Irene’s mother stood in the doorway, tears streaming down as she sobbed, body quivering. The door had just slammed moments before. In all of her ten years of wisdom, she had learnt too many things to last her a lifetime. She learnt the glance her mother would give her father when he came home late, walking funny and stumbling into the furniture. She learnt the sadness in her mother’s face as she tucked her in and daddy still had not come home. She hated the dark, cold stares they gave each other all the time.