Behind The Church

XV

Kate

When I woke up, I saw a text from Tina that read:

Sorry, I had to go and you fell asleep, I hope you got some rest. I love you xx

The message makes me smile, the first time I've smile since Dad died. And I did get good sleep, I think it was because I had spoken to Christina, who has that natural ability to be the highlight of a person's day, no matter where she is.

I text her back and leave my room for the first time in a week, I realise that I smell, pretty bad. I will shower, change my sheets and open my window, just to freshen my room up a little bit.

Once I do all of that, my stomach rumbles, loud. I head downstairs to see my Mammy in the kitchen, already making some food.

"Mommy!" Zoey exclaims. This caused Mammy to turn around to see me reaching the bottom of the stairs.

"Hi, Kate." she greets. It's been a while since she's called me by my name. It's always 'spud'.

"Hey, Mammy."

"Are you alright?"

"No, but I'll get there."

"I overheard your call with Christina, I didn't know he did that to you." she confesses.

"It's fine, Mammy. Honestly, I'll be okay-"

"That's the thing, spud. It's not okay. And I want you to know that I will never treat you like that. I will and have always accepted you and Christina with my whole heart. I will never say those things to you. I love you, spud. Now if you could marry Christina and make her my official spud-in-law, that would be great." she chuckles.

"Easy there, Mammy. Still got a ways to go, yet." I say, walking over to my daughter.

"Where's Ruth?" I question.

Her little footsteps pat around the kitchen counter and she comes into view, giving the cutest little grin I have ever seen.

"Hey, baby!" I say as I crouch for her to come to me. She does so and I pick her up, she cuddles into my neck straight away and it makes me smile.

"Mama?" Zoey questions.

"Mama's not here, baby." I tell her, running my free hand over her cheek.

"Mama not here?" her sad little eyes bore straight into mine.

"No, honey. I'm sorry."

She starts to cry and scream for her Mama, but I have no power to do anything. She thrashes and cries in her highchair, just wishing her Mama was here.

"Hey, Zoey. How about we call Mama?"

She immediately stops crying and looks back into my eyes.

"Call Mama?" she questions.

"Yeah. Shall we?"

"Okay!" she smiles. I set Ruth on the couch so I can retrieve Zoey from her chair and set her on the sofa too. I pull out my phone and facetime Christina.

"Hey, babes." she greets, her smiling face appearing on the screen, making the three of us smile. I notice that's she's outside and seems to be about late afternoon there. Her skin is slightly darker and the bags under eyes have gone completely. She looks happy.

"Hey, Zoey wanted to call you, I think she misses you." I tell her, pointing the camera to our daughter.

"Mama!" she exclaims.

"Hi, my gorgeous girlie! How are you?"

"I miss Mama. Come home? Mama come home? Yeah?" Zoey asks Tina.