Battered

Chapter 40

"She really was the cutest little thing," Joan says, showing me a faded photograph of a six-year-old Cheryl in her pink ballet tutu, "her dance teacher came up to me after her very first lesson and said how naturally talented she was; that she had something special."

Beside me Cheryl groans and rolls her eyes, "Ok mam, enough embarrassment for one day eh?"

"I think I've got another one in here somewhere" Joan says, ignoring Cheryl and looking through the little pockets in the back of her purse, "Oh, here it is!" she smiles, handing me a picture of Cheryl as a baby.

"Aww, look at those chubby little cheeks!" I exclaim, studying the photo in my hands, "You were adorable babe."

Cheryl playfully pokes me in the side, "What do you mean were?!" she laughs, trying to snatch the photo from me.

I move it out of her reach and have another look at it before handing it back to Joan, who tucks it safely away back in her purse, "Did I tell you about all the bonny baby competitions she used to win?" she starts.

Cheryl sighs loudly and gets up off the sofa, "Right then, while the two of you go on a trip down memory lane, I'm going to make us a cuppa." she leans down to kiss the top of my head and although Cheryl is blocking her mother's view, I can feel Joan's gaze fixed on us.

Even though it's a fairly innocent display of affection, it still causes my cheeks to redden and I look away, down to the floor, as Cheryl leaves the room. Nobody says anything and eventually, after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, I look up to meet Joan's indecipherable stare.

"Can I ask you something Kimberley?" she says, lowering her voice.

I shrug my shoulders, "Umm...I guess so."

"How long have you known that you're...you know...gay?"

The unexpected question makes me blush even harder and I contemplate the best way to answer; wanting to explain myself without going into too much detail, "Well to be honest, I don't really know. Cheryl's the first and only woman I've ever felt this way about."

"I see." Joan says, sounding a little bewildered, "So if you weren't with her you'd still like men?"

"I haven't really thought about it." I answer truthfully, "All I know is that I love Cheryl and she's who I want to be with. I'm not interested in anybody else, male or female, because she's everything I need. She makes me happy."

Joan smiles warmly and leans forward in her seat, "From what Cheryl has told me, it would seem that you make her pretty happy too."

"Really?" I smile back, surprised that Cheryl has been talking to her mother about me.

Joan nods her head but doesn't say anything further on the matter as Cheryl comes back into the room with a tray of tea and biscuits.

"So, have you two finished reminiscing yet?" she asks, putting the tray down on the coffee table and passing me and Joan our drinks.

"Not yet dear." Joan answers, with a cheeky glint in her eye, "I was just telling Kimberley about the time you had a little wardrobe malfunction on stage."

"Mam!" Cheryl cringes, sitting down next to me and burying her face in a cushion.

***********************************************************

"Have a safe journey mam." Cheryl says, giving her mother one last hug, "Call me when you get there"

"I will" Joan kisses Cheryl on the cheek then turns to face me, stepping forward and opening out her arms for a goodbye hug.