Chapter Text
Carla Connor had changed into black, satin pyjamas, still feeling guilty over tearing into Lauren Bolton and everything that had happened to Roy Cropper, thanks to her skipping town and letting everyone believe she had been murdered. Rationally, she knew none of this was Lauren’s fault. She was young and vulnerable and Carla dreaded to think what had happened to her to make her run and stay away. It wasn’t like she was well aware of the dangers a woman could come into in such a situation. She had been there.
But she was also fiercely protective of Roy, whose life had been ruined by the unfounded accusations that had landed him in prison. Roy was the kindest, gentlest man she had ever met. He was the father she wished she had had, which was a complicated feeling, as she had eventually met her real Dad in recent years and bonded with him, until he’d died a few years before. But it was Roy who meant so much to her. It was Roy and his late wife, Hayley who had loved her unconditionally. It was Roy she would fight for, no matter what.
Snapping at Lauren had driven her nephew, Bobby out of the flat and to the pub with his mates in a rather stroppy manner. And her guilt was making her ponder a glass of wine, even though she had had three at The Bistro earlier. Perhaps that had made her a bit mouthier than she would have otherwise been. Who was she kidding? She was always mouthy.
Her rambling thoughts were interrupted by the buzzer. She rolled her eyes, assuming Bobby had forgotten his keys. Again. She hauled herself up off the sofa.
“If you’ve forgotten your keys again…” she started.
“Um… It’s Lisa,” came a slightly awkward voice in reply.
Carla was a little surprised.
“Swain,” she added.
Carla smiled to herself; as if she didn’t know who Lisa was and as if she wouldn’t recognise her voice.
“Come on up,” she said, buzzing her in.
Then she panicked, looking down at her pyjamas and wondered if she could get changed before Lisa made it up the stairs. No, was the answer, as there was a soft knock on the door. She opened up and the two women smiled a little awkwardly at each other.
“Sorry,” Lisa said, obviously having noted Carla’s attire. “I didn’t mean to wake you at… 8pm?”
Carla blushed.
“I had a very long day,” she excused herself. “Bath. Pyjamas. And I was heading for a glass of wine. You’re welcome to join me if you’re not on duty?”
Lisa hesitated. Her instinct was to say no. Really, she needed to get back to Betsy. That was a whole other situation she needed to deal with. But she too had had a long day and a glass of wine sounded like heaven right about now.
“Actually, that sounds wonderful,” she accepted.
Carla was surprised but pleased, gesturing for her to sit on the sofa while she poured their drinks.
“I do have to warn you – I’ve had three already so if I start talking rubbish, you might just have to put me to bed and let yourself out!”
Lisa chuckled and accepted the rather large glass, as Carla came to sit beside her. She tried really hard not to notice the low cut on her pyjama top and that she wasn’t wearing a bra.
“So, I just wanted to thank you for your help today,” Lisa said. “With Betsy.”
“Oh, I didn’t do anything really,” Carla said.
She immediately felt guilty for the secret she was keeping. She felt sick about what had happened with that lad, hitting him with her car door. And that Betsy had a hold over her for it.
“You did,” Lisa said earnestly. “I was really frightened when she phoned me and just being there with me… it made such a difference and I am so grateful.”
She put her drink down and leant over, digging around in her bag. She produced a small box of chocolates, offering them to Carla.
“Just a token,” she said a little shyly.
“Oh, you didn’t have to do that!” Carla said, accepting them.
“I just wanted to say thank you properly,” Lisa explained. “I’ve been… It doesn’t matter. Just... thank you.”
“It does matter,” Carla said softly, touching Lisa’s hand.
Lisa gazed into Carla’s eyes for a moment.
“I’ve been struggling on my own with Betsy for two and a half years,” she said. “It’s been one of the loneliest experiences of my life. Honestly, I feel like I’m getting everything wrong and I have no idea what I’m doing. Bex was just so much better with her than I ever was, right from when she was born. I’ve always felt like I’ve been failing her but it wasn’t such a disaster when she had another parent to rely on. Now, it’s just me and her so every time I screw things up, that’s it. So, when I got that call, I panicked and that feeling of fear and complete isolation hit me all over again. Then you said you’d come with me to help me, help her and it was the first time since Bex died that I felt like I had any kind of support with her, that it wasn’t just me floundering in the dark. And it just… it meant a lot to me to have someone else looking out for her. Even though ten seconds before you’d been saying what a menace she’d been at the factory. When you knew she was in trouble, you still cared.”
“Well, firstly, thank you for being so honest with me,” Carla said.
She gently squeezed the hand she was still touching.
“Secondly, I am so sorry for all the pain and isolation you’ve been feeling. And thirdly, I do care about Betsy – even when she’s causing havoc at the factory. And I care about you too. I know it could never be the same as having your partner to turn to but I’d like to be your friend. I’d like to support you. Not just with Betsy but with anything. I really would like us to be friends, Lisa.”
“I would too. Unless… this is you talking rubbish and the point at which I have to put you to bed?” she teased.
Carla laughed and shook her head.
“No, I’m good for a while yet! Plus, I haven’t had a chocolate yet.”
She opened the box and offered it out Lisa, who declined, pointing out that they were a present.
“And therefore, they need to be shared!” Carla insisted.
Reluctantly, Lisa took one. Carla dived in, thanking her again and musing that she ought to do good deeds more often.
“So, how long were you and Bex together?” Carla asked.
She had no qualms about being nosy. Lisa respected it about her.
“We were just shy of twenty four years,” she said.
“Twenty four years?!” Carla exclaimed. “No breaks?”
“None. I know. I’m boring.”
“No, I think that’s amazing,” Carla said sincerely. “Wow. Twenty four years.”
Lisa smiled to herself.
“We met a police training,” she explained. “On the first day. We just clicked and that was it.”
“Blimey! You were just kids!” Carla exclaimed. “And there’s never been anyone else?”
“I mean, I had a girlfriend at school but that was really quite a long time ago now,” Lisa said. “Were you and Peter together for a long time?”
She was keen to shift out of the spotlight. She was used to being the one who asked the questions. Carla chuckled a little and took a sip of her wine.
“On and off, yes, a long time. I mean, not twenty four years, long. And we’ve both been with people before and in between. My love life has been pretty complicated. I can’t imagine being lucky enough to love someone the way that you and Bex loved each other. I always seem to pick the wrong kind of bloke.”
She looked at Lisa for a moment.
“I’m so sorry for everything you’ve lost. It’s so unfair.”
“She was definitely my better half,” Lisa said.
“Well, she must have been bloody amazing then because I think you’re wonderful,” Carla told her, surprising them both.
But she meant it.
“Well, you weren’t saying that a few weeks ago,” Lisa pointed out.
“That’s how we know it’s true,” Carla said brightly.
Lisa eyed her quizzically. Carla leaned in a little conspiratorially, touching her hand again. Lisa tried very hard yet again not to look at her pyjamas.
“You know exactly how protective I am of Roy. Only half an hour ago, I’m ashamed to say that I threw Lauren out of the flat-,”
“Carla!” Lisa protested.
“I know. I’m a cow.”
“No, I do get it but…”
“I know,” Carla said, holding Lisa’s gaze. “I know. I will apologise. But what I’m trying to say is, that’s how protective I am of him. That’s how much I love him. And it was your investigation that landed him in prison.”
Lisa sighed heavily and looked down. Carla reached out and tilted her face back up.
“But I know that you wouldn’t have arrested him if you’d had any choice. You’re a good police officer and you’re fighting for justice and for people. I know you didn’t want to arrest him and I know every day that he was in there, you were trying to prove who really did attack her. You didn’t even fight against the bail application because you knew he wasn’t a danger. It was only because of that bitch who harassed him, that he got his bail revoked.”
She sighed.
“What I’m trying to say is that as I’ve got to know you, I’ve got to know what an incredible person you are. I mean, you even put in a good word for me with Roy, persuaded him to forgive me and be my friend again. I can’t even tell you how much that meant to me. So yeah, I think you’re wonderful. And perhaps you need to start thinking a bit more of yourself.”
She rested her palm briefly on Lisa’s cheek. Lisa closed her eyes for a moment before they recovered themselves and drew away from each other. Carla picked up her glass and drained it.
“Another?” she asked.
Lisa, looked at the time. It was nearly nine thirty. She still had to talk to Betsy about everything that had happened today. In truth, she had been avoiding it. Plus, Carla’s flat and company had been exceptionally inviting.
“I’d better not. I need to head home and deal with my daughter,” Lisa declined. “But thank you again for everything. And for the company.”
“It’s been nice,” Carla said. “We should do it again.”
“I’d love to. Betsy and I have actually just moved round the corner. You’d be very welcome to come over.”
She hoped she didn’t sound too eager. To her relief, Carla warmly accepted.
“Just give me a date and a time.”
“I’ll text you,” Lisa said.
“Oh, you don’t need a cab or anything?” Carla checked at the door.
“I can walk,” Lisa assured her. “It’s not far. Thanks for the wine.”
“Thanks for the chocolates!”
Outside in the fresh air, Lisa phoned Betsy.
“Don’t tell me, you’re working late?” the surly teenager replied.
“I’m on my way home. Where are you?”
“I’m about,” Betsy said.
“Where? As in, give me your location.”
“Near the red rec.”
Lisa rolled her eyes.
“Well, I’m just leaving Carla’s, so can you meet me now please?” she requested. “We can walk home together.”
“Walk?” Besty said, horrified, slipping out of the factory, where she had been working with Beth Tinker, having just busted her for working on counterfeit products out of hours. “You are aware you have a car?”
Lisa hesitated, not entirely sure what to say. Did she tell her she’d been having a drink with Carla? What would Betsy think? Should she just say it was a nice evening to walk? But she had never been a good liar.
“I’ve had a glass of wine,” she decided upon.
“You had a drink with Carla?” Betsy asked in person, appearing round the corner.
They both hung up their phones.
“Yes, just one,” Lisa said.
“Why?”
“We’re friends.”
“Since when?”
“I don’t know. I went round to thank her for her help earlier and she asked me in for a drink.”
“You don’t fancy her, do you?” Betsy asked worriedly.
“What? No, of course I don’t.”
That was definitely a lie. She couldn’t stop picturing her in those pyjamas. Black and soft satin with white trim round the edges, a pocket on the breast.
“Because you can’t forget Mum,” Betsy insisted.
“Betsy, I’m never going to forget your Mum,” Lisa assured her. “No matter what.”
Betsy nodded and carried on walking beside her.
Next time... Lisa invites Carla for a family dinner with her and Betsy...