‘No, it’s not all right.’ Glancing back down at his wife, he said softly, ‘Would you like me to be here with you, lass?’ and at Rose’s nod, added, ‘That’s that then.’

As he left the bedroom he could hear Kathy muttering under her breath but it didn’t bother him an iota. All he was concerned about was Rose and he knew she would want him to be at her side during the birth of their child. She’d had moments of panic about the confinement for weeks now, and the dire tales some of the old wives hereabouts took great delight in relating didn’t help. They never mentioned births that went as smoothly as clockwork but let them cotton on to a horror story and they couldn’t get enough of passing it on. If Rose had had a mam or a close female relative she could have talked to, it wouldn’t have been so bad, he thought as he got a big pan of water on the hob. As it was, she only had him to discuss her fears with and he’d spent many an evening holding her in his arms and reassuring her all would be well. Not that he had any clear idea of what exactly was involved in having a bairn, but he’d done his best.

When he returned to the bedroom with the hot water and a cup of tea, Kathy didn’t mention him leaving again but her attitude made it clear she was far from happy. He sat beside the bed, holding Rose’s hand and wiping the sweat from her brow now and again, murmuring words of love and encouragement as the pains intensified still more. When she began to push she clung to his hand as though it was a lifeline and he wondered how much more she could take. Stupid, perhaps, but he hadn’t expected the birth to be so painful or such hard physical work; how women did it over and over again was beyond him, but Kathy seemed to think all was well and progressing as she expected.

He saw the midwife look between Rose’s legs before sliding a towel under her bottom as she said, ‘Another couple of pushes and you’ll be holding your babby, Rose. Come on, lass, nearly there now.’ And sure enough a minute later Rose gave a long drawn-out groan and the baby slid into Kathy’s waiting hands, immediately giving a mew of a cry and then another.

‘You’ve done it, lass, you’ve done it,’ David whispered as he bent and kissed his wife. Kathy deftly cut the umbilical cord and put a clothes peg on it, before giving the baby a quick wash which made it squawk and cry in earnest. Wrapping it in a clean towel, Kathy handed the child to Rose, whose tired face was alight with happiness.