text: Kate sat in her car, parked just underneath the golden arches. The warm, welcoming glow from the sign above illuminated her car as if it were a celestial sign from the heavens. She had been sitting there for five minutes, staring straight ahead towards the overflowing, well branded bin. Her hands positioned still at ten and two on the steering wheel in a fierce grip that left her knuckles white as snow. Kate was awoken from her trance by the slamming of car doors next to her. A high pitched squeal waddled towards the place where moments of happiness were made, boxed and sold for £2.99 a head. Kate stole a glance at the chubby little fella storming the castle, his parents walked slowly behind, zombified and disinterested from the world around them. She sighed and let go of the steering wheel. She stroked it apologetically for how hard she had held it. Kate unbuckled her seatbelt gently and got out of her beautiful old car. She stretched and breathed in the nugget heavy air. Kate admired her car. It was nothing special. It did however have a rather magnificent coat of green, that is if you bothered to chisel away at the mud that had caked on over the years. Kate made a mental note to wash it for the thousandth time. 'Old Faithful' she had named it. Old faithful was the world's most reliable car, it certainly had no bells or whistles to be found, age was definitely starting to show in a few places, yet unlike a lot of Kate's life, Old Faithful had never once let her down. Old Faithful had become her freedom and salvation. Kate had one true love in her life, and it was for her car. She locked it and gently patted the wing mirror. Kate turned and walked towards the luminescent temple that beckoned her to enter. Her smile faltered, she thought back to the last time that she wanted something so silly and small. There wouldn't have been a hope in hell not so long ago, that she would have been allowed something as useless and frivolous as this. She was an adult. She had been expected to behave as such. Adults didn't have Smartie infused McFlurries at night. They had red wine, dark chocolate, dry roasted peanuts. All still very nice things mind. But being an adult ment that she would have to do adult things very quietly. Like washing up. Sewing a cushion. Making greetings cards for people that she would rather send a terd in a box. Keeping a home dust free and scented of tropical tiger lillys at all times. Those where the things she had been told to do in order to be an adult. For a long time, untill now, she had obeyed obediently. Being a quiet, reserved, very boring version of herself. Kate shook her head. She didn't want to think about it. That was then, and this is now. She pushed open the door. The door glided open gleefully, squeaking as it did so, almost cheering that she had arrived and welcoming her in. Kate turned sharply towards the play frame in alarm at the high pitch scream that emitted from it. She quickly spotted little tubby fella who was quite clearly on a sugar high. He ferociously beat his fists on his chest, screaming loudly as he could, asserting dominance over his new found kingdom. Kate glanced at the nearby table his parents were sat at. They seemed so oblivious to their child as they sat just resting with their faces glued downwards towards their phones. Kate felt a pang of pity for both parties. The tubby little fella that was literally screaming out for love and attention, and his parents, who seemed so very drained of life itself, that they had very little left to give of themselves to their family. This magical place seemed to give them all a reprieve. Kate joined the queue and smiled, amused at the little tubby fella that had taken control of the ball pit and had cornered the other children all by himself, pulverizing them with well aimed half eaten foam balls that look oh so slightly as though they could be infested and harbouring disease. Little tubby fella was truly on a mission. At least his parents were able to rest in a moment of ignorance for a while. Kate should have been more like the little tubby fella. She should have invoked her inner Tarzan and demanded better. She didn't realise quite just how bad things had become untill her moment of realisation when she had just had enough and smashed a few plates early one morning many months ago. Not out of frustration, not out of joy or even madness. Just because she wanted too. A moment of release. A moment of control. Her husband at the time screamed blue murder, became his inner Tarzan and tried to assert his dominance once again. He called her crazy. He was probably right. He threatened to have her locked up and examined. He didn't want to listen to her reasoning. He liked status quo. He liked quiet Kate that she had become. He didn't like plate smashing Kate that was remenisant of the person he had first met. Kate had been in a pure state of bliss in that moment. She couldn't really care what he thought. She hated those plates with a burning passion. They were chipped to high hell and were found by the side of the road and bought home because they were free. She hadn't been allowed to replace them no matter how much she asked, even with her own money. She truly relished the moment of doing something stupid, without reason or care and of her own free choice. Kate started to become her own person again after that. She listened to music again, she read, she drew, she danced under the moon with a bottle of wine to her favourite songs and started to have the biggest smile on her face once more. Kate learned to say no and found her strength to stand up for herself when times became a little heavy handed, she got herself well away from the situation at hand and found herself a tiny, grotty little flat to call her own. She took control of her own life again. And now.. now she was going to have a McFlurry because she wanted one. She was going to pay for it with her own money that she had worked hard for. She was not going to ask anyone's permission, she certainly wasn't going to listen to anyone's opinions on the matter. Kate stepped up to the cashier. She was beaming from ear to ear. It felt like it had been such a very long journey just to get a dollop of ice cream. Kate placed her order, paid and quickly received her holy grail. Her inner little tubby squealed with delight. She savoured that first spoonful. Did it taste of happiness? Yes. Yes it did.