Keeping Mom on the Wagon/Introduction

It was a whirlwind courtship. Katelyn Schmidt and Jonathan Jessup met in college, where Jonathan saw right through her pseudo-bimbo facade and cut right to the heart of her, knocking her off her feet and showing her what it was like to be with someone who could really know you. She never felt so exposed than she did with him, and it made her feel incredible. Even then, she used her looks to give her an edge, to make people underestimate her. It was incredibly useful in business, but it made relationships challenging - until Jonathan.

But simply being seen didn't solve all her problems. Despite a superhuman ability to collect herself and power through the business world, she had a weakness - alcohol. It was the one thing they ever really fought about, the one thing keeping their relationship from being perfect. She managed to abstain while pregnant, but a soon as she could start again, she did. All the while, she was clawing her way up the corporate ladder, the stress of playing that game wearing heavily on her.

Then the accident happened.

No one was hurt beyond a few scrapes and bruises. But there was no getting around it - Katelyn had crossed a line, endangering herself and others because her addiction had gotten out of control. When Michael was 10, his parents divorced. Between that and the accident, it seemed to kick Katelyn into shape. She quit drinking, and for four years held herself together. Jonathan was happy about this, but he wasn't the type to put himself in a bad situation twice. The two stayed fairly close, but they'd never get back together. With Katelyn working so much, she let Jonathan take Michael in the divorce, with her having their son over on weekends.

It was one such weekend, late one Saturday, than Michael crept downstairs to get a drink and saw something he shouldn't have. There was his mother in her nightclothes, bottle of wine in hand, talking to the TV. Michael froze, his heart sinking. His mom had never so much as laid a finger on him, even drunk, but seeing her like this again was triggering him nonetheless. He knew where this would end up - another wrecked car, another long battle with insurance... and that was one of the better cases. He had to do something, had to help her. But how?

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, quickly recording the scene. He had no plan quite yet, but he knew without proof he couldn't do much at all. For nearly three minutes he recorded his mother sloshing around the wine bottle, slurring her words, visibly intoxicated, before she started to get up and turn for the kitchen. In a panic, Michael stowed his phone and bolted for his room.

Whose perspective would you like to follow?

• Michael's Perspective
• Katelyn's Perspective

(Note: Both perspectives should be written in third person limited omniscient, this simply determines which character you'll be following mainly.)