Cathy Glass - The Silent Cry - Part 2 of 3 - There is little Kim can do as her mother's mental health spirals out of control

Contents Cover Title Page Copyright Chapter Ten: The Devil’s Child Chapter Eleven: Trying to Hurt Him Chapter Twelve: Very Serious Chapter Thirteen: Worry Chapter Fourteen: Gina Chapter Fifteen: Everley Chapter Sixteen: Home Again Chapter Seventeen: Progress Moving Memoirs eNewsletter About the Publisher

Certain details in this story, including names, places and dates, have been changed to protect the children.

HarperElement

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published by HarperElement 2016

FIRST EDITION

© Cathy Glass 2016

A catalogue record of this book is

available from the British Library

Cover image © Krasimira Petrova Shishkova/Trevillion Images (posed by model)

Cover layout design © HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2016

Cathy Glass asserts the moral right to be

identified as the author of this work

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Source ISBN: 9780008153717

Ebook Edition © February 2016 ISBN: 9780008156589

Version: 2016-01-19

Cover

Title Page Contents Cover Title Page Copyright Chapter Ten: The Devil’s Child Chapter Eleven: Trying to Hurt Him Chapter Twelve: Very Serious Chapter Thirteen: Worry Chapter Fourteen: Gina Chapter Fifteen: Everley Chapter Sixteen: Home Again Chapter Seventeen: Progress Moving Memoirs eNewsletter About the Publisher

Copyright Copyright Contents Cover Title Page Copyright Chapter Ten: The Devil’s Child Chapter Eleven: Trying to Hurt Him Chapter Twelve: Very Serious Chapter Thirteen: Worry Chapter Fourteen: Gina Chapter Fifteen: Everley Chapter Sixteen: Home Again Chapter Seventeen: Progress Moving Memoirs eNewsletter About the Publisher Certain details in this story, including names, places and dates, have been changed to protect the children. HarperElement An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF www.harpercollins.co.uk First published by HarperElement 2016 FIRST EDITION © Cathy Glass 2016 A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library Cover image © Krasimira Petrova Shishkova/Trevillion Images (posed by model) Cover layout design © HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2016 Cathy Glass asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books. Find out about HarperCollins and the environment at www.harpercollins.co.uk/green Source ISBN: 9780008153717 Ebook Edition © February 2016 ISBN: 9780008156589 Version: 2016-01-19

Chapter Ten: The Devil’s Child

Chapter Eleven: Trying to Hurt Him

Chapter Twelve: Very Serious

Chapter Thirteen: Worry

Chapter Fourteen: Gina

Chapter Fifteen: Everley

Chapter Sixteen: Home Again

Chapter Seventeen: Progress

Moving Memoirs eNewsletter

About the Publisher

School resumed on Monday after the half-term break and the air temperature rose dramatically by ten degrees, as it can do in England, catching everyone unawares and causing the weather reporter to pronounce a heat wave. The sun shone in a cloudless sky and the air was alive with birdsong and the scent of summer flowers. We didn’t need to wear our jackets to walk to school that morning.

Adrian was pleased to see his friends again and they ran around in the playground before school began. Parents chatted to each other, catching up on their news and asking each other if they’d had a nice holiday, and sharing what they’d done. Some families had spent the week at home just relaxing, pleased to be out of the school routine, while others had been more energetic, going out most days, and a couple of lucky families had been abroad for the week. As I talked to my friends I looked around for any sign of Laura, hoping she was now feeling well enough to bring Kim to school, but I couldn’t see her. Then just before the start of school Geraldine walked into the playground, with Kim beside her pushing the pram. Kim was looking around her, proud to be in charge of her baby brother, while Geraldine kept her gaze straight ahead, her face expressionless. I assumed therefore that Laura still didn’t feel up to coming out, or possibly she was just having a lie-in. I’d ask Geraldine how she was if I got the opportunity.

When the Klaxon sounded the children said goodbye to their parents and then lined up ready to go into school. The little groups of parents began dispersing, making their way towards the main gate. I looked over to where Geraldine had been standing. She was now walking briskly towards the exit. She was always one of the first out, slipping out ahead of everyone else, but this time her progress was slowed by the pram. I caught up with her as she waited for her turn to pass through the main gate.

‘Good morning,’ I said. Paula was holding my hand and toddling beside me.

Geraldine threw me her usual tight smile.

‘Baby,’ Paula said, pointing to the pram.

‘Yes. Baby Liam. How is he doing?’ I asked Geraldine. I could just see his little face over the cover, sleeping.

‘He’s well,’ she said.

‘And how’s Laura?’

‘These things take time.’

‘She didn’t feel up to coming here today then?’ I asked.

‘No.’

We were now through the main gate and on the pavement outside and it was clear Geraldine didn’t want to walk with us.

‘Give her my love,’ I said.

She nodded stiffly and then, head down, she set off, pushing the pram at a brisk pace.

‘Baby Liam,’ Paula said again.

‘Yes,’ I said absently. ‘With his grandmother.’

As we passed number 53 Paula and I both glanced at the house, but there was no one to be seen, and we continued our haltingly slow journey home. It didn’t matter that it took us ages; it was a beautiful day and Paula was finding plenty to interest her along the way: ants scurrying across pavements, a cat basking on a sun-drenched wall, front gardens with an array of brightly coloured flowers, all of which were wonderfully new and inspiring to the enquiring young mind of a small child. I wished I had Laura’s telephone number – I could have phoned her; just a friendly call to see how she was, for I didn’t feel I could simply arrive on her doorstep. The last time I’d visited, Geraldine had made it clear that she’d let me know when Laura was up to having visitors again.