Epilogue
There’s nothing left for Kelly. She’s fucked everything up.
But it’s not all her fault – she knows that now.
She’s been stitched up completely. She should never have trusted that woman, never should have believed her when she said she was Kelly’s friend.
Her baby’s been stolen from her, simple as that.
Who’s going to believe her, though? It’s between a smack-addict shoplifter and a professor’s wife. No one’s going to take her side. If she reports it to the authorities, the baby will be taken straight into care. Who’d let Kelly be a mum?
Louise. Her little Louise. Her biggest hope.
She was going to make her family proud, show them how she was worth a second chance.
She had the flat, she had the job, the support from the charity.
She was going to show them what she could do, why they should let her back in.
Mum, meet your namesake, your granddaughter. I named her for you.
That’ll never happen now. Her mum’ll die before Kelly gets out of here. She’ll never get to meet Kelly’s baby. Her sister will never know she’s an aunt, that her kid’s got a cousin.
Kelly should never have accepted help from that woman at the hostel, let her look after Louise for her.
Nothing ever comes for free. The pack of heroin Kelly found in her pocket – she knows it wasn’t hers.
Rachel must have put it there to tempt her back into addiction.
But Kelly didn’t need to take it. Or the rest, hurtling back out of control, the way she always has.
That woman knew what she was doing, all right.
She knew how impossible it would be for Kelly to keep clean.
Kelly can’t go on. Louise has gone. Everyone’s gone. She’ll never break free. Rachel’s made that clear. She’ll do anything to keep Kelly’s baby.
It ends now. Kelly’s got the blade. At last the pain will stop.
But before she does, she’s going to leave the phone with this sleeping stranger.
She tried to wake her, but she can’t. There’s no way to explain.
But maybe, just maybe, there’s a chance.
She can’t let Rachel get away with this, setting her up, stealing her baby like this. Kelly’s own flesh and blood.
If she thought she could destroy Rachel, she’d stay alive for that. She’d do everything in her power. But there’s no chance, not now she’s inside. No one’s going to listen to her. Social services would never let her keep Louise.
Please, she urges the stranger. Please turn on the phone, see the number. Track her down.
It’s a long shot, but it’s all she’s got.
The only way to get Louise home.