"Mam. I met a girl." Delia said in the middle of a very awkward phone conversation she was having with her Mother. She paused for a moment before continuing "She didn't laugh at everything but oh god when she does. She doesn't step on the pavement seem and knows way too much about the TV show friends…" Delia continued before being cut off suddenly by her Mam.

"… I don't care Mam…" Delia cut in as her mum was speaking. "… She makes me smile. She's changing my whole word…" Delia butt in again as her Mam started telling her about the 'young attractive SINGLE man down the road.

"I'm happy Mam." She said firmly, sounding genuinely convincing for the first time. Patsy made Delia happy, and she couldn't hide that from her Mum any longer, she couldn't hide the truth from her family any longer. She didn't want to. Patsy had told her Dad the least Delia could do was tell her Mam before her Mam and her brother came up her nephew. Her brother had a three-year-old son called Jacob. Not a very welsh name according to Delia's father but from what Delia remembered of the baby boy the name kind of suited him. Not that she saw much of her nephew the 'gay thing' made family things awkward and something Delia tried to arrange work so that it clashed with every sort of family event.

"Yes I have an empty house" Delia sighed at her mother's quickness to change the subject. "…Working all day then doing out for a drink with the other nurses." Delia said fast, answering her mother's questions as politely as she could. "Yes, there is a car parking spot." She said finally trying not to sound sarcastic.

"Can Patsy come?" Delia asked at the first pause for breath her mother had taken since she dialled the London number.

"…Just say she's my friend…"Delia couldn't help but roll her eye as she spoke"…He's three he's not going to care!" Delia sighed down the phone. It was October now, and the family were coming down for a summer/Christmas combined trip. Her mother hated London and demanded Delia home every holiday. Delia was hoping that this Christmas could be different; she was hoping that for the first time since she moved she had a reason to stay in London for Christmas. She had this feeling that no matter what she wanted she would be making the long train journey down to Pembrokeshire, she knew that she would always be required to make the journey home for Christmas.

Last year she finished at 9 pm Christmas Eve. Got the train home at 9.20 and had to come back to London for a shift starting at 6 am Boxing Day. Her Mam had made her come home for 24 hours; Delia thought it was ridiculous but to her Mum it got her away from the horrors of London on the 'most important day of the year'.

"Okay Mam, we will see you at 11," Delia said as she breathed out in order to keep her calm. Her mother had agreed. On the conditions, there was no affection and basically no evidence they were a couple. It wasn't ideal, but it was a start. Now the welsh nurse just had to get her girlfriend on board. Something told her getting Patsy involved would be harder than convincing her Mother. She smiled at the thought of Patsy and her mother making small talk. Awkward small talk. That was if she could get patsy not to rearrange her work schedule frantically so it clashed with Mrs Busby's visit.

"Come in. She's just got in," Trixie said letting the welsh nurse into the flat that she and Patsy shared. How Patsy hadn't given Delia a key yet was behind the blonde nurse, but then again the pair hadn't said I love you yet either. Their whole relationship kind of confused Trixie. She put it down on it being a gay relationship, so they just did things differently. Not that she cared, she almost enjoyed watching her friends slightly uncomfortable lobe unfold and piece together in the midst of long night shifts and clashing uniforms. Trixie was confident that the pairs romance would make quite a successful TV shows.

"Pats can I come in?" Delia said knocking on her girlfriend bedroom door, letting herself in before an answer was even given. Patsy had just got out of the shower after a long shift. She looked quite content lay on her bed in slacks and an oversized hoodie.

"You okay Deels?" Patsy asked as Delia came over and planted her lips on her lips.

"Yeah… Pats…" Delia's said kissing her girlfriend again.

"What do you want?" Patsy remarked smirking, not that she was complaining about her lover's presence after a long day.

"You know I said my Mam is coming down:

"Yes with your brother and nephew."

"Don't suppose you want to meet them?" Delia asked in her sweetest voice, trying to make it sound harmless.

"Delia," Patsy said seriously not sure if the welsh girl staring at her was joking or not.

"Pats please," Delia pleaded. "It would mean the world to me!" Delia said trying to create puppy dog eyes while looking really rather stupid.

"Why? What good is me spending my time with your Mum who hates the idea of anybody with you and your brother who I wouldn't know what to say too? " Patsy replied. She was sure how serious or blunt she was coming off, but she meant every word of what she said. Asking Patsy to take Delia to the nuns and giving them free rein to ask any questions they wanted – that was a bad idea. Patsy meeting Delia's Mum made that idea sound like a fun walk in the part. For the first time in over sixth months her head was ringing off the scale.

"Pats come on, I've got her too agree and don't even pull the I'm working card because I have already checked the router and you're off until the evening where you only on call with the Nuns!" Delia said smiling; she knew she had won before kissing Patsy again.

"Delia I'm not sure," Patsy said looking up at the ceiling as if it would give her a way out.

"Pats what could go wrong?" Patsy simply had to raise her eyebrows in horror for Delia to realise how stupid she was being.

"Look. Okay it may not go smoothly, but she won't hate you, you're great" Delia replied.

"I don't really have a say do I?"

"Glad we have agreed. Come straight to mind after your shift on Thursday." Delia paused for a moment "Thanks Baby. I o you" she said kissing Patsy passionately on the lips.

"I know how you can repay me," Patsy said smirking. Kissing her girlfriend again with more passion and fire neither of them could resist.

Lay in bed that night Patsy wasn't sure what she had let herself into but she knew that she did it because he loved the short welsh women even if Patsy had never found the words to tell her. Patsy wished so badly she could find the words to express herself yet nothing left her mouth when she tried to tell Delia how she felt.

The day came soon enough, no matter how many times Patsy opened and shut her eyes while lay in Delia's bed, the date never changed. 9 o'clock. Delia was already in the shower. Spending as long as humanly possible under the cold water while she tried to work out how badly today could go but the trouble was as soon as one bad scenario came to her mind another and another quickly followed it. She wasn't sure where they were coming from but she couldn't get the ideas to stop flowing. Patsy, on the other hand, was trying not to think at all, she didn't want to think or try and work out how this day was going to do. She had heard horror story's of Delia's mother and never in her right mind did she imagine she could have to come face to face with her.

Patsy groaned as she stretched and left the warmth of her bed and joined Delia in the shower. The pair enjoyed some much needed time together in-between the steam and soap was two lovers who didn't want to face the word. Neither of them wanted to face Delia's mother. No time or preparation could ever prepare them for the small talk that was needed; no time would ever make patsy feel comfortable with the day ahead.

"How do I look?" Patsy asked as they stood by the door at 5 to 11.

"Well I always think you look beautiful," Delia said kissing Patsy as a sign of support.

"Deels! I'm being serious!"

"So am I" Delia replied pulling her dress down a little. It wasn't short by any matter but it wasn't a floor length or whatever her Mother wanted. Delia knew that no matter what she was wearing it wouldn't be smart enough, or straight enough to impress her Mother.

Patsy noticing Delia's distress held Delia's hands in her own.

"It's going to be fine," Patsy said trying to convince herself at the same time and failing but Delia smiled back at her all the same. Neither of them was convinced.

She knew Patsy was trying to be supportive yet she just couldn't shake off all the 'what ifs'. Not that she had much time to think.

The doorbell. Patsy and Delia stared at each other one final time before Delia pulled the latch and opened the door to her mother and brother. Her mother had barely had a chance to walk through the door but already looked unimpressed. Patsy couldn't help but feel lost in Delia's mother angry glares. Delia wanted to comfort Patsy but didn't want to make the situation worse. Patsy sighed but did her breath to keep it silence.

"D" A young welsh voice spoke first. The young boy toddled into the door letting go of his Dads' hand.

"Jacob," Delia said scooping up the young lad up in her arm and smiling. It was the accent. Delia would never admit it, but the welsh accent gave her the joys of home without really having to return. Her mother's welsh voice, on the other hand, bombed through her body like a CD caught on a scratch meaning her mother voice never quite having the effect mother parents voice had on their children.

"Come in," Delia said opening the door more making the hallway seem more inviting than it really was.

"Pats hold Jacob while I put the coats away," Delia said, without thinking. Patsy didn't say a word but her eyes said many 'why?' 'Your Mums not going to like that' 'He doesn't know me'.

Delia gave a quick glance at her brother just to check he didn't care about Patsy holding his child. He nodded a silent approval. Delia handed Patsy the small child.

"Pats." The boy repeated playfully. He had no idea of the tension that surrounded him or the many subtle arguments that wee about to take place.

"You must be Patsy," Delia's brother said, stepping inside and handing Delia his coat. Delia mother said nothing but did the same thing. With both coats in hand Delia walked away putting the coats under the stairs.

"And you must be David, nice to put a name to a face" Patsy replied back. She didn't really know much about Delia's family. Just enough to get her through the long day. She was just glad she was working tomorrow.

"You must be Delia's friend," Her Mum said. Mrs Busby knew what Patsy was to Delia. Patsy didn't have time to say anything before Delia returned.

"She's my girlfriend Mam," Delia said sharply, returning to her lover's side. She had told her mother that they wouldn't have any public displays of affection, but that wasn't a displace of affection that was just a hard fact. They were more than a friend.

"Right. Well. We all have hobbies." Her Mam replied. Neither of the girls knew what to sat at that moment. Patsy knew what she wanted to say but she had promised to bite her tongue for Delia's sake. Patsy knew this day wasn't going to be easy, and she knew it wasn't about her. It was about Delia and her Mam, nothing more.

"D, it's been a long drive. Don't suppose there is a chance for a cuppa?" Her brother asked, trying to change the subject. Patsy put the little boy down and he followed the rest of them to the kitchen in silence.

Wow, this is awkward Patsy thought to herself. She had never done anything like this before and she had certainly never felt this hated so soon into anything she had done before, and Patsy went to a Catholic school. Conversation was slow and awkward. No one could escape. Even talking about work was awkward and let to topics of conversations neither of the girls liked.

"How's Dad?" Delia asked.

"Still working." Her Mam replied bluntly.

"I've been telling him for the last month he needs to retire," Delia's brother said almost surprised at the fact they had found a safe conversation.

"He enjoys it. It took him ages to find his feet again when you children flew the nest" Mrs Busby "He couldn't be at home all day. He wouldn't know what to do with himself all day. He would drive me insane."

"I couldn't be at home all the time, I would get bored," Delia said calmly. Feeling the conversation was safe enough.

"I'm sure you would find something to amuse you," David said laughing at his inappropriate bad joke. If looks could kill Patsy's glare would have sent David to an early grave.

Delia's mother ignored David's remark just using the opportunity to have a dig at her daughter's lifestyle "It would be different if you had a family" Her mother snapped subtly.

Patsy did her best not to roll her eyes. She knew she couldn't say anything but God how she wanted too, put the women in her place.

"I enjoy what I do Mam. I still have many so years" Delia was calm but couldn't shake tenseness from her body no matter how hard she tried it wouldn't go.

"Time doesn't last forever," Mrs Busby said sharply. Delia was used to the sharp tone of her Mam's voice but the sound still hit Patsy in her very core.

"For now, I am quite content!" their voices were getting sharper each one matching the others tone with slightly more rage. Patsy and David exchanged uncomfortable glares. Neither of them saw a conversation about Delia's Dad heading like this.

"Mam I'm happy. Just leave it at that." Delia finally said before her mother had a chance to say anything else.

"So you coming back to Wales for the holidays? David said bouncing Jacob up and down on his knee while the young boy pushed a toy truck across the deep red wooden table where they sat. Both nurses shared glances of both shock and embarrassment. Delia didn't say a word but Patsy couldn't help herself just for a moment the gutsy nurse reappeared.

"No. Delia won't be going to Pembrokeshire for her holidays this year. We are going to Paris." Patsy spoke fast and took a long deep breath after the reply.

"Delia!" Her mother snapped again. So much for keeping it calm Delia thought to herself.

"Patsy another coffee?" David said slowly before him and Patsy made their way into the kitchen. Patsy let out a sigh of relief as she watched Jacob sit on the kitchen side eating a bourbon biscuit.

"What's has gotten into you Cariad? First a change in behaviour and now your not coming home at all?" her Mam asked. Her voice wasn't as sharp as Delia expected but had a calm almost concerned.

"It's not like that Mam, and you know it."

"It seems like that, you have never missed a Christmas even when you came up to this ghastly place but because of her you're now going to Paris."

"Mam I'm 24. I am in love with…"

"you're what?" Patsy burst in from behind the door making both Delia and her mother look.

"I'm in love Mam. Patsy Mount, I love you." Delia said smiling and looking only at her girlfriend.

"I love you too" Patsy replied. Delia who had now returned eye contact with her Mam again.

"I love her and I want to spend Christmas with the one I love and not a family where I have to pretend to be something I'm not." Delia said forcefully trying not to shake out of fear when she spoke. She knew she needed to stand up for hr self and stand her ground, not just for her but also for Patsy.

The room then turned to face David who was walking into the room with 2 cups of coffee. Jacob who waited patiently by his father's side. David saw the tense uneasiness look on everyone face. He didn't need to guess what the tension was about he knew he had to pick a side.

"Jacob buddy go and sit with Aunt D or Aunty Patsy."

He had picked a side.