Without Me

No Love

Beep, beep.

Ashley groaned as she swung her right arm out from under the warmth of her duvet to hit the snooze button located on the top of her alarm. She cursed as her first hit missed, allowing the alarm to keep making its annoying high pitched beeping sound. Huffing, she pulled herself up into a seated position and shut it off.

Sunlight came flooding in from a small gap in her curtains, which caused her to scrunch her eyes shut for a few moments until they got used to the bright light. She'd also left the window open and the light morning breeze tickled her toes as heaved her self up from out of the bed covers, perching herself on the edge of the bed. Just before she stood up she glanced over at her wedding photo once more; it had been thirteen very, very long years.

She looked past the framed photo to look at the time her alarm clock currently displayed. It alerted her that the time was 6:00 am in big red glowing numbers. The time meant she really needed to get moving and make Jamie breakfast before he went to school. So without wasting any more time, she slid on her white fluffy slippers onto her cold feet and a black silk dressing gown over her vest and shorts, which she had worn to sleep in.

Silently, as not to wake Jamie up just yet, Ashely crept down the stairs and into the kitchen. She smirked knowingly at the sight of two pizza boxes shoved awkwardly in the bin. Their lids squashed down into the boxes trays in an attempt to make them smaller and fit in the bin. At least they'd tried to tidy up.

***

''Morning Mom,'' Jamie greeted his mother as he dragged himself into the kitchen at quarter to seven, exactly forty five minutes after her.

''There's pancakes on the table if you want some,'' Ashley replied pointing to the plate of pancakes which sat proudly in the middle of the small round table that in the centre of the kitchen.

''Don't mind if I do,'' he smiled as he grabbed a plate from one of the cupboards and loaded it up with a few pancakes curtsy of his mum.

''You're staying around Tom's tonight right?'' Ashley asked as she sat opposite him a mug full of coffee cradled in her hands.

''Yeah,'' he answered his mouth full of pancakes, ''is that ok still?'' he asked once he'd swallowed.

''Yeah, I was just checking,'' Jamie just nodded, but her tone put him on edge slightly. He didn't question it because he knew better, although it didn't stop him from trying to work out what was wrong.

''Are you ok?'' he asked resting his knife and fork down on his now empty plate.

''Of course, why wouldn't I be?'' it wasn't really a question as she picked up his empty plate and placed it in the dishwasher, ''you should be getting ready, Kim will be here to pick you up soon,'' Ashley added as she glanced up at the clock.

Jamie just stared at her for a few seconds as if debating whether he should say what was on his mind at that moment. However, he decided to  dismiss the feeling,  instead he silently left to go and get ready for school.

***

At precisely seven Kim pulled up at the front of the house and Jamie left with her, which left Ashely in the house alone.

She was already dressed for the day in a pair of jeans and a hooded sweatshirt (there had never been a dress code at the studio) when the shrill sound of her ringtone echoed throughout the house. Talia, that was the name that flashed across her screen. Once she slid it across, she put it on speaker as she tied her curly hair up into a ponytail.

''What the hell Ash?'' Talia shouted and Ashley was instantly glad she'd decided to put her on speaker otherwise she may have gone deaf in one ear.