'I've been in hospital for three days and you're only coming in now?' As usual it was plainly obvious to Bella that she was not high on the list of her mother's priorities. 

'Three days! I only just found out. Why didn't someone tell me sooner?' 

'Richard has been trying to contact you,' Evie told her. 

'Well, he didn't try very hard.' Miranda pouted. 

'He's left several messages.' 

'Why didn't you ring me?' Miranda asked Evie. 'Do you know how much it hurts to think that my own daughters wouldn't contact me?' 

Typical, Bella thought. It was always about what was happening in Miranda’s world. She had no great regard for anything other than her appearance and her alcohol supply. Her daughters came a poor third behind her wardrobe and her alcohol addiction. Bella wanted to ask her if she knew how much she'd hurt her daughters. How much her abandonment of them as young children had hurt, how much her selfishness and drinking continued to hurt. But Bella didn't want to create a scene, she always did her utmost to avoid scenes, although that was hard to manage whenever her mother was around.