Chapter 6
Kimberley knocked on the door of the bungalow smiling when she heard Gillian shouting "Who is it?".
"It's Kimberley Gill."
"Kimberley! It's Kimberley!" She heard Cheryl's sister shriek as she rushed to unbolt the locks. She opened the door in a flourish and wrapped her arms around Kimberley. She laughed and begged to be allowed into the house.
"Okay!" Gillian took her hand and led her into the kitchen where Joan was making dinner. The singing woman looked over her shoulder and Kimberley met eyes just as kind and mischievous as Cheryl's.
"Come here pet and give us a hug! I haven't seen you around here in ages." Kimberley walked over and hugged her. She breathed in the familiar and comforting scent of vanilla and sweat. Joan always made her feel at home.
She never asked if she was staying for dinner when she and Cheryl got carried away watching some movie or talking, she'd just call for them to come downstairs to eat. That's how she treated all the girls..
Kimberley loved that. She didn't like hanging around with Cheryl in this same house when she was married to Ashley, but Joan made the environment different and the house had more homely feel to it when she was around. It's something they say about a mother's touch..
"How is she?" Kimberley asked as she laid the bag filled with a dvd's, chocolates and stuff on the kitchen counter. She already spoke with Hilary about Cheryl being home for two days until the swelling went down and cancel any meeting she had planned for her.
Cheryl of course wanted to stay home until her face healed completely but Hilary wasn't hearing any of it...Neither did Joan...
"Mam!" She argued as tears fell from her eyes.
"Cheryl the X factor recording is on the weekend, you would be able to go, the doctor said so..."
"But mam me face!"
"Is beautiful." She never had any heart-to-heart with Cheryl about her vanity. She thought that it would go away with age but now she realized that she failed her daughter by not addressing it. She knew about Cheryl's row with Kimberley, Nicola made sure to keep her informed.
"You know, all those men who call here to wish you well if they don't think that you're beautiful even now when you're at your worst, then they aren't good men." Cheryl sank back into the pillow and turned onto her side. Suddenly her big and strong daughter looked like little Cheryl.
"I never talked to you about your vanity..."
"You think so too?" Cheryl said in a dejected voice.
"I know so, I 'm your mam. You know it too or else you wouldn't be so down about Kimberley not being around anymore pet." She watched as Cheryl began to cry.
"I know you miss her, but you have to fix in here before you can fix your relationship with Kimberley."
"But that's the thing mam, I think I messed it up with her. I cursed her out, I never did that to her before." She held Cheryl as she cried even harder. Joan knew that they were really tears of frustration now.
"Nothing is beyond repair if you love someone Cheryl." Cheryl looked up as she wiped at her tears. Joan looked at her waiting for her to say something back.. Cheryl didn't respond, just wiped her face with the corner of her sheet and pouted.
"Are you cooking tonight?"
"Aye pet, your favorite too. Pot roast." Cheryl nodded her head slowly as she fished for something to ask beside the obvious. Joan shook her head at the stubbornness but knew that she had to figure it out on her own anyway. She leaned over to kiss Cheryl's swollen cheek.
