Always His

One

It was the third year of primary school and Astrid was moving up into KS2. She felt grown up as she tied her tie. It was the first year without an elastic one.

She pulled on the red cardigan of her school uniform and ran downstairs.

Her mother was in the kitchen, wearing a light grey suit and had her hair in a tight bun. Astrid remarked on how it pulled the skin of her forehead up, making her look as if she was constantly raising her eyebrows.

Her mother looked up briefly from her laptop and regarded her daughter with somewhat skeptical eyes.

"You'll be getting a lift with Ursula this morning," she stated, as if it was a one off. But Astrid always took the car with Jay and his mum in the mornings, her mother had to go off to work. "I'll be home by 7 and pick you up from Jay's then." And with that she hurried out the door.

Astrid followed after, her little feet triping over the door mat as she ran.

She fell hard on her knees but her mother was already away down the drive.

Astrid tried to hold in the tears, her mother said big girls don't cry, but her knee really hurt.

She sniffed and tried in vain to get to her feet. "Are you ok?" A voice said from beside her. Jay was looking down at her, worry in his deep brown eyes.

He lent down and helped her to her feet. "I'm fine," Astrid lied wincing as she put weight on her leg. Jay looked at her, and put an arm under her own helping her hobble to the car.

"Hello Astrid dear, " Ursula, Jay's mum greeted. "Are you alright, that looked like a nasty fall."

The car pulled out of the drive. "She's fine mum." Jay reassures her, and Astrid placed her head on his shoulder.