“Mum.” Liesl held her hands up, so Sally picked her up. Liesl put her arm around Derek’s neck. “Dad.”
Derek pulled Tom into the group. “Family.”
Sally kissed his cheek. “Our family.”
“Will Harry call you Mum and Dad too?” Tom asked, after a few minutes.
Derek and Sally exchanged a glance.
“He could but I guess he might feel too old to call me anything but Derek.”
Tom shrugged his shoulders. “Can we go tell Ruth and Rachel we have a new Dad?”
“Take your time doing that son. I’ll wait here with your Mum.”
“You’re going to get all slushy again.” Tom picked up the pace as he ran, holding Liesl’s hand, almost lifting Liesl’s legs from the ground as she tried to keep up with him.
Derek held Sally’s hand until the children had gone down the lane.
“Thank you, Derek.”
He put a finger under her chin forcing her to look up at him.
“No Sally, thank you. Not just for this but for everything.”
Epilogue
June 1947 Abbeydale
“Sally, where are you?”
Sally heard the back door shut behind Maggie.
“I’m here, just giving the front room a good dusting. You’re breathless again. Have you been to the doctor yet?”
Maggie waved away Sally’s comments as she had every other time she mentioned the doctor. Sally was worried about her friend and the effect the long war years had on her. Even now, two years after the war had ended, they had to queue for rations. People all over the country were suffering.
In London and other cities there was no accommodation to be found. The houses destroyed by bombs were left the same way they had been when Derek had returned. There was no money to rebuild them. Every penny seemed to be going to repay loans to America or help those in Europe. Sally thanked God over and over, Derek’s money meant they had a comfortable standard of living and gave them the opportunity to help the less well off in their community.
“Maggie, you’re out of breath. I’m calling the doctor.” Sally moved to pick up the telephone. They’d had it installed a month ago. Derek had insisted as he was worried about Sally having the baby alone. Sally had protested, saying there were more deserving cases all over the country and she would wait, but he’d insisted.
“Don’t fuss.” Maggie took a seat at the table. “Sally, I’m old enough to say when I need a doctor.”
Sally didn’t like it, but she couldn’t make Maggie see someone. She gave Maggie a glass of water and then put the kettle on.
“Sally, I met the postman, he had a letter from Rachel. I’m dying to read it but have to wait for Ruth to come home. He gave me these for you.” Maggie took a breath as she handed Sally her post.
She rifled through them, her heart skipping a beat as she spotted Harry’s writing.
“Look Maggie, it’s from Harry. The children will be so excited.”
“Why do you think I hand delivered it. I want to hear all the news, me being a gossipy old witch and all.”
“You aren’t a gossip. Maybe I should wait for the children.”
“No, read it first. Where are they anyway?”
“Derek took the kids down to the river to go fishing with Sam. That old man is such a blessing, him and Sarah are like grandparents to the kids.”
“Less of the old Sally, that couple are younger than I am. How are you feeling?”
Sally patted the bump of her stomach. “He kicks a lot.”
“He? I’d say you are carrying a girl from the look of you.”
“I don’t care what it is, so long as it’s healthy and doesn’t come early. I’m not ready yet.”
“You’ll manage. Now are you going to read Harry’s letter, or do I have to steam it open?” Maggie’s tone was teasing but her eyes held concern.
Sally turned the letter over and over. She didn’t want to open it, yet she was desperate to know. Harry had told her in his last letter, he was searching for Trudi. He was happy to support Sally and Derek in their bid to adopt Tom. It was a fairly straightforward procedure as they knew Tom was an orphan.
But Liesl was different, she might not be an orphan. Had Harry found Trudi? Did the woman want her child back? How could Sally give up the daughter she considered hers.
Sally’s eyes stung. “Maggie, what if he found Liesl’s mother? I couldn’t bear to give her up. I just…” Sally’s voice broke. Her hand shook as she gave the letter to Maggie. “I can’t. Can you open it?”
“Sally, you’ve got to have faith. Whatever the news is from Harry, you and Derek will deal with it. You are not alone. You have a family who love you to the moon and back.”
Maggie’s hands were shaking almost as badly as Sally’s. She seemed to take forever to open the letter and scan the contents.
Her face crumpled and Sally stopped breathing. Trudi was coming back. She would take the children because Tom wouldn’t be separated from Liesl and Sally couldn’t stop her. She stifled the urge to run and find Derek so they could smuggle the children away. Maybe to Ireland, somewhere the authorities couldn’t trace them.
“Sally. Sally, you’re not listening.”
“She’s alive, isn’t she? Maggie, I know I’m horrible, but I can’t give up my children. I know she is Liesl’s birth mother but I…”
“Trudi’s dead, Sally. She won’t be coming.”
Sally couldn’t breathe through the thick, heavy feeling in her chest.
“Oh my God, what have I done? I prayed I could keep those children. I killed her or as good as…”
“Stop that Sally. You didn’t kill anyone, and you love those children from the bottom of your heart. You didn’t want anyone to die when you prayed you wouldn’t lose them.”
Sally’s tears trickled down her cheeks. “How? When? Is he sure?” Harry’s face was as clear as day in her mind. “Poor Harry.”
“Harry confirms what Rachel’s mother hinted at in her letter. Trudi was helping
