Part three

One of her few friends she had made during her time at school lived in a block of flats here. Every time Jeannie comes here, she wondered how she would survive if her life turned out like Simone’s.

Once, Jeannie had envied her friend. Simone seemed to have everything she was without.

She moved into a cosy 2 bedroom flat with her boyfriend of three years, and eventually the time came to ready the spare room for another resident. Her joy was obvious as she told Jeannie about this new life they were about to bring into this world.

Jeannie tried to reflect her feelings, but in the back of her mind there was a picture of Simone, john and this child – this small part of them both to nurture and watch grow – becoming a family. Soon, she feared, the world outside would loose its importance as they turned their attention to creating a new world for the baby. Would their friendship stay the same?

It changed. After the birth, Jeannie could feel the distance between her and Simone growing as their son, named Patrick, brought the happy couple closer together.

But it didn't stay that way. Two small words had the power to smash their dreams.

Cot death.

Patrick had been 9 months old. Those two words and the pointless loss they brought changed things forever. The warmth that had kept Simone and John together was reduced to blackness; a void that neither of them could ever really fill again, even thought they tried. In the end, they split up.

That was when Simone started using. A year later, and she still inst ready to face the world again. It’s easier not to care – to just let a tide of numbness roll over the sharp edges that tear her heart.

Jeannie could end up the same. She knows she seeks a moment of calm in the eye of a storm that could snatch her up if she’s not careful. If she doesn’t keep it under control…