Prologue

It was just like any other day, really. The sun was warm as it shone down upon the neighbourhood of Willow Creek, while children played in their back gardens. It was a lovely Saturday where people who had the freedom to could relax.

Liberty Lee had been planning to catch up on Galactic Odyssey today, maybe with her daughter Eileen. They'd actually been planning it for a little while, now.

But then her mobile rang, and when she picked it up, she was greeted by the sound of hysterical sobs.

"Hello?" she asked, nervously.

"Libby, it's...I can't..."

After a few moments, the voice clicked.

"Eva?" She couldn't help but be surprised. "Eva, what's wrong?"

"Everything!" The other girl sobbed on the other end of the phone."Everything's wrong, and I can't make sense of it! I...Libby, I can't stay here, it's all wrong."

Eva and Liberty had been friends at her old job, the one she'd had before she worked for the local space research lab. It had been a temporary job at an office where Liberty had hated it as much as Eva had. They'd spent lunch breaks together, during which Liberty had told her all about her girlfriend and how they were planning to have kids. Eva was younger than Liberty and had always said how much she envied that future. They'd also liked the same shows, and having someone to talk with had made it that much easier to work there.

When Liberty left, she and Eva had slowly fallen out of contact. Of course, as the girls got older, things got more hectic, so she couldn't always reply to Eva's infrequent messages, but she always sent Christmas e-cards, and birthday messages on Facebook.

They had stopped calling years ago, though.

"I have to move, Libby, I have to. Can we come crash on your sofa?"

Liberty's eyes went wide.

"We?" she asked.

"Yes, I, I have a daughter. I just need maybe one night. I need to get out of here."

Summer came up towards her wife, concerned. Liberty looked worn out, and she'd only been on the phone for under five minutes.

"Honey? Is everything alright?" she asked, quietly.

"Eva, I swear, I'll call you back right away. Just let me discuss it with Summer. It should be fine."

Eva went quiet on the other end of the line, and Liberty heard a little girl's voice.

"Mommy? Who's on the phone?"

Click.