Whenever Henry came round to see Emily, she would grow visibly daft with happiness. It was as though joy itself made her a little scatterbrained. Shed fuss about, fixing her hair, tucking stray clothes under the cushions that shed tried on for his arrival, and picking out curlers from her hair. Then shed dash off to the bathroom, brush her hair, put on some lipstick, and only thenlooking absolutely marvellouswould she finally come out to him.
Can you blame her for being so happy? Just think.
Emily was a single mum, and truthfully, shed never properly been married at all. Shed been courting her Danny for a month, maybe two, and then hed left their town for his native home, whose name Emily never quite caught. Was it Ireland he was from? Or maybe Wales? Round here, hed been working at the local market. Doing what, exactly, she never really knew.
Anyway, off he went, the light of Emilys life, leaving her just a bit pregnant. Only by a couple of weeks, so much so that even Emily herself didnt know yet. When Danny stopped coming round and didnt turn up for over a month, Emily finally realised, if you put it delicately well, that she wouldnt be on her own much longer.
Then, right on time, she gave birth to a boysuch a gorgeous little thing! But youd expect nothing less, consideringEmily herself was a beauty, and Danny had looked a bit of a prince.
She was lucky when it came to her boy. Quiet as a mouse: slept all day, and when he did wake up hed latch onto his mother and feed hungrily. Thankfully, Emily had enough milk for an entire nursery of babies, never mind just one.
And her lad, Jamie, didnt seem prone to the usual childhood ailments that seemed to plague all the other little ones.
Shed named him Jamie after the actor James Stewart. When she was expecting, she happened, by chance, to watch an old filmIts a Wonderful Life. Stewarts character reminded her somehow of her Danny. Emily didnt have any other options, really. So it was written down in the records: Jamie Daniel Carter. Emily would say it to herself over and over, listening to how the name sounded, like a tune in her heada little theme from an old English ballad.
Jamie was a sunny boy. When Emily needed to cook or tidy up, shed spread a blanket on the living room floor, barricade it with chairs, and plonk Jamie in the middle. Shed give him her old handbag, a couple of curlers, and some bits of fabric, and hed play contentedly. Not a peep, never complained. Even the time Emily popped her head in from the kitchen and found her son wedged head-first between two chairshed tried to crawl out, presumablyhe just grunted and kept quiet, tugging at the chairs with his chubby hands.
As Jamie got older, life didnt get any harder. Emily could let him go out and play in the little communal garden out front, so long as hed pop by the window (she lived on the ground floor) every ten minutes and shout, Mum! Im here!
But, of course, Jamie didnt have a watch, so hed turn up at the window every three minutes flat, shouting until Emily herself poked her head out and answered, Alright, love! Yet hed stand there, glued to the spot. Only when she asked, Arent you going to play? would he reply, You didnt smile at me!
Shed grin properlyalways genuinely, not just because he askedand hed dash off to play again.
One day, Jamie called his usual mumImhere from the street, but this time, when Emily looked out, she saw him cuddling a little kitten.
Mum, Aunty Jean gave him to me! he beamed. She said his names Jasper. And she said youd be pleasedand that we should look after him together.
Jamie was so earnest in that moment, Emily could only smile back. Then she said, Jasper probably wants something to eat. Get inside, both of you, and Ill pour him some milk.
Jamie sprinted for the door, the kitten clutched proudly in his arms. Jamie was over the moon. Jasper, for now, seemed less certain.
And thats how they lived, the three of them, until Emily met Henry.
He was Emilys age, never married, steady sort of bloke, respectable and not old by any means. Worked at a furniture factory and earned a good wage. He started staying over Saturdays. He didnt talk much, ate heartily, drankbut only a bit. Emily would always chill a bottle of gin in the freezer for when Henry came over, and serve it in a heavy glass tumbler on a little foot, which Henry was especially fond of.
That night was just the same. Henry arrived, shook Jamies hand in the hallway, and flopped onto the sofa while Emily went through her usual preparations. Then the three of themno, four, with Jasper the kitten perched on Jamies lapwatched a bit of telly and sat down to lunch.
Afterwards, as was their tradition, everyone had a lie-down to rest, planning a stroll in the park later that evening.
Once Emily had closed Jamies bedroom door and settled next to Henry, laying her head on his arm, he broached the subject of marriage for the first time:
I reckon we could live here for now. Later, we might get a bigger place together. Or maybe I could rent out my flat for some extra money. Only thing is, Emily I dont really like cats. Wed have to give your Jasper away
Jasper, Emily corrected him, tense as she listened.
Yes, Jasper.
He fell quiet then, and after a while, in a settled, matter-of-fact tone, added,
And Jamiewell send him to my mums in the country. Itll do him good, all that fresh air. And theres a village school. Were still youngwe can have a whole brood of our own.
Emilys head on his shoulder stilled so completely that she might have turned to stone. They lay there for several minutes in silence.
Then Emily rose quietly, as though ashamed, wrapped herself in her dressing gown, picked up his trousers from where they lay on the chair, handed them to him and said,
Go on then, take your trousers. Put them on, and be off
Where to? Henry asked.
To your mums, in the country. For the fresh air she replied. Me, Jamie and Jasperwell manage just fine with the fresh air from the park down the roadHenry looked at her, trousers in hand, an odd blend of hurt and surprise flickering across his face. But Emily only met his eyes, calm and unwavering. For a moment, it seemed he might protest. Instead, he merely muttered, Right, then, and started to dress.
In the hallway, Jamie peered out from his bedroom, wide-eyed and clutching Jasper to his chest. Emily crouched beside him, smoothing his hair with a trembling but resolute hand. Dont fret, love, she whispered. Were alright, you and me.
When the front door clicked softly shut behind Henry, a quietness settled through the flatone deeper and more peaceful than before. Emily drew Jamie and Jasper onto her lap on the old sofa, holding them close as the afternoon sun fanned golden across their faces.
After a moment, Jamie tilted his head up. Mum, are we going to the country now?
Emily smiled, truly this time, kissed his cheek, and said, No, sweetheart. Were staying right here. Just the three of us. I think thats exactly what we need.
Through the open window, the scent of lilac drifted in, mingling with the lazy purr of Jasper. Emily let the softness settle around them and, for the first time in a long while, felt wholly at homeher own small kingdom, sun-bright and safely herswhere laughter could be found in the most ordinary of afternoons, and where, at last, nobody would ever be sent away.
