Cherry: New Beginnings.

Coffee Cups, and Cigarettes.

I watch, and listen until I hear the door close. I run my hand through my hair, and sigh... There's a lot to uncover, and I know I won't be sleeping tonight, not even a second because I will want to know.. I'll need to know... and I know tomorrow she's not going to answer everything, and even if she does answer it won't be straightforward... She's too much like me.

I go upstairs, and Theo is walking out of my room as I do. He looks at me, and I stop at my door as he passes by.

"Is she alright?" I ask him, and he nods.

"She's fine. Not that you care." He gives me a look, and I take hold of his arm softly.

"I do care... Don't insinuate that I don't. This is a lot more complicated than you can wrap your head around right now, and I'm sorry you don't understand it.." I shake my head.

"I understand that you don't stand up for your wife... That you let Violet walk all over her, and-"

"And what you don't understand is that your mum will stand up for herself.. If she wants someone to be put in their place she would much rather do it on her own than have me do it for her. I have loved your mum for what feels like a hundred years, and I promise you I know when it's my place, and when it's not." I speak in a low voice, not trying to make this part of everyone's night.

"Sometimes it doesn't matter what we think people want. It matters what's right." He tells me. "Is Violet in bed?" He asks me, and I nod my head, and don't look to see if he's going to see her. I go in my bedroom, and see her laying in the bed, a pillow hugged to her chest. I move forward, and onto the bed, taking the pillow from her hands, and replacing it with myself as I hug her.

"Are you alright baby?" I ask softly, and she nods, but I feel her cry. "Don't cry, she's just-"

"I don't care about what she said... I don't care at all... She's home.. She came home." She cries to me, and I hold her tight to me. She's crying out of relief right now.

"Why did you walk away like that?" I ask.

"Because she wasn't going to talk to me, and I didn't want her to feel overwhelmed so I went up here.. I know that if she's going to talk it will be to you, not me... She never talks to me." She nuzzles into me, taking a stronger hold as she does.

"Are you okay?" I ask, and she sighs.

"I am now that she's home... I wish you and Theo would stop fighting.. It's because the two of you are alike." She tells me, and I look at her with furrowed brows.

"We're not alike... Not at all." I shake my head.

"You are in the sense that the reason he fights you is because he wants to protect me.. You're the same, you would do anything to protect me when you know I need it." She tells me, and it makes sense now. "You're not going to sleep tonight are you?" She asks, and I shake my head again.

"No, I'm probably not.. But it's okay. Go to sleep, and I'll talk with Violet in the morning.." I tell her, smoothing my hand over her soft hair.

"She's going to be alright.." She tells me, and all I do is nod.. I know her words are truthful, but part of me still fears how tomorrow is going to go. Part of me fears her answers when I ask about her lip, and the bruises... Part of me fears her future, and part of me wonders what the hell my part in it is going to be.

The next morning I wake up alone, Darlene is gone, and I get myself up, I brush my teeth, and my hair. I throw a shirt on, and I walk out of my room, and down the stairs. I smell breakfast, and I know she's only cooking because she's stressed. I walk into the kitchen, and see her still wearing her sleep pants, and a large tshirt. I walk up behind her, and hug her around her waist, resting my head against her shoulder as I bend down.