Free Nothing is Forever by Grace Thompson

later.’
    Ruth was pleased at the way Megan and Mali and little Mickie settled into life at Ty Gwyn. They went out a lot when they weren’t working during the day, and took the little boy to parks and to the beach and for picnics in sheltered places on mild afternoons. He would come home happy and tired and slept easily from the moment he was put into bed. Megan and Mali both went out often in the evenings, to dances and to the cinema or simply to meet friends, but never together, they shared the care of Mickie completely and, listening to how they were with him, there was no discernible difference in the way he was treated.
    They spent more and more time in the large, comfortable kitchen and would occasionally share their meal with her. In May 1954, fats and cheese ration ended and they celebrated by making a supper of baked potatoes to which lots of cheese had been added, with piles more sprinkled on the top and melted under the grill with a crisp bacon garnish. Butter was thickly spread on bread and topped with jam, and they declared it a feast.
    One evening when they were all in, Henry came, and to everyone’s surprise, he brought Tabitha, his shy, nervous assistant. ‘Tabitha’s looking for accommodation,’ he announced to the sisters. ‘She’s decided to leave her father now he’s remarrying and, thank goodness, she isn’t needed to look after him any longer. Wise girl, our Tabs, eh?’ She was about to disagree with his reverse summing up of her situation, but he smiled encouragingly and she nodded agreement.
    ‘Stay for the evening, Tabs,’ Ruth invited, and ignored the girl’s immediate attempt to refuse, took her coat and offered her a chair near the fire. Back in the kitchen, she said to Henry, ‘It might be a good idea to break her in gently to leaving home by coming here for a few evenings to get used to people rather than go straight into a room with strangers and probably become a hermit!’
    Tabs said very little but seemed to enjoy the company, as long as she wasn’t given too much attention. She ate sparingly, as though convinced that everyone was watching her. She went into the kitchen to start on the washing up once the meal was over but was stopped by Ruth, who insisted that she was a guest.
    Tommy and Toni, Bryn and Brenda called in and Tabs began to scoot away, reaching for her coat like a life-line, but she was persuaded to stay. For Ruth the evening was perfect, chatter and laughter and the house filled with people demanding food.
    Although the evening was warm, Toni wore a loose coat that swung from her shoulders, which she seemed reluctant to remove.
    ‘Cup of tea, Toni?’ Ruth asked. Toni shook her head.
    ‘Off tea she is,’ Tommy said. ‘Who’d have believed that, eh?’
    With a twinkle in her eyes, Mali said. ‘You’ve put on some weight, Toni. Being married suits you, doesn’t it?’
    ‘When’s it due?’ the more forthright Megan asked.
    Into the sudden silence, Toni brushed the remark aside and she and the others didn’t stay very long.
    ‘Shy, is she? ‘Megan asked, when they stood at the door to wave them goodbye.
    ‘Toni? Of course she isn’t shy. She’s as at home with me here as in her new flat.’
    ‘Told you about the baby, then, has she?’ Mali asked.
    ‘What baby?’
    ‘Come on! Putting on weight, wearing a coat that looks like a tent, on a mild day like today? Refusing a cup of tea? All the usual signs.’
    ‘She can’t be expecting. I’m the first person they’d have told.’
    She went to Toni and Tommy’s flat the following morning and found Toni there. ‘No work today, Toni? Everything all right?’
    ‘Yes, everything’s fine,’ Toni said, sitting down and pulling a cushion onto her lap to hide a pregnancy that was hardly visible.
    ‘Why didn’t you tell me about the baby?’ Ruth asked softly. ‘I felt such a fool, Mali and Megan guessing before me.’
    ‘We had to get married and we couldn’t tell you, it was too embarrassing, you