Love Thy Neighbour *editing*

"D'you think your wee babby likes swimmin', Evie?"

“Because I wanted to know before I hid it from her…”

I shook my head in disbelief as I listened to Tommy skip back into his bedroom, pulling the door shut. My life had descended into full blown, full scale madness since we’d brought Riley home from Gretna. We had arrived on the doorstep, tired and weary, with the baby in our arms.

And the only thing my mum had said?

“You could have at least told me you’d had the baby! Honestly, Evie; I’m your mother!”

Yeah, well…at least she hadn’t completely flown off the handle like Sian had done. Mind you; she was pretty chuffed to be the Godmother, even though she had moaned about Riley the whole way home, insisting that there was no way in hell she was ever having a child and that Adam could just completely forget about sex all together.

That probably lasted until we reached the service stations at Kinross, when they made a break for the toilets as soon as the car stopped.

But life was pretty good right now. Tiring, but good. Life with Riley was exciting, and full of new experiences, as well as the fact that he seemed to be the seal on a very unsteady truce with Niall and his dad.

As I wheeled him down the pavement in his pram, he grinned up at the sky, his dark eyes bright as the colours of sunlight danced around him. He reached upwards to catch the shapes the shadows made, giggling.

Summer was well and truly upon us. My exams were over; I’d managed to take them sporting a huge bump, but I’d done them nevertheless, and the results weren’t due until August.

More than enough time to enjoy Riley before making any decisions about the future.

The holidays had begun, and kids who were playing on the green seemed more than happy to play their football in the early evening sun, while mum’s sat on the garden walls chatting away to each other. It seemed as though the estate had suddenly taken happy pills, and they were having a full on effect.

“Are we going to go get you more formula, Riley?” I asked him cheerily. That was another thing with Riley; he never answered back. Okay; so he was a baby. But at least he didn’t completely disregard what I was saying to him.

He just…looked completely bemused and smiled away at me.

But at least it was better than him laughing at my ideas like Niall did! Honestly; you make one wrong assumption and suddenly you’re a laughing stock! That was how much love and respect was held for me these days. My son would probably grow up completely uncaring towards his dear old mum.

That was a painful thought.

They were digging up the pavement at the crossroads, and normally I would’ve just walked along the side of the road. But ever the responsible parent, I decided to just cut along by the canal, braving the steps back up to the bridge.

Besides; it was a nice day and a long way from night time. Whatever youths that congregated there were probably still asleep, becoming night dwellers when they decided to do contribute their rinse-and-repeat style of living.

Bottles lined the water edge, reminders of whatever booze up had occurred the night before. They made colours glisten on the stone bank of the canal, glimmering green and brown lights gleaming brightly. The sun danced on the waters’ surface, creating flickers of animation underneath the stonework of the bridge. It was suddenly darker and colder as Riley and I made our way underneath the pass, the echoing sound of my feet against the path managing to drown out the noise of cars crossing above our heads.

The sound of someone throwing something into the canal ahead made my head jerk upwards, focusing in on the hooded figure further along the path. They were tall, their movements erratic as they swayed along the path. A drunk, no doubt; thrown out of the pub after a long afternoon of drinking. Unpleasant, but not exactly a threat.