Constance and Moira: A History Lesson

Hope And Faith

1995

'Adelaide, hurry your sweet heinie along, child. I'm not waiting forever,' Constance cooed up the stairs to her daughter.

'I can't fit everything in here,' the girl sighed from the top of the staircase, holding up the rucksack her mother had given her.

'It's just for tonight Addie. We're moving next door, not Jupiter, for Christ's sake. We can come back tomorrow. Now go on up and pack some things. Don't forget your toothbrush.' She ushered her along and sighed, fixing her hair as she trailed down the stairs. She sauntered down throughout the house, gracing her hand over the boxes of belongings that were labelled and packed ready to be moved to the next house along. She made her way to the stairs of the basement and poked her head through the door. 'Tate? Tate, honey, are you down here?' She took a few steps, squinting as her eyes got used to the darkness. 'Tate, it's important, baby. Come out.'

'I'm here,' Tate replied, as he stepped into the light of the open door. Constance put a hand to her chest, momentarily alarmed.

'Oh, honey. Why're you always down here, hiding in the dark? Huh?' She reached her arms out to her son, who remained statuesque and motionless, aside from his eyes that rolled at his mother's touch. 'I've come to say goodbye, Tate. Addie and I are moving next door, like I told you.' She pressed her son's head to her bosom, running her fingers through his hair. 'But I don't want you to ever feel alone, okay? I'm going to come and visit you all the time. And Addie will be here. You know that girl, she'll do as she wants, there's no stopping her.' Constance laughed an unsure, throaty laugh to cover the lump in her throat. 'Now, listen here, Tate. I need you to look after your brother. You know how he gets when he isn't around familiar faces. Hmm?' Constance pulled the blonde head from her chest and looked into his dark eyes. 'Are you listening, honey?' He pulled his head away, sharply.

'Yes, I'm listening. Just go if you're going.' Constance's lips tightened as she swallowed again, blinking away tears that threatened to fall. She smiled warmly.

'Okay, sunshine. I'm going.' She stroked his cheek with her thumb and kissed his forehead tenderly. 'Goodbye, my angel. I love you so much,' she whispered. She smiled again, choking on her tears, but refusing to let him see her cry when he clearly cared so little. She turned to ascend the staircase and quickly glanced behind her for one more look. But her baby boy was gone. She sighed, clinging her hands to her chest as she reached the hallway and closed the door behind her.

'You're really going, huh?' Moira asked as she polished the wooden handrail.

'I told you I was.'

'I know but you get these ideas in your head and then abandon them willy-nilly.' Moira glanced at her knowingly, shrugging.

'The eviction notice and letters of non-payment aren't ideas in my head, and they're not just going to go away willy-nilly. Larry's medical bills have cleared me out. And the pot we were planning to rob from under his dead nose,' Constance laughed uncomfortably under Moira's stern glare.

'We could have worked something out. There would have been another plan, somewhere. It just wasn't hidden under a whiskey bottle, which is the only place you were looking for it,' the maid sneered and then sniffed, refusing to cry. 

'Well,' Constance nodded. 'When you're right, you're right. I drank too much. Sue me. I didn't mean for things to go the way they did, Moira. Life just has a way of bringing out the worst in you. If you couldn't handle my worst than maybe... maybe it was never meant to be,' the blonde questioned, sighing and clasping her hands together. Moira scoffed, concentrating intently on her polishing. 'You're just going to ignore me?'

'You're abandoning me,' Moira blurted out, with a whimper. 'You put me here, made me fall in love with you and are now leaving me here forever, alone. I apologise if I'm not in the mood for your mediocre excuses. 'If you couldn't handle me at my worst'? Christ's sake, Constance, what the hell is that?' Moira shouted, exacerbated and hurt. Constance furrowed her brow. 'I deserve more than that. I deserve more than you sneaking out without you even saying goodbye,' she sobbed.

'I know,' Constance whispered, hanging her head as she made her way up to the third step to meet the maid's eyes. 'I'm sorry,' she muttered, taking hold of Moira's wrists and turning her to face her. 'I'm sorry,' she reiterated, sternly. Moira caught a breath in her chest as she bit on her lip.

'You gave me hope, Constance. That, that was such a mean thing to do.'

'BecauseI had hope,' she whispered, reachingup to touch Moira's lips against her own. Addie came bounding down behind themand they parted, shyly. Moira sniffed and closed her eyes as Constance held herclose. 'I just didn't have any faith,' she whispered, before letting the maidloose and descending to Adelaide, who waited near the door for her mother.'Take care of my boys,' Constance called back casually, wiping her eye beforeputting on her sunglasses. 'Let's go, baby,' she urged, taking Addie's hand andclosing the door behind them. Moira dropped the duster on the stairs and sunk,silently sobbing into the hands that still smelt just like her. Constance.