Livvy’s leave seemed to have passed in the blink of an eye, but now it was nearly over, and much as she loved her job, she was wishing she didn’t have to go back – her mother needed her at home. But there was nothing she could do about it apart from pray the war would soon be over. Thankfully John seemed to be much better. Admittedly he would have to take his time from now on and heed the warnings the doctor had given him, but he continued to improve each day. And then one day as Livvy came down the stairs with an armful of dirty washing, she glimpsed the telegram boy cycling down the drive and she gasped.

Dropping the washing in an untidy pile she raced to the door just as the boy reached it and took the telegram from him without a word. Please God don’t let it be bad news about David, she silently prayed. That on top of the news about Giles would be just too much for all of them to bear. Thankfully, though, she saw that the telegram was again addressed to John so she could only assume that it must be something to do with Giles. Pounding back up the stairs she burst into John’s room and waving the envelope told him breathlessly, ‘This just came for you. It must be something concerning Giles. Shall I open it for you?’

John was sitting in a chair at the side of the bed and he nodded solemnly. If this was to tell him that they had recovered Giles’s body, he knew that he would lose the will to live. He held his breath as Livvy opened the envelope and began to read. Then suddenly she was dancing about the room laughing wildly before racing back to him and grasping him in a bear hug with tears streaming down her cheeks.

‘Giles is alive!’ she squeaked joyfully. ‘Do you hear me? He’s alive! They’ve located him in a prisoner-of-war camp, which won’t be any picnic for him admittedly, but Giles will be coming home when the war is over.’

Now John was unashamedly crying too and when Cissie, Edith and Sunday, who had heard the commotion, came dashing into the room they found John and Livvy with their arms wrapped about each other.

Livvy threw the telegram to her mother who also whooped with delight after she had read it. She knew this news would do John far more good than any medicine the doctor could prescribe and soon she and Cissie were crying tears of joy too. The news was more than any of them, apart from Livvy, had dared to hope for and the air of gloom that had settled on the house began to lift.