Author's POV

Madison wasn't going to wait for anyone, she's had enough of this endless roller-coaster ride. She knew her family would go through a rough patch, she just didn't realize how soon it would be. It was ironic, really. Here she was telling her Mum she felt as though things were going to change, and within a blink of an eye... everything came crashing down.

She notices a few paparazzi men hovering outside the Zoo gates, but she couldn't be bothered. She just wanted to leave.

"Madison! Madison!" One men calls out, they began to grow in numbers, circling around her and snapping their camera.

She pushes her way through them, spotting a taxi cab. Quickly and swiftly, she jumps right in. "Step on it!"

The taxi man does just that, speeding as fast as his pedal could accelerate.

"Where to Miss?" He looks in his rearview mirror.

She gives him the address and slumps back into her seat.

______

Kimberley huffs, calling her wife for the fifth time.

"What?!" Cheryl answers, the sound of tears lingering in her throat.

"Babe—"

"Shut the fcuk up, Kimberley. What do you want?"

Kimberley internally sighs, "Is Madison with you?"

"No. She's with you—"

"No she's not, Cheryl. She left—"

"What do you mean, she left? What kind of Mum just lets her fcuking daughter leave!"

"Say's the one that fcuking walked-out without taking her with you!"

"Oh, and that's all me fault, right?"

They argue back and forth.

"I'll be home soon—"

"Don't bother—"

"Well my fcuking daughter is out there and I have no idea where the hell she's gone—"

"Well at least I use me fcuking brain, unlike you."

"What the hell is that meant to mean?"

Cheryl sighs, "I have her find me iPhone programed on me phone." She confesses, "I set it up two months ago—"

"Thanks for letting me know." Kimberley ends the call before Cheryl had a chance to reply. Her blood was boiling at this point, she just wanted to scream at the top of her lung. But here she was, in a Zoo filled with joyful smiles and laughter, walking alone with a smile nowhere to be found.

____

Cheryl sighs, settling down in the sofa. Lotus cuddles up beside her as she finally catches her breath, it was a long day for sure. An unexpected day as well.

She shoots a text to Madison.

'Come home when you're ready. But please, text us that you're okay. I love you xx'

She sighs once more, on the verge of tears. "You're the only one in this house who actually likes us." She coos, giving Lotus kisses.

She remembers a time when things were perfect, her girls loving her endlessly.

"Are you going to share with me?" Madison asks, shyly.

Cheryl nods in response, "Looks really nice babe." Madison smiles and allows the older woman to walk them over to an empty table.

"Sit here," She pulls Madison to sit beside her, "Gotta share this properly." They giggle and dig into the frozen treat.

"Mmm," Cheryl moans and licks her lips; "This is going to be me new favourite-"

"Really?" Madison's eyes brighten, "Mum says it's too rich, and it's also not healthy to-"

"Well I think it's delicious," Cheryl cuts her off, she forces the sudden anger to be pushed down. "Here have some." She spoons some ice cream and hovers it to the teen's mouth.

"I can feed myself you know-"

"Oh go on," Cheryl pouts.

Madison giggles and accepts the spoon-feeding.

I've never been loved this way.

"Good no?" Cheryl asks and takes another spoonful.

"So good," Madison moans and rests her head against the older woman's shoulder.

They indulge their time with each other, feeding each other, laughing together and most of all.. Madison was slowly loving this woman with every inch of her heart.

Madison: I'm fine.

All Cheryl wanted was happiness for her daughter, that's all she's ever really wanted. They may not be the perfect family, but the love is always there. Even if things weren't going the way they were supposed to, that's what makes a family... isn't it? Something so imperfect, yet, it's home. The fighting was never left without a solution, anger was always resolved and nobody ever left a situation without feeling a sense of relief.

A family is imperfect, but... that's what makes it perfect.

Cheryl sighs once more. She needs someone to talk to, she just needed to get this aching feeling off her chest.

She calls her friend, Nicola.

"Bella! Haven't seen your number pop-up on my phone in quite some time, Mrs.!"

Cheryl smiles, "Hi, Nicola. It's good to hear your voice."

"Aww what's the matter?"

She can hear the concern in Nicola's voice.

This brings instant tears to Cheryl's eyes, "I'm n-not supposed t-to be stressed but, but I can't help it." And here it comes, the emotions flooding.

"Are you home?"

"Mhm." Cheryl hiccups.

"I'll be right over." And with that, she ends the call.

_____

"Stupid." Madison huffs, throwing another piece of rock into the pond. "Stupid." She repeats. Just when she thought her life was taking a turn, even if the bickering was always there... she just never expected for it to fall apart the way that it did.

Madison was a bottler, she bottled her emotions until, well, it overflowed.

She was holding her tears and cries back at the point.

Her phone rings again, beeps again, vibrates again. But she, she wasn't in the mood for another 'talk to me' to sound through that stupid phone.

Nobody would get it.

Yes, she had everything... yet, it was slipping through her fingers.

~~~~~~~

"Are you happy?" Cheryl asks, it's a soft, gentle whisper. They lie in the Teen's bed, wrapped up in each other.

Madison smiles, the warm ambiance settles into her heart like never before.

She nods.

"Is that a yay or a nay?" Cheryl giggles, stroking her daughter's hair away from her face.

Madison giggles, softly. "You already know the answer I don't know why you ask."

"Why do you always have to be a hard ass with us?" Cheryl pulls a face, earning another giggle from her daughter.

"I'm not—"

"You are—"

"I'm—"

Cheryl covers her daughters mouth, "Don't ruin the moment."

Madison smiles behind her Mam's hand, nodding.

"Are you happy?" Cheryl repeats.

Madison nods, muffling a 'yes'

They share a smile, wrapping their arms round one another.

Happiness.

~~~~~~~

Madison walks the rest of the way home, the sun setting into its orange glow in the distance. She walks with countless amounts of memories playing in her head and how she fcuked everything up.

~~~~~

"It came to a point that I wanted to end my own life." Madison whispers to her Mam.

Cheryl doesn't say a single word, she listens.

"I was stuck in this dark hole for so long and... and nobody really cared. It was like taboo to talk about it, to even ask what was going on with me. They just thought it was a phase. That I would get over it... How could you ever get over losing someone that meant the world to you. The only person who ever truly got you?"

"I hope you know that I get you and I always will get you. I don't want you to ever think anything is taboo to talk about." Cheryl takes a deep breath, "Whatever you're going through, or have gone through, it will always be important to us. Everything, and I mean absolutely everything is opened for us to talk about. No matter what it is or how little you may think it will mean to us. Everything that you say means the absolute world to us."

~~~~~~

Cheryl hiccups, crying hysterically as Nicola holds her. "I-I'm sorry." She repeats.

"Don't be ridiculous. There's nothing to be sorry about."

"I-I don't know what to d-do." She sniffles finally sitting upright and wiping her tears away.

"Sometimes space is good—"

"I'm going to be fcuking giving birth in a month, Nicola! This isn't the right time for space." She goes off, "She's a fcuking moron. What kind of wife needs space when all this hell is breaking loose??"

Nicola sighs.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"You need to talk to Kimberley about this."

Cheryl internally sighs in frustration, nobody was getting it.

"Mam?" Madison walks through the foyer of their mansion, shutting the large door behind her.

Cheryl instantly sits up and wipes her tears clean, she didn't want her daughter to see her this way.

"Oh hi, Nicola." Madison smiles, greeting her Mothers friend. "How are you?"

"Good, how are you?"

"Fine thanks..." Madison shifts her eyes, looking at a sad Cheryl. "Have you been crying?"

Cheryl shakes her head, but doesn't say anything.

"I better get going." Nicola smiles, standing to her feet, Cheryl doing the same.

"Thank you for coming." Cheryl holds back a sniffle as she walks out of her friend, "We'll get together another time, when I'm not... yeah."

They share a quick giggle and hug, before parting ways.

Cheryl takes a deep breath before returning to the front room, where he daughter sat, silently.

"What took you so long to come home?" Cheryl asks, it's not a harsh tone, she was just worried.

Madison shrugs, "Time alone is nice... I get where Mum is coming from now."

"Don't listen to what your Mum says."

"Don't do that."

"Do what?" Cheryl sits in the armchair beside her daughter.

"Don't turn against each other, I hate that. I know youse aren't on the same page right now, but don't hate each other over it." She takes a deep breath, "I know you're not happy with me right now—"

"Don't be silly." Cheryl cuts her off, "Our bickering and fighting has nothing to do with us not being happy with you. It's not always going to be a perfect chapter every day, Maddy. We're bound to argue and fight. That's normal."

"Then don't turn against each other."

"Come're." She beckons Madison over, seeing the tears gradually building in her green eyes.

"M'fine."

"Come on." Cheryl sighs, grabbing a hold of Madison's hand and pulling her up to her feet. "I don't know if I can hold you right anyways." She giggles.

"I'm not a baby you know." Madison huffs, sitting across her Mam's lap, with the ever-growing belly taking up half of the space.

"You'll always be a baby to us." Cheryl sighs, placing kisses atop of Madison's head, inhaling deeply as she rests back into the plush armchair.

"You think Mum will come home?"

"I hope so, baby. I hope so."