'Hello, Turner residence, Mts Turner speaking how can I help you?' Shelagh beamed as she picked up the phone, no matter that she had left the order two years ago and been married for almost as long, she never grew tired of calling herself Mrs Turner. The wonderful man sat only meters away from her had turned her life upside down, had given her a little boy who was growing into a young man she was proud to call her son, who had given her the daughter she had dreamed of with a fierce phobia or squirrels and an unnatural attachment to pinecones. The grin she bore dropped as the person at the other end of the line began to speak.
'Mrs Turner, Shelagh. I'm afraid I have some terrible news.'
'Nurse Crane? What is it whats happened?'
'Sister Evangelina died in her sleep last night, we need your husband to come over and do his work. I'm sorry I know you two were close.' Shelagh sank against the wall, her legs giving out from under her.
'She's-oh Lord please no. Not her. Oh my dearest Sister.' Memories began to flood her mind, the first day she had come to Poplar when Sister aevangelina had declared her too young and pretty to be a nun and would surely get her head turned, she had been correct in that matter although a decade premature, the first time they had a birth together, their first heart to heart after Sister Julienne's collapse, introducing her daughter to her sister for the first time only to have her babe commandeered for well over an hour.
'If it is any consolation she went peacefully and spent her last day bathing a newborn baby.'
'She held a newborn?'
'Indeed. She rediscovered her worth.'
'I'll get Patrick come over straight away.'
'Thank you.'
'Phyllis, look after them all there. I can't come because of the children so I need you to look after them. Sister Julienne will act strong but she must be falling apart and Sister Monica Joan is going to be broken.'
'I'll hold the fort for you.' They both knew it was only a matter of time and logistics before she would be there too.
'Thank you. Patrick will be over as soon as possible. Bye.' Shelagh hung up and get out a singular sob for her sister before fortifying and walking through to ruin her family's day.