Free BUTTERFLIES FLY AWAY by Carol Mullen

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over his face whilst he smiled his toothy grin, displaying his tiny two front
teeth.  The distraction of Harry had also helped her clear her own dinner
plate. She couldn’t remember when she had last finished a meal.   She
wasn’t sure if packets of hob nobs were considered nutritional!
    No time like the present to give her parents ‘the
present’.
    “Mum and Dad I’ve got something for you both from
Rob” Her parents looked at her quizzically and she carried on speaking “It’s a
voucher for La Vie, I found it in his study yesterday.”
    “Oh Carrie” her Mum clutched at the envelope. “That was
so like Rob. So thoughtful.”
    “I’ll take Harry for his bath” Carrie picked up her
nephew, couldn’t stand to stay in the room whilst everyone took in the enormity
of her bombshell.  That’s why she had waited until after dinner.  She
left the room as her Dad comforted her Mum as she too began to cry.
    Carrie took solace in bath time with Harry.  He
was just like his Auntie and loved the bath full of bubbles.  Splashing
water everywhere he truly was a water baby.  She dodged the splashes his
hands were happily making.  Lost in the distraction of bath time and
getting Harry ready for bed the time soon passed.  She felt such a burst
of love for this baby as she stroked his soft cheek cuddling him in her
arms.  Her sister took over the final administrations and he was soon
cocooned in his cot, the nightlight shining a soft glow in the room.
    “Fingers crossed that’s him asleep ‘til
morning.” 
    Carrie was persuaded to stay the night but she
didn’t put up much resistance.  Her empty home held little attraction to rush
back to.  They opened another bottle of wine after their parents went
home.  For the first time in months Carrie relaxed and even managed to get
through the evening without thinking about Rob every waking moment.  A
duvet and pillows and she settled onto the sofa to sleep.  The guest
bedroom now occupied with Harry’s cot but Carrie didn’t mind sleeping on the
sofa.  That’s where she slept the most at home, preferred it to the empty
expanse of her bed.
    It was a muffled thump, thump noise that woke her from
her slumber.  She sat up temporarily disorientated as to where she was,
her head feeling a bit achy from the effects of the wine, her mouth dry. 
Then she remembered she was at Claire’s house.  The noise was coming from
the neighbour’s house having yet another party.  Voices carrying in the
communal stairway, echoing through the old tenement building.  She looked
at her wristwatch it was 3am.  As quiet as she could she went to boil the
kettle and make some tea. 
    “Jeez are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
    “I didn’t think anyone else was awake!”  Carrie
answered “Thought a cup of tea would help me get back to sleep”
    “What’s sleep? Another quiet night in with
the neighbours! If it’s not party, party, party next door... then it’s Harry
teething”
    Carrie took over from making the tea and they sat
back on the sofa.
    “I’m so tired Carrie.  Harry is great and I
love being a Mum but I didn’t recon it would be so much hard work. 
This is the first night he’s slept through in ages and now the bloody neighbours
have started again.  If they wake him!  I will swing for
them.   I complained again to my landlord but they are useless!”
    “Did you renew your lease?  Is there anything
else you can do?  What about complaining to the university?”
    “Yeah, signed on for another year.  We just had
too much going on to look for anywhere else. That’s us stuck until next summer
unless we break the lease and lose our deposit.  We are stuck.” 
Carrie knew that ‘too much going on’ translated to Rob dying and everything
being up in the air.  They hadn’t spoken properly in months and Carrie
felt guilty that her sister was going through her own troubles supporting her
whilst she was stuck in her bubble.  She knew