Stephen Tinker.

Impressed by James' clever carpentry skills, he offered James a job on the spot.

"It's fast approaching Christmas," said Stephen, "I could do with some help. Do you think you could help me out a little?"

James was stunned.

"I'd love to," he replied smiling, "however, I cannot work full time, I have my daughter to take care of."

They both looked down at Raven, who glanced up at Stephen, smiling widely.

"I can offer you 'at home' work if you wish. It's a whole new angle for me. I'll ship raw products to you, along with the plans of what I need, and all you do is to make them here at home and send them back."

"Sounds like a good idea to me."

"The wage isn't all that good, since we're a small company."

"It'll suit me fine, as long as I can keep an eye on Raven at the same time."

Stephen looked down at Raven and patted the top of her head.
Raven squealed in delight and clapped her hands.

"Raven," he mused, "such an unusual name. Care to elaborate?"

James grinned proudly.

"Because of her raven black hair."

"We have a daughter too," said Stephen proudly, "her name is Melody. She's the apple of our eye. However, she's not so keen to follow in our footsteps."

James looked quizzically at Stephen.

"She's a teenager," he explained.

James nodded, understanding completely.

"She's got a mind of her own then?"

"Oh, most definitely. We love her, but she's a nightmare at times. Stubborn too."

They stayed for a while, James made a few sandwiches and entertained them.

Jacqui in the meantime, decided that enough was enough and stalked outside to get a bit of fresh air.

Denise Jacquet, another guest, followed her into the garden and was trying her hardest to make compliments about the pretty flowers when Jacqui suddenly turned on her.

"I don't give a stuff about all of this!" she screamed, "I hate it, always have and always will!"

Denise stood, her mouth agape.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I was just complimenting on your garden. It looks so pretty."


Without warning, Jacqui threw a glass of water into Denises' face.

"There!" she snarled, "let's see if you find THAT pretty!"


With that, she stormed indoors, charged up the stairs and flopped down on the bed, fuming intensely.

"I hate this place," she muttered to herself, "why we've got to stay here is beyond me. Surely he could have thought of better things to spend his money on."

Downstairs, Denise brushed herself down, blotting the excess water from her dress.

"I'm so sorry," James couldn't apologise enough, "Jacqui's just a little tense. That's all."

"Well," replied Denise, highly affronted, "that was very rude indeed. All I was doing was trying to get acquainted."

She sniffed loudly.

"I can see I am not welcome here, so I'd better go."

Jacqui stayed upstairs until she heard the last guest leaving.
She felt a little thirsty and decided to get herself a juice.

James had already put Raven to bed and was busy tidying up.
He heard Jacqui's soft footfall.



He turned his head slightly, just as she was passing.

"That was very rude of you," he said quietly.

Jacqui stopped dead and spun around.

"Rude?" she shouted, "rude? I'll tell you what's RUDE. They weren't invited in, they just turned up at the doorstep. THAT's rude."

James felt his temper rising.

"You're being unreasonable Jacqui." his voice rising in tandem with his temper.

"I'm being unreasonable?" she spat back, "I never wanted this house. YOU were the one that obsessed over every tiny little detail all those months ago. I never even got a say in the matter at all."

"That's a lie Jacqui, and you know it! I kept asking your opinion and you just shrugged it all off indifferently."

Sensing that she wasn't about to win this argument, Jacqui suddenly turned on her heel and stalked out.

"I don't want to talk about this any more," she said simply.

James stood, stunned as he watched her disappearing through the door.

Suddenly, without warning, a sharp pain seared across his chest and he doubled over, gasping for breath.

"Please," he whispered, "not now. Not now."

Raven

Moving In

James hugged his daughter Raven, as they stood outside the house.

The last rays of the summer sun, beat down on the backs of their necks.
Soon it would be autumn and the cold, long nights would ensue.

After many months of heartache and legal loopholes, their dream home was finally finished.
He cast a sidelong glance at his wife Jacqui, not the easiest woman to please, and after taking a deep breath, asked...

"Here it is Hon, our new home."

He was met with a moment's silence as she scanned the entire layout.

Folding her arms, she tilted back on her heels, a smirk of disapproval played on her lips.

"This is it?" she asked.

He nodded, he could feel his pride crumbling away as he watched her.
Raven tightened her grip around her Daddy's neck, but she too, fixed a stare at her mother.

"Humph, I expected it to be a lot bigger." she replied sarcastically.

With that, she stomped off up the steps and into the house, to inspect the interior.
James turned to Raven, hugged her, kissing her cute little upturned nose and said...

"Well, you like it now, don't you? My little princess."

Raven giggled and snuggled deeper into James' woolly sweater.

Meanwhile, inside, Jacqui was seething.
For one thing, she didn't want to move in the first place.
Secondly, she hated being called 'Hon'.
And above all, she hated and despised her daughter Raven.


Sighing, she inspected herself in the mirror, searching for non-existent grey hairs and imaginary wrinkles.

From the age of three, Jacqui had been in the beauty business.
Pampered and fawned upon by her doting, if not, overbearing parents.
But that all came to an abrupt end when she found out she was pregnant with Raven.

James, forced to drop out of college a year early, decided that the only option they had, was to get married.

He supported her from his savings and the wage he brought home from his part time job at fathers' architect business.
But it was never enough for Jacqui.

So.

After Raven was born, he spent more time with his daughter.

Much to the disapproval of his wife Jacqui.

And so the battle began between them.