hospital all night.’
‘She’s actually had the baby?’
‘Am I talking to myself? Yes, she’s had the baby and you have a son.’
‘Christ,’ Kevin said, sinking back with shock.
‘Make us all a drink, Bernie. I’m fair worn out and without any sleep I don’t know how I’m gonna cope with the café today. Bloody hell, who’s gonna do the vegetables?’
‘I can’t believe this, Mum,’ Kevin said as his father scuttled from the room. ‘The baby wasn’t due yet.’
‘He came a bit early, but he’s fine and you can see him later.’
‘And Pearl’s all right?’
‘Yes, of course she is.’
‘Bloody hell, I’m a dad,’ Kevin whispered in awe.
‘I’ve been trying to get that through your thick skull for the last fifteen minutes.’ His mother’s words sounded harsh at first, but now she smiled softly. ‘He’s a lovely baby and the spitting image of you.’
‘Is he?’ Kevin said eagerly. His son! And he couldn’t wait to see him.
‘Here you are,’ Bernie said, passing a cup of tea to Dolly and then handing one to Kevin.
Dolly yawned widely. ‘Trust that girl to go into labour at such an awkward time, and now we’re well and truly stuck.’
‘You could ask Madge to do the vegetables. The new waitress will just have to manage on her own.’
‘I suppose it’s a possibility, but she ain’t gonna be too happy about it. Still, it’ll only be for just over a week. Pearl will be home again then and we can get back to normal.’
‘I don’t see why Kevin can’t give us a hand. If he takes over the counter, I can cover for Madge while she’s working in the kitchen.’
‘Leave it out, Dad. I’m going to the hospital to see my son.’
‘You can’t go yet,’ Dolly said. ‘Visiting time isn’t until one o’clock and there’s nothing to stop you giving us a hand. That goes for every day until Pearl comes home.’
‘But, Mum—’
‘No arguments, Kevin,’ she said, her voice firm. ‘It won’t hurt you to help out. After all, it’s your wife that’s putting us to all this inconvenience, and until she can get back to work we’ll have to pull together.’
Kevin gazed up at his mother, wanting to argue, but this time he could see that she was in no mood for cajoling. She looked tired, dark rings under her eyes.
Suddenly he was struck by a thought. ‘Hold on, Mum. Pearl won’t be able to work in the café when she comes home. She’ll have the baby to see to and I don’t fancy taking Dad’s place behind the counter permanently.’
‘Don’t worry, son, there’ll be no need for that. I’ve got it all worked out but I’m too tired to talk about it now. I’m gonna have a bath and hopefully it will freshen me up.’
Kevin frowned, wondering what his mother had in mind, but then his mouth tightened. Christ, he dreaded working in the café and, like his mother, he’d be glad when Pearl came home.
Dolly was pacing up and down, the baby held firmly in her arms. ‘One more day off, Pearl, and then you can get back to work.’
‘But how? I can’t leave Johnny.’
‘We just need a routine, that’s all, and I’ve worked it all out.’
‘But—’
‘It’s simple,’ Dolly interrupted. ‘You can start work extra early and I’ll look after the baby while you prepare the vegetables. As long as I’m downstairs by six o’clock it’ll be fine, and you won’t need to be in the kitchen again until it’s time to cook them.’
‘Who’ll look after Johnny while I’m doing that?’
‘Kevin can watch him for an hour or so or, failing that, we can have him with us in the kitchen.’
Pearl ruminated on Dolly’s words. Yes, she could start work early, but would she be able to drag herself out of bed? ‘I’m hardly getting any sleep. Johnny only lasts an hour before he wants another feed.’
Dolly smiled fondly at the baby. ‘Yes, I heard him last night. He’s a hungry little bugger, that’s for sure. The best solution would be to put him on a bottle and then any of us can feed him.’
‘Oh, no, I don’t want to do that!’
‘If he wants feeding that often, it’s probably because you haven’t enough milk to satisfy him. Surely you don’t want to starve the poor little mite?’
‘Not enough milk? But he only woke up once a night when I was in hospital.’
‘While he was in the nursery they probably topped him up with a bottle. After all, they wouldn’t want to disturb all the other mothers in the ward by bringing him to you every hour.’
‘But surely my milk is best for him.’
‘Not if he’s hungry. A bottle would be the best thing. Wait and see, he’ll thrive.’
‘I’m still not sure.’
‘Well I am, so that’s an end to it. Now take Johnny for a minute while I find my purse. I’ll give you the money for all the paraphernalia. You’ll need to buy bottles, teats, and powdered milk. Then in the morning, we can start the new routine.’
Pearl wanted to protest, but was too scared of Dolly to argue. ‘I’ll take Johnny with me to the chemist. It’ll do him good to get a bit of fresh air.’
‘No, it’ll be quicker to go on your own. You can leave him with me,’ Dolly insisted, laying the money on the table and taking Johnny from Pearl’s arms.
With a sigh Pearl did as she was told, and was soon outside, heading for the chemist. She turned the corner, almost colliding with Derek.
‘Oh!’
‘Well, well, I didn’t expect you to be out and about so soon.’
‘Oh … you’ve heard that I’ve had my baby.’
‘Yeah, I heard. I may not be working my stall, but gossip still reaches me. How are you doing?’
Pearl was relieved that Derek wasn’t showing any animosity. His expression was mild. ‘I’m all right, and Dolly insists that I start work again tomorrow.’
‘That soon?’
‘Yes, well, you know Dolly. My mother-in-law rules the roost and we all have to do as she says. Mind you, Kevin won’t be too pleased about having to look after the baby while I’m working in the kitchen.’
His face immediately hardened, mouth grim as he replied, ‘Yeah, somehow I can’t see Kevin as a babysitter. Still, you knew what he was like – Dolly too – before you schemed to marry him. As the saying goes, you made your bed and now you’ve got to lie on it.’
Pearl knew she deserved this, deserved all that Derek threw at her. ‘I hurt you, and I’m sorry, but I didn’t mean to. Really I didn’t.’
‘It’s a bit late for apologies now, Pearl,’ Derek said, and as her eyes met his, he gazed into them for a moment. ‘When I look at you like this, I can’t believe what happened. Dolly told her story, Kevin too, but somehow, along with yours, they don’t ring true. If you want to open up, I’ll listen, and if you’re unhappy, you only have to say the word.’