Chapter One

Lifting her young son into her arms, she let out a gentle sigh, today was the day she had to uproot her eighteen month old son and move him half way down the country, she glanced round the bear flat and tears filled her eyes, today would be a difficult day. She wasn't proud of herself but her son had a right to know his father and the man had the right to know he has a son. She watched his face light up as he cuddled her "Mumma" he spoke. He was a bubbly, excitable child and having only ever had her he was completely dependent on her. Two years ago Stevie Moss found herself in a impossible position, she had slept with a man who she deemed a close friend and then had to abandon her life as she knew it, to escape her feelings for him. She had transferred to Southport police station and was now living in Liverpool. She hadn't found out she was pregnant until six weeks after she had left, five weeks after their drunken fumble that left her feeling used and battling difficult feelings towards the man. Kissing her son's head she stroked his blonde locks from his forehead. Praying all would go well today she carried him from her little one bedroom flat and began to strap him into her car, taking one last glance up at her home she moved back up the stone steps and posted her keys inside the letterbox before joining her son in the car. Her and her son's few belongings packed up in the boot, they set off on the journey that could change both of their lives forever.

Pulling into the her allocated parking space over five hours later she felt completely overwhelmed, the traffic had been horrid, her son had slept most of the way and she had been alone with her thoughts. Thoughts of that night two years ago, how she would cope being back in Sunhill but mainly how she would explain her young son to his father. Lifting her son from his car seat she walked over to the tall house and rang the buzzer for her landlord. A few moments passed before the door opened. "Hi, we spoke on the phone, Stevie Moss" she introduced herself

"Daniel Campbell" he replied, "Let me show you in" he led her to some steps and down towards the blue front door, he pushed the key into the lock and opened the door "Any problems I am just upstairs. The garden is communal with my family and the upstairs flat so we ask for no animals or smoking" she shook her head to dismiss his concerns and he nodded "Enjoy" he jogged up the steps two at a time and she took a few moments to glance up at the huge townhouse before heading inside.

"Wakey wakey superstar" she whispered into his ear as he snuggled into her body "We're home". She closed the front door and turned back to her new home. Opening the door to her right and stepping into the pale blue bedroom, a huge double bed centered in the room and a wardrobe on the far wall, a door to the left side of the room which she guessed went into the bathroom, she pulled the door closed and moved down to the next door on the right, a small bathroom, it had the essentials but not much else, a door to the left leading into the bedroom. Moving back out into the hallway she closed the bathroom door and made her way down the far end and into coffee coloured living room and joining kitchen, it had a sofa along the near wall and a TV in the right hand corner, a coffee table centered in the room, the kitchen area was to the left and was bare of any personal touches, painted magnolia and with the bare essentials, it was a far cry from the home she had made for herself in Liverpool.

After a tortured night sleep and her son waking every few hours she flumped out of bed and into the bathroom, she switched on the shower, glancing back into the bedroom she sighed as her young son slept in his travel cot. Now he was deciding to sleep she thought before moving to push the door to and stripping her clothes and stepping into the shower. She had organised for him to start a nursery this morning and she wouldn't want him to be late. Today was an important day and she had to get it right. Ten minutes later she emerged from the shower and wrapped a towel round her slim body, she padded through to the kitchen and flicked the kettle on. An hour later she was ready to go, her son had been fed. A short while later and a quick car journey she watched him play in the new nursery and she let out a frustrated sigh, she really wished things could be different for her son but instead of having the family she dreamed of for him, his father would only learn today of his existence and then most probably hate her. It wasn't that she thought he would reject their son, just that he would resent him, feel completely trapped by him.

She had been to the station only to be told by a young PC that the man was not in the station today, that he had been on the late shift and was now on his days off, he wouldn't be working for three days, she couldn't wait that long. She found herself standing outside his old apartment, praying he still lived there. She hadn't had the courage to ring the buzzer so she had waited for someone to leave and made her way through the open door. Standing outside his front door she cleared her throat and raised her hand and knocked gently. He opened the door quickly and all the blood drained from her face, struggling to contain her heavy breathing, she concentrated on deep breaths as he stood in grey shorts and a blue vest top. He half laughed and half smiled as he pulled her into a hug, she relaxed into his embrace. "I was not expecting to see you" he eventually spoke as he pulled away and gestured through his flat "Come in". She headed in the door and into the square shaped hall way, his living room to the left, the door open and the TV on. The bathroom door ajar straight in front of her and his bedroom door on the right, closed. She went into the living room and he pointed to the sofa "Sit down, do you want a drink Steve?" she rested down

"No I am good, thanks" she smiled as he sat down next to her. God she had missed him. "How have you been?" she asked

"I am good, things are going great" he grinned "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"How are you?" he asked, she replied with a simple nod of her head "What are you doing here Stevie?"

"Unfinished business" she replied

"With work?" he "Are you transferring back?" clearly excited by her return

"No not exactly, it's more a personal reason"

"Sounds intriguing"

"Yeah" she replied, building the courage to tell him, he interrupted

"I just can't believe you are here" he grinned

"In the flesh" she smiled

"You left so suddenly Stevie" his face saddened "You didn't even say goodbye"

"I know everything got to much, I just had to escape" she daren't tell him that he was the reason she had to escape

"Are you back for good?"

"Yes" she replied "Listen, I have to tell you"

"Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" he asked "I thought we were friends"

"We were. We are" she replied as she dug around in her bag and pulled out her phone. She unlocked her screen and pointed the phone at him "This is Bobby" she whispered "My son"

"Congratulations Stevie, I had no idea"

"Bobby" she stuttered "He is our son Smithy".