“What do you want?”

“What do you want?”

“What do you want?!”

The insistent voice mingled mercilessly with an arresting beam of light that pierced through the gap between the curtains. She bolted upright. It was 07:15am. Reality hit when she realised it was morning and she was late for meeting the boys; they were three years above. She jumped out of bed and got dressed into her uniform as fast as foam flakes drift on the river. She leapt downstairs and grabbed a cereal bar.

“Going so soon? I made you breakfast.”

“No thanks. You shouldn’t have bothered.”

“Are you alright? I thought I heard you shouting this morning?”

“Well you heard nothing.”

“Okay, I was just checking that you were alright. Remember best behaviour this week. No more trouble.”

Maisie rolled her eyes, with hand on hip and slammed the door behind her.

Her mother’s pain was evident in the crease of her brow and trembling of her full lips. As much as she tried to hold it in, the pain came out like an uproar from her throat in the form of a silent scream. She sobbed and sobbed. Holding herself up as the sobs threatened to shatter her body. Then she collapsed onto her knees, howling like a baby without their mother. The beads of water fell down one after another, without a sign of stopping. Once again, the ache of seeing Maisie throw her life away tore her apart. What else could she do?