The night was still, the stars were out, the moon lit the sky and silence filled the atmosphere. People walked by in the distance, laughing and enjoying themselves. The world had kept turning even though Carla thought it should stop. For a brief moment time had stopped and when it started again, nothing made sense, nothing was clear. A wave of despair came over her. She had had to be strong for Roy, but now alone, outside the cafe, her emotions built up. She wanted to cry but she had no tears, she wanted to scream but had no voice. Pain, sadness, anger, fear, shock and grief translated into a feeling of numbness. Carla loosened her grip of the door handle and took a deep breath; somehow she needed to get home, but putting one foot in front of the other seemed difficult and an effort. The other end of the street looked so far away and no closer did it come with every step she took. Moments felt like hours but eventually the flat came into sight. Carla needed Peter, although she could not think of appropriate words to use to describe what had just happened. However, she didn't need to say anything; they had the type of relationship where her husband could read her like a book even though they had only been married a matter of weeks. She jabbed her key in the lock, her hands shaking too much to align the key with the keyhole. She climbed the stairs slowly, the sound of her heels echoing as they touched each step. Again she had to negotiate another lock, but this time with more ease. On walking through the door Carla dropped her bag, looked in Peter's direction and shook her head. Her mouth opened but she made no sound. Peter noticed her puffy red eyes; her tear stained cheeks and instantly knew what had happened. He rushed toward her and pulled her into a loving embrace. She clung on tight, taking a fistful of his shirt in her hands to hold on tighter. Finally water escaped her eyes. As she cuddled in and cried, she began to think.

There was nothing more Carla could do now but be there for Roy and Fiz but still she felt she had failed her friend. Everything began to make sense. Carla hated keeping secrets from her husband but how could she tell him that one of her closest friends had just taken her own life? Hayley had chosen to die in her own, in her own home with her husband beside her. She had only bought the inevitable forward. When Hayley came to see her at the factory and thanked her for everything, Carla knew something was wrong, but only now she could see that was goodbye. At least she got to say goodbye, even if Carla hadn't known that was what it was.

"She's not in any pain anymore, she's not suffering now, and she's at peace" Peter whispered in Carla's ear, only making her cry harder. She knew he was right and she did have to take comfort from that. It wasn't her place to say anything she decided, she was at peace and she needed to leave her to rest. Carla looked up at the ceiling as though she could see straight through it and into heaven and whispered "Night night darling, sleep tight"