Sunday felt herself melting a little. She’d always liked David. In fact, she’d hoped at one time that he’d ask Kathy to marry him. She wondered suddenly if perhaps he had proposed, and Kathy had turned him down. It would be just like her stubborn daughter. And if that was the case, then she doubted Kathy would welcome the visit.

‘I’m not sure that she’ll want to see you,’ she said in a slightly gentler voice. ‘But if you don’t mind waiting, I can pop up and ask her?’

‘Oh yes … yes please.’

‘Very well.’ Sunday went upstairs to Kathy who was propped up on pillows breastfeeding Thomas. She had already fed Daisy, who was always the greedier of the two.

‘You’ve got a visitor,’ Sunday told her as Kathy leaned Thomas forward and began to pat his back to bring up his wind.

Kathy smiled. She welcomed visitors. They relieved the boredom at the moment. ‘How lovely. Who is it?’

‘It’s David Deacon.’ Sunday watched the smile slide from the girl’s face and added hastily, ‘But you don’t have to see him if you don’t wish to.’

Thomas gave a loud burp and Kathy handed him to her mother who lay the child back in his crib.

‘I … I think I will see him,’ Kathy said quietly. ‘Will you pass me my hairbrush? I’d better try and make myself look respectable.’

Sunday did as she was asked before going back downstairs to David. ‘She’s in the first bedroom door facing you on the landing, go on up and I’ll bring you both a tray of tea,’ she told him and, without a word, he began to climb the stairs.

‘Come in,’ Kathy said, when he tapped at the door.

David took a deep breath and entered the room. Kathy was sitting up in bed eyeing him rather tentatively, but he thought he had never seen her look so lovely. Her dark hair shone and there seemed to be a glow about her. Since she had ended their relationship, he had tried to put her out of his mind and his heart. He had even stepped out with other girls, most of them nurses, but no one could take the place of Kathy in his affections.

‘How are you?’ he asked as he stood clutching the flowers, and then his eyes fell to the little cribs at the side of the bed and before he could stop himself, he found himself walking towards them and gazing down at the babies.

‘Kathy … they’re just … beautiful.’

She smiled and her whole face lit up. ‘They are, aren’t they? And they’re so good. I can’t wait to be up and about so I can take them for a walk.’