Turning round, Molly smiled at her. ‘Our mam was right. You are a good friend.’

Rolling up her sleeves, Rosie asked, ‘Are the children fed?’

‘Half an hour since.’

‘So that’s your da’s dinner you’re cooking now?’

‘Hmh! Though judging by the way he ran out of here like a scalded cat, like as not he won’t be home till midnight. Which means this lovely pie will spoil in the waiting, an’ I’ll have wasted my time as usual.’

‘Right! The children are fed, so all it needs now is to get them washed and off to bed. Am I right?’

‘Eddie’s already washed and in his cot. The others are in the front room, but they’re too quiet for my liking. I was just about to go and check on them when I’d finished this.’

Rosie made a suggestion. ‘While you’re seeing to your da’s dinner, I’ll get the children ready for their wash. We’ll have them in bed in no time at all, then you can relax afore Frank comes home.’

‘Thanks, Rosie.’ Though she chuckled when she heard Rosie making efforts to marshal the children for their wash, and the children protesting, ‘It’s not fair. We have to wash every single night and morning as well!’

Rosie told them that if they didn’t, the muck would stick to them, and pretty soon they’d be growing potatoes all over their skin. That did the trick!

By quarter past nine, the young ’uns were not only in their beds, but sleeping like little angels. ‘You wore them out with all that soap and scrubbing,’ Molly joked.

‘Aye, an’ it’s good to see you relaxing for a change,’ Rosie retorted. ‘I’m keeping a watchful eye on you from now on, my girl, so I am.’ With Sandra gone and Alfie all set to go back to America, Molly was all she had left; apart from Michael, and he was in a world of his own at the minute.

After they’d finished their cocoa, they talked for a while about Sandra, and while Rosie took the cups back to the scullery, Molly fell asleep, curled in the chair. ‘That’s it, lass.’ Rosie covered her over with a coat from behind the door. ‘Sleep while ye can,’ she murmured. ‘I dare say ye haven’t slept soundly for many a night.’

For a time she just sat there, warming herself in front of the fire, watching Molly and wondering.

‘Should I tell him?’ she whispered. ‘I love you both. I’m doing what you asked, and Alfie is following his dream, but what about you? I know how hard it is for you, me darlin’, but I don’t know if I should go against you and tell Alfie the truth of it, or leave things to sort themselves out.’

In her heart she wanted these two together. Yet Molly had extracted a promise that she would not tell Alfie, and now she was duty bound by it. And yet…

Her eyes went to the sideboard, to a picture of her beloved twins, with Molly in the centre. Going quietly across the room, she picked up the photograph and carrying it back to the chair, looked at it for a long, long time. She saw the joy in Molly’s face, and Alfie smiling, with his arm round her. Then Sandra, brash and bold as ever, lifting her skirt hem and showing off her legs, a wide grin on her face. ‘You were a right little devil, so you were!’