Dear Tommy,
I wanted you to be the first to know –
I have just seen Dr Murphy (he kindly agreed to see me today because we’ve been doing so much overtime at the yard) and he has confirmed –
I am pregnant!
I didn’t want to tell you that I had my suspicions in case it turned out to be a false alarm.
But I am!
Dr Murphy reckons I’m about two months gone – well, eight weeks here or there.
Our first child! I’m so excited!
And so happy!
I know you will be too.
I am writing this on Valentine’s Day and couldn’t think of a better Valentine’s surprise to give you.
I’m sending you so much love.
No. Let me rephrase that – we’re sending you so much love.
Stay safe.
I miss you.
I love you,
Polly x
PS I will write to you again tomorrow! And the next day. And the next …
PPS I know it’s still early (and Dr Murphy said nothing is ever certain when it comes to having babies), but what about Arthur if it’s a boy?
Polly sealed the letter, kissed it and hurried out to the GPO.
‘Get there quickly,’ she muttered as she pushed it into the postbox. ‘Actually, just get there,’ she added.
She then turned and walked back to Tatham Street.
This time her pace wasn’t quite so fast. She needed a little time to think about how she was going to tell everyone.
Bel in particular.
‘Where have you been?’ Bel asked. She was setting the table for a later than usual Sunday dinner.
Polly looked around.
‘Blimey, I’ve never known it to be this quiet on a Sunday afternoon. Where is everyone?’
‘Your ma’s just popped the dumplings in the stew and has gone next door to Beryl’s for a cuppa, and Joe’s where Joe always is.’
‘Home Guard?’ Polly asked.
Bel nodded. ‘And my ma’s where she always is—’
‘The Tatham?’ Polly said.
Another nod.
‘And little Miss Muffet is in Arthur’s old room with Tramp and Pup, playing with her toys. She’s a little subdued because we went to see Pat in the Winter Gardens yesterday.’ Pat was a blue macaw and Lucille’s most favourite bird in the whole world. ‘And Pat wasn’t there.’ Bel pulled a glum face. ‘LuLu’s been desperate to know where the bloody bird is, and we just heard from Beryl that Pat is dead.’
Bel sat down at the kitchen table and poured herself a cup of tea. ‘Pat managed to survive the Winter Gardens getting bombed, but there’s been no soft fruit available, so the poor thing’s dropped off its perch. Literally. Beryl said most of the exotic birds have now died off because the kind of fruit they need to survive is non-existent.’
Polly suddenly felt tearful, which was ridiculous. Crying over a dead bird when there were men being killed every day – probably every hour of every day.
‘Oh, Pol, you look as devastated as LuLu. Sit down and have a cuppa.’
‘I’m just being ridiculous,’ Polly said.
‘Maybe you’re just feeling a bit emotional at the moment,’ Bel said, pouring the tea and adding milk.
Polly smiled at Bel. This was the perfect opportunity. Just do it.
‘Actually, I’ve got something to tell you.’
‘Oh yes?’ Bel said, her attention focused on her best friend.
‘Well …’
Polly hesitated.
‘I’m pregnant.’
Bel’s face lit up and a huge smile spread across her face. She jumped out of her chair.
‘Come here,’ she said, putting her arms out. ‘I thought you might be.’
Polly stood up and the pair hugged.
‘This is the best news ever,’ Bel said. ‘I’m so happy for you.’ She stepped back. ‘And for me too.’
Polly looked at her. ‘Really?’
‘Yes, really!’ Bel said. ‘I’m going to have a little niece or nephew to coo over. LuLu is finally going to get another little playmate. She keeps complaining that all her friends have brothers and sisters to play with and demanding to know why hasn’t she?’
Polly gave Bel a hug. ‘That’s why I thought this might be – I don’t know – a bit difficult for you. And Joe.’ Polly looked at her sister-in-law. ‘I know how much you both want to have a child together.’
‘Oh, Polly,’ said Bel, sitting back down, ‘that’s completely different. I’m gutted I haven’t fallen pregnant, but that in no way spoils how excited I am about you expecting. Honestly, you must believe me … I will fall, I’m sure of it. It’s just, for whatever reason, Him up there has decided it’s not the right time.’ She smiled. ‘Whereas this is the perfect time for you. And, most important of all, I’m going to be an aunty for the first time!’
Just then, hearing her mother’s excited voice, Lucille came hurrying into the room, closely followed by the two dogs. She looked at her mammy and then at her aunty.
‘Come here, LuLu.’ Bel stretched out her arms and picked up her daughter, putting her on her lap. ‘Aunty Polly has some good news. She’s going to have a baby, which means you’re going to have a cousin.’
Lucille looked again at her mammy and across the table at her aunty.
‘When?’ she demanded.
The two women chuckled.
‘It takes a while,’ Bel explained. ‘It has to grow in Aunty Polly’s tummy first.’
Lucille shuffled off her mother’s lap and went over to her aunty. She looked at Polly’s stomach.
‘There?’ She pointed at Polly’s tummy. ‘It grows in there?’ Her little face was full of wonder.
Suddenly the front door slammed shut. It was windy outside. A short blast of cold air made its way down the hallway and into the kitchen, followed by Agnes.
‘Nana, Nana!’ Lucille ran to greet her grandmother.
‘Well, this is better …’ Agnes groaned with the exertion of picking up her granddaughter. ‘No more tears over poor Pat, eh?’
Lucille shook her head and declared, ‘Aunty Polly’s having a baby in her tummy!’
‘Is she now?’ Agnes did not look surprised.
Polly felt herself flush. ‘I am, Ma. I’m expecting. Dr Murphy’s confirmed it.’ She stood up and took Lucille off her mother. ‘I wanted to tell you myself. I was just telling Bel …’ Polly let her voice trail off.
‘And are yer happy about it?’ Agnes asked, looking at her daughter’s serious face.
‘Oh, yes, Ma, I’m thrilled to bits,’ Polly said, her face lighting up.
‘Well then,’ Agnes said, ‘if you’re happy, that’s all that matters.’
She walked over to the range and opened the door to check on the stew, letting out a waft of hot air. ‘I’m guessing yer about two months gone? Give or take?’
Polly nodded.
‘Let’s get yer through the next month without any hiccups, eh?’ Agnes said, bending over to pat Tramp and Pup, now curled up in their basket. She stood up straight and stretched her back.
‘I don’t know, yer auld mother’s always the last to know,’ she said, shaking her head and walking into the scullery.
Neither Polly nor Bel could see the smile that had just spread across Agnes’s face.
Nor the tears that had started to well up in her eyes.
When Polly heard Joe come in late from his Home Guard duties, she tiptoed out of her bedroom and into the kitchen where she knew he would be having a cuppa – perhaps even a little Scotch – before he went to bed. His leg still pained him and the whisky helped him sleep.
‘Hey, Joe,’ Polly whispered as she crept into the still-warm kitchen. Her ma kept the fire in the range going for as long as she could, knowing that Joe would need a little warmth when he got back in.
‘Aye, aye, little sis. What you doing up so late?’
‘Trouble sleeping,’ Polly said, watching him pour a small measure of single malt into a glass.
He looked at the bottle before he put it back in the sideboard.
‘Feels wrong having a nightcap without Arthur.’ He smiled sadly. ‘He used to do what you’ve just done. Come out in his nightgown and slippers, have a drink and a little chat.’
‘Really?’ Polly never knew that.
Polly went to pour herself a glass of water and sat down at the kitchen table.
‘I miss him,’ she said. ‘Still feels odd him not being in the house.’
‘I know, like he’s just nipped out and is due back in any moment.’
Polly smiled.
‘I think Lucille’s still a bit teary about him “going to heaven”. Bel said she got upset today when she heard Pat the blue macaw had died. She said LuLu mentioned Arthur a few times in between the tears. I think she blames heaven.’
‘Depriving her of all the things she loves,’ Joe mused. ‘Anyway, here’s to you, old man.’ He lifted his glass. ‘I miss our chats.’
Polly raised her glass of water.
‘Me too.’
They both sipped their drinks in silence for a moment.
‘I’ve some good news,’ Polly said finally. ‘I think Arthur would be pleased.’
‘Oh, aye?’ Joe said. ‘What’s that?’
‘Well,’ she said, taking a deep breath. She kept getting slight palpitations every time she thought about the reality of becoming a mother.
‘You’re going to be an uncle.’
Joe jumped up. Polly saw a flash of pain in his face that was immediately replaced by a wide smile. ‘That’s brilliant news! I’m so chuffed fer yer, Pol!’ He put his arms out and gave his younger sister a big bear hug. ‘Does Tommy know?’
‘I’ve just put a letter in the post to him.’
‘He’ll be on cloud nine, he will. As Arthur would be.’ Joe grabbed his stick, which had been hooked on the back of his chair, and eased himself back down.
‘Yer gonna take it easy at work, though?’
‘Of course,’ Polly said. ‘You sound like Ma. She’s been giving me all the dos and don’ts over dinner. I don’t think she wants to properly celebrate until I get to three months, when she says “the bab’ll be nicely settled in”.’ Polly put on a mock-Irish accent, making Joe laugh.
‘Ah, she’ll be chuffed ’n all. At long last, another grandchild.’
They looked at each other. Both thinking the same thought.
‘Do yer think Bel will be all right?’ Polly asked. ‘I told her first, and she seemed fine. Genuinely happy.’
‘She will’ve been,’ Joe said, his face serious now, ‘but I know she’s gutted she’s not fallen herself. She doesn’t show it much, but I’ve caught her crying a few times when it comes to, yer know, that time of the month.’
Polly took a sip of her water.
She looked at Joe, who suddenly started to smile.
‘I know someone else who’d be over the moon,’ he said.
Polly knew who Joe was talking about; he was never far from her brother’s thoughts.
Tears stung her eyes.
‘Teddy,’ she said simply.
Another one that heaven had taken.