Chapter One

Sitting on the bed, she stared at the picture taken only 4 years ago, how time had changed since then. The happiness on the girls’ faces saddened Sophie, they didn’t know of the pain they would both face a year after the photograph was taken. Sophie hadn’t seen or spoken to Sian in 3 years, the three longest years of her life. They were 26 now, and had spent a 3 weeks in Hawaii to celebrate their 9 year anniversary as a couple together. In the picture she and Sian were dressed in bikini tops and Hawaiian skirts on the beach at sunset. Their hands were entwined with each other’s and at the last second Sian had turned her head to kiss Sophie’s cheek.

Sophie had no idea where Sian was, whether she had found another boyfriend or girlfriend or where she was working. Nothing. A tear slid down her cheek as the memories of their relationship flooded through her. They were best friends and then they fell in love. It was real love, stronger than any other, and Sophie knew she’d never fall for anyone in the way she had with Sian.

Sophie still lived on Coronation Street and worked part time at the nursery nearby. When Kevin sold the Webster’s family home, Sophie and Sian moved to the Weatherfield Quays flats with Sally, but Kevin bought them their own flat near Manchester University when they’d finished college. Sophie graduated university with a degree in childcare, and Sian graduated with a degree in nursing and got a job in Weatherfield General Hospital. Sophie and Sian eventually bought back 4 Coronation Street and lived there together. After splitting up with Jason, Rosie moved in with the girls before moving to London where she got a job as a glamour model.

The sound of a crying baby snapped Sophie out of her daydreams and she wiped away the tears and got up from the bed and ran to her daughter’s bedroom. Sophie had used a sperm donor to get pregnant with her baby girl as a surprise for Sian, but as soon as she found out that she was pregnant, was when the true love was shattered.

Lauren was 3 years old, Sophie named her after herself as she was called Lauren when she had been born, and Sally and Kevin changed her name to Sophie when Rosie said it suited her better.

Sophie picked up Lauren and smiled. It was only 8 in the morning, but Lauren’s eyes were bright and a smile was spread right across her face. She turned towards the door to take Lauren for her breakfast, and her heart dropped as it did every morning. Next to Lauren’s bedroom door was a picture of Lauren as a new born, in the arms of Sophie and Sian. Sophie composed herself and carried her daughter out.

Sian rolled over to face the man lying next to her. She’d been married to Ryan for 1 year and they were now living in Wilmslow with their newborn son Harry.

Ryan was still fast asleep so Sian turned back over and listened for Harry to wake up. She reached under her pillow and pulled out a picture of her and Sophie, and fiddled with the silver necklace that Sophie had bought her for Christmas when they were 17. She’d never taken it off.

Harry began stirring, so Sian got out of bed and walked to his nursery. She lifted him out of his crib and snuggled him close. She was still on maternity leave, so she didn’t have to rush. Ryan got up and straight into the shower, before coming into Harry’s bedroom to kiss Sian before he went to the office. He was very highly paid and bought Sian expensive jewellery, clothes and make up, but all Sian wanted was a simple life, a life that didn’t remind her of her past. Ryan knew all about Sian and Sophie, but he never brought it up, he knew it would upset her.

Sian heard the front door shutting and Ryan’s car pulling out of the driveway and took Harry downstairs to give him his feed.

She sat on the white sofa and switched on the television whilst feeding Harry his bottle and the Jeremy Kyle Show was on. Sian picked up the remote to switch over; she didn’t like the programme, people announcing their personal problems to the nation on television. But she stopped herself; something about the current story caught her eye. “My girlfriend got pregnant by another man” It was a normal story on this kind of programme, but what caught her eye was that the girl that got pregnant was a lesbian. She sat and watched it for a while, with thoughts and forgotten memories swarming around her head like bees. She looked down at Harry, stood up and put him back inside his crib. She grabbed her laptop from her office and took it down to the living room and whilst watching the Jeremy Kyle episode waited for the laptop to load up. Logging into her hotmail account she stopped. What was she doing? Her attention was brought back to the television; the girl accusing her girlfriend had forgiven her. She knew exactly what she was doing. She put in the email address and thought about the wording of her email, it had to sound right, she needed a reply. Then, she began to type...