‘It’s Polly and Artie!’ Dorothy sprang up out of her chair at the sight of Polly bumping the door to the canteen open with her back and dragging the grey Silver Cross that used to be Gloria’s through the doorway. One of the workers sitting at the table nearest to the entrance jumped up and kept the door open, which wasn’t as easy as it looked. The wind had been blowing in from the North Sea all night and had not run out of steam.
By the time Polly reached the women’s table, they had made room for her.
Hannah was first up to greet Artie.
‘Can I?’ she asked, nodding down at the baby.
‘Please do,’ Polly said, taking off her headscarf and shrugging off her coat.
‘Well, this is a surprise,’ Rosie said.
‘You going stir-crazy at home?’ Gloria laughed. Polly had confessed to her on numerous occasions when she had come to drop Hope off that much as she loved her baby boy, her mind and body missed work.
‘Make that past tense, Glor – gone crazy,’ Polly chuckled as she sat down.
‘Well, yer look good for a crazy person,’ Angie said, getting up to fetch a clean cup and saucer for their former workmate.
‘You and the bab all right, pet?’
It was Muriel. She had brought them over a fresh pot of tea.
‘We’re good, thanks, Muriel. Apart from being nearly blown away by these winds.’ She nodded over to her baby boy. ‘Say hello to Artie.’
Muriel wiped her hands on her pinny and took the baby off Hannah. ‘Eee, he’s a bonny lad. Just like his dad.’ She pulled a funny face at Artie. ‘And his ma, of course.’
‘You got some news?’ Martha asked. There had to be a reason for Polly battling through the winds that had been sweeping and swirling their way through the town and into the shipyards. It was not the most enticing day to have a trip across the Wear – especially with a baby.
‘I have,’ Polly said. ‘Much to Ma’s relief, I’ve finally set a day for Artie’s christening.’
‘Yeah!’ Dorothy clapped her hands.
‘When?’ Hannah asked, taking Artie back off Muriel, who couldn’t ignore the growing queue at the counter.
Polly reached over and poured herself a cup of tea.
‘Christmas Eve!’
Her words were followed by an instantaneous outpouring of excitement and joy.
‘That’s brilliant!’ Angie said.
‘Just brilliant,’ Dorothy agreed. ‘And can we bring our beaux?’
‘Of course you can,’ Polly said.
‘Quentin’s not a “beau”!’ Angie snapped.
Everyone looked at her.
‘Well, he’s not, is he?’ She looked at them all, her face like thunder.
Nobody said anything.
Dorothy raised both eyebrows, but not so Angie could see.
‘Christmas Eve is such a wonderful day to baptise a baby.’ Hannah quickly changed the subject as she sat down and continued to gently rock Artie in her arms.
‘And so apt,’ Olly said.
‘What? Because Jesus was born the next day?’ Martha asked, glancing over at Angie, who still looked angry.
‘I suppose so. It signifies the start of a new life, doesn’t it?’ Olly looked around the table.
‘Is it also because you and Tommy got married on Christmas Day?’ Rosie asked.
Polly nodded. ‘I just thought it would be lovely to have Artie christened around the time we got married. It might sound stupid—’
‘Doesn’t sound stupid,’ Angie butted in. ‘Sounds dead romantic.’
Polly smiled at Angie. Every time she’d been with her old squad of late, Angie had sniped at Dorothy and it was usually to do with Quentin.
‘And the vicar was all right about having it on Christmas Eve?’ Rosie asked. She knew Lily and George had bribed the reverend with a large donation for the repairs to the roof so that he would marry Polly and Tommy on Christmas Day.
‘He did grumble a little, but I took Artie with me, which helped enormously.’
‘Good ploy,’ Gloria said, who was sitting next to Hannah. ‘Who could refuse this happy chappie anything.’ She tickled his stomach and he grabbed her finger with surprising strength.
‘Do you think you’ll all be able to get the day off?’ Polly asked, looking at Rosie.
‘I’m sure we can work something out with Helen,’ Rosie replied. ‘Is the service morning or afternoon?’
‘Afternoon,’ Polly said. ‘Two o’clock.’
‘Perfect,’ said Rosie. ‘We can do a half-day. Finish at midday. That’ll give us enough time to go home and get ready. I’ll sort it with Helen.’
‘I’m guessing Helen’s coming?’ Dorothy said sullenly.
‘As she’s one of Artie’s godparents, yes, she’ll be coming, Dor.’ Polly glanced across at Gloria. They’d chatted about the lingering ill feeling towards Helen.
‘So, what’s everyone got planned for Christmas Day?’ Gloria asked. She looked around the table.
‘Just the usual,’ Martha said.
‘Same here,’ said Polly, thinking it would also be her first wedding anniversary and a year since she had last seen Tommy.
‘Me and Ange were trying to work out how we could avoid having to spend Christmas Day with our lovely families, weren’t we, Ange?’
‘Aye, ’cos last year we had the perfect excuse, didn’t we?’
Everyone looked at Polly, remembering the magical wedding day.
‘Aunty Rina and Vera had an idea,’ Hannah piped up, dragging her attention away from Artie, who was doing a good job of hypnotising her.
‘Which was?’ Dorothy asked hopefully.
‘They wondered whether we should all have our Christmas Day meal together at the café.’
‘That’s a brilliant idea!’ Angie said.
‘Salvation!’ Dorothy raised her eyes to the heavens.
‘They thought we could pool our resources – coupons, money,’ Olly said. ‘Then they would buy and cook the food.’
‘What a good idea!’ Rosie said. She laughed. ‘Anything to get out of doing a roast dinner.’
‘And Charlotte will be kept busy all day into the bargain,’ Gloria said.
‘Exactly,’ Rosie said. ‘You read my thoughts.’
The rest of the lunch hour was spent writing a list of everyone who would be going. Rosie said she would ask Lily and George, who she was sure would come as she couldn’t imagine Lily and Charlie being parted on such an important day. When Bel joined the women, she said she’d ask Maisie, but thought that her sister and Vivian were going to the Grand this year, and she doubted her ma would come if the pub got a licence as Bill would need her. Joe, she said, would want to ask the Major, and would that be all right? To which they said they’d be disappointed if he didn’t come. Everyone loved the Major. Polly, especially, thought the world of him as he had given Tommy his flat for the week leading up to their wedding. Martha reckoned her mam and dad would be keen, and that her mam would want to contribute by baking some mince pies. Angie rubbed her hands in glee. They all agreed to invite Georgina and her father.
‘Eee,’ Dorothy said, nudging Angie, pleased that she’d cheered up a little. ‘It’s beginning to feel like Christmas, isn’t it?’