As she approached her own gate, her footsteps slowed as she recognised a figure waiting in the shadows; Jimmy. She frowned. It couldn’t be Jimmy – she had just seen him heading off towards the Anchor. As she drew closer she realised it was his twin, Callum. The way he carried himself, the manner in which he hung his head, was one of shyness and reticence, totally different to his brother who walked like he owned the four streets. She stood still, afraid to approach, knowing it was herself that Callum was waiting to see but she had no idea why. Callum sensed her hesitation and moving away from the wall, walked towards her.

‘Mary, I thought it wasn’t you for a moment; I thought the light was playing tricks, but it is you.’ He looked sheepish, glancing down at his boots.

‘Was it me you were wanting?’ she asked, her heart racing. ‘I’ve seen Jimmy; I mean, I just saw him down on the parade, with a girl.’

Callum grimaced. ‘Ah, I wanted to see you first, to warn you. That was Franny; she lives down the Dock Road. I didn’t want you to see for yourself and as soon as I knew they were going to the Anchor…’ His voice trailed away, and then he looked up at her. ‘I think he treated you badly and I wanted to warn you, that’s all.’

‘Oh, I don’t want to see Jimmy at all.’

Callum was taken aback by Mary’s answer. He had not been able to get the look on her face when she had seen them on the bus platform out of his mind. It had not been him she was looking at, it had definitely been Jimmy.

‘I don’t want to see Jimmy.’ She said it again, just so that he was sure.

Callum looked up and straight into her eyes; her words had lit a flame in his heart.

‘Mary, your hair looks lovely.’

Mary blinked and smiled. Cindy had said that and Eric and now Callum, the third person to see her, had said it too.

‘It’s so modern.’

She felt dizzy. It was as though, when her hair was swept away from the salon floor, so was the old Mary too. She made to speak but was stuck for words. No one ever told Mary that she looked lovely and it was all becoming too much too fast. She had been shown a new life, fallen out of love and told she looked lovely for the first time ever and all in the space of half an hour.

Callum could see she was confused and knowing it was now or never, he tried again. ‘Mary, would you give me a chance? I am not my brother… Would you let me take you to the picture house in town?’

Mary clasped her hands together. ‘The picture house? I-I’d love to,’ she said.