Chapter XXV

Dearest Olive,

I'm glad that now you feel complete with your job as a nurse, and in the heart of Kensington! I couldn't be more proud of you, my dear friend (by the way, your new uniform looks absolutely beauitful and makes you look so serious, although you really aren't, are you?).

You ask me about the news, well I have a few I must say. First is Rose. Aunt Nan visited her two days ago and I'm so greatful that she did. I talked with Rose by the 'phone, of course, but you know that it's not the same, is it? Anyway, Mother called me and told me everything Aunt Nan told her about her visit. It's all hopeful, at Rose's house, in Motreal. Rose and John are always near each other, either giving each other loving looks, or holding each other's hands. They didn't tell Jackie about how bad the condition of his father is, only he knows that his father stays with his family at home as he is 'a bit' ill and wants to spend some time with his family. Dear little Jackie, he is so happy and joyful because he always comes back from school and now it's his father that opens the door to him… Nanny is of course too small to understand anything except that she sees John more often than ususal, she is just three years old after all.

Rose, she is… she is better, that's what both me and Aunt Nan think, at least. Her voice isn't shaking so much and she is much much more talkative than on this gloomy day when she called to tell us the news. And, of course, she's not talking about anything what will happen to her and her family after, well… after John will die (it's such a weird thing for me to say, I won't ever believe it!).

John himself is more concerned about his wife and kids rather than himself. Aunt Nan says that it almost seems to her that it's Rose who is sick and not him. John has the attacks more often now and the doctor warned him that in two or three months he will be sent to the hospital. But he seems quite fine, in thoughts at least, Aunt Nan told my Mum that he is very pale and very thin, but his face is calm and peaceful and he smiles whenever Nanny or Jackie are around runing and singing.

This whole thing makes me realise how precious my life is. How greatful I should be for having my husband and children all so happy and healthy, and so full of life… I don't know if I could endure it all as bravely as Rose is. Now, let's stop there, I can't think about Rose and John all the time after all, or I shall go mad.

Let's talk about Patrick and Cee instead. They are much happier couple to talk about. Cee doesn't see any other world apart from her upcoming graduation and marriage to her (yes, her!) Patrick. She is so excited about starting her new life, without either Nancy or Owen hanging in the air around her all the time. I don't think she still remembers that Owen and Nancy's wedding is getting nearer and nearer, and I'm so glad because of that.

Another news is that Blythe eventually published his second book of poetry! Hoorah! Blythe and I had a real party with the Verattis, Aunt Rilla and Uncle Ken who came for the weekend with a bunch of cakes and cookies that Aunt Rilla and Grandmother Blythe made for us and our chidlren.

Blythe had such a busy summer, you can't even imagine it. He wasn't working at the inuversity of course, but he worked in his office and had meetings with the publisher and I hardly ever seen him at home as I worked as well, as you know.

I am incredibly proud of how hard he always works and how wonderful poet he is (I can't believe that I actually married a real poet! Can you, Olive?) and this book of poetry is just as beautiful as his first one, I know you'll like it, dear friend, and do not fret I will send you a copy as soon as we will be in town this weekend as we're getting the copy for my parents, Grandmother Blythe (obviously!) and Blythe's parents first of all.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, I heard from Claire that she and her husband are going for a week long holiday to Greece! Gosh, how lucky they are, now tell me, Olive? Just think about all the Greek history and all of the antic and historic places you can visit!

There, I have to go now, I promised Joy a ride on Miranda and you know that my little (is three and a half year old still considered "little"?) daughter can be just as stubborn as her mother is.

Always Yours,

Julia Una Ford

In the middle of September, on one chilly morning, Julia woke up as usual at five in the morning. It was nothing unusual about that day, Blythe was still sleeping on the other side of their bed, breathing regularly with a small grin touching his lips. Joyce and Paris were fast asleep in their rooms, and Bonny the dog was watching every move Julia made.

Julia stood up, quickly washed her face and brushed her hair, she changed into her old pink uniform and let Bonny out to the garden. She then as quietly as she could, went to Joy's room. The little girl slept with her slightly opened small red lips, with her red locks all over the pillow. She looked so funny yet so angelic at the same time, that every morning Julia always watched her from the distance for a few moments before waking her up. Eventually she put a tender kiss on Joy's forehead and her daughter smilled at her mother and with a high pitched "Mummy-Bee!" she threw her short arms around Julia's neck.

Then, Julia went to the Paris's room and the sweet boy was still sleeping on his belly, moving his mouth lightly, dreaming something very interesting and probably tasty. Julia grinned and closed the door behind her.

As usual, she and Joy went downstairs to the kitchen and Julia made herself and her little girl breakfast. She left her husband his own plate of pancakes on the side and sat down with Joy on the sofa in the living room. Julia was enjoying her morning coffee and Joy was drinking her hot chocolate with hungry movements.

"When will Jenny come, Mumsy?" she asked her mother while sipping her drink from the cup.

Julia put down her mug on the table and kissed Joyce's red curls "Very soon, my darling. Why? Did you miss her?" she asked with a half-smile.

Joy giggled "Yeth, a bit." she said with this sweet little lisp and Julia laughed merrily. That was when a sound of knocking on the door filled up the room and both Julia and Joy jumped from their seats and made their way towards the front door.

"Hello Jenny! It's nice to see you again." Julia greeted her smiling friend as she came into the house gaily.

Jenny smiled and gave a jumping Joy a kiss on the cheek "Oh, it's incredibly good to start a day like this!" she replied cheerfully "With my two favourite girls right here greeting me with fresh cup of coffee." she sat down in the kitchen and took the cup from Julia's hands.

Julia smiled at her "Isn't Cee going to be your favourite girl after she'll marry Patrick?" she asked her laughingly.

Jenny chuckled "No, Cee will just join the club." she said and Julia laughed as well and then jumped when she looked at the clock hanging on the wall "You go and wake up this husband of yours, and I'll get Paris downstairs." she said quickly.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Julia saluted and went upstairs.

Blythe was already changed into his brown suit and he was almost ready to go downstairs when his wife entered their bedroom. He smiled at her adoringly and left a morning kiss on her lips "Good morning, my girl." he said.

"Good morning," Julia replied joyfully "-how come you are up by yourself?" she asked him with a funny raised eyebrow.

Blythe chuckled "It's Monday. You know how I am on Mondays." he answered and kissed her again.

Half an hour later, Julia put on her shoes and a "nurse cap" on her head, she took out her black bag out of the broom cupboard and eventually said her final goodbyes to her husband, children and to Mrs Veratti. But just before she went outside, her small daughter ran after her and wrapped her arms around her legs "Mummy, don't go to work. Thtay with me, Mummy, pleathe." she cried.

Julia's heart went still as she turned around and embraced her little girl, kissing her nose and forehead few times "Darling, but I have to go, you know that, don't you? I will be back in just five hours." she said gently although her heart ached so badly she couldn't hear a word that came from her mouth.

Joy wiped away her tears and kissed her mother again "But pleathe! Thtay with me, Mummy-Bee!" she said again, or almost begged her mother to stay.

Before Julia could say anything, Jenny appeared from behind and took Joy's hand gently in hers "Joy, dear, come inside and let your mother go to work." she said to her a bit too sternly and then turned to Julia and rolled her eyes "Children will never understand, dear. Go or you'll be late!" she chuckled as she took poor Joyce in her arms.

Julia managed a weak smile and waved to both of them, sending Joy a soft kiss reserved only for her. She got on her bicycle and started riding away, with gentle, entirely strange tears running down her cheeks.

"Julia, you can't just leave midwifery! It's your life!" Blythe protested.

It was the afternoon, and Blythe just finished dinner with his family. He and Julia sat down together in the living room, as the children were asleep in their rooms. Julia had a miserable day at work as she couldn't stop thinking about her daughter's wet and sad face as she was leaving her house in the morning. As soon as she came back from work, she decided on talking with Blythe and so she did, but Blythe wasn't exactly like Julia imagined he would be in this kind of situation. They hardly ever argued and Julia thought that they wouldn't argue about that, about her own decision, but she was wrong.

"But my heart tells me to do so, Blythe!" Julia responded angrily walking around the room and waving her hands "Family is much more important than work!"

Blythe crossed his arms "Yes, but you love your job. You said yourself that you don't want to be a housewife!" he argued again.

"I do love my job, but I love my chidlren more." she replied "Besides, I will find something else to do."

"What, for example?" Blythe asked her, completely shocked by the whole conversation "You will start sketching like Rose? I don't think that is what you want to do."

"Who is talking about sketching?" Julia asked him with furrowed brows "I will think of something, just give me time!" she sighed helplessly.

"But you want to quit!" Blythe continued "Just because Joyce said that she doesn't want you to go to work, once! It's not reasonable at all, Julia."

"I knew that long enough." she answered, her eyes flashing "She didn't say it once, she asked me to stay with her many times before but this time was different, she cried, Blythe our little girl cried…"

"Yes, but chidlren grow up." Blythe interrupted her "Joy will go to school in two years' time, and what will you do then? With just Paris to take care of, what will you do? Ride on Miranda half of the day?"

"Blythe, stop arguing with me!" Julia outbursted and sat down by him, putting her hands on her cheeks in despair, feeling how tears already started forming up in her eyes.

Blythe sighed sadly, feeling ashamed of himself "I'm sorry, darling." he said tenderly and embraced her tigthly "I didn't mean to fight."

Julia sighed again and put her head on his chest "Besides," she said suddenly "-I won't have just Paris to take care of in two years' time."

Blythe sat up straight and looked at his wife curiously "What do you mean?" he asked her.

Julia looked in his grey eyes and laughed merrily, with tears still gleaming in her hazel eyes "I'm pregnant, Blythe." she announced happily.

Blythe gasped and kissed her passionately at once "Why didn't you tell me, you wicked wife o'mine?" he asked her, and kissed her hands once more.

Julia laughed at his reaction "Just because I'm wicked." she replied "And that's another reason why I want to quit midwifery. We will have another baby, a third baby. Jenny won't manage with a newborn and I won't blame her, just because I don't want her to take care of my third baby as well." she said seriously.

Blythe sighed wistfully and took Julia's hands in his "I know." he answered "But really, darling, is that what you want?" he asked her and squeezed her hands reassuringly.

Julia nodded "Yes, it is." she replied and just as suddenly, she clasped her hands together and her cheeks turned positively red from excitement "I know what I will do! I know what I will do, Blythe! Oh, Blythe!" she giggled and kissed his nose quickly, laughing like a little girl.

Blythe looked at her, confused "Julia, tell me what is going on in your mind, I can hardly understand you today." he chuckled, while observing his wife's rapid movements.

Julia grasped his hands with twinkling eyes "I will write! Blythe, I will write books! I always knew that it was something I could do, if everything else would fail." she said excitedly "I can write about my experince during the war, the nursing, how all of my brothers and cousins went to war, how I once thought that I loved Tory and realised that I really loved you instead…" she stopped and squeaked.

Blythe laughed "That's brilliant, Sheba! Fantastic is just the word to describe it!" he said and kissed her cheeks again.

"Yes!" she shouted out and fell into his arms "Yes! Now I couldn't imagine the world a happier place than it already is!"

Everyone was simply shocked by Julia's sudden "change of route" as she called it. The St. Gerard Majella's House was crying after her, almost. The Sisters were very sad but understanding at the same time, Gladys shouted out "Jolly good plan, friend!" and Lake shook Julia with anger and then burst into tears on her shoulder: "I will miss you so much, dear!" she cried "But I know that what you do is just the thing that will make you even happier, and so I even want you to do it.".

Mr and Mrs Veratti were overjoyed that Julia would be able to visit them more often and that she finally found a way to combine her passion with her family-life. Joyce was jumping up and down on the first day of October when her mother eventually went to work for the last time and Julia cried with her, with happiness screaming from their hearts.

Everyone in her family thought that it was a very good change of plan, especially because Julia was literally walking between the clouds of joyfullness every single day, feeling complete and content, espeiclally with the thought that this time next year, she would hold another sweet dimpled baby boy or baby girl in her motherly arms.

And so Julia left her midwifery adventure, and opened a new road in front of her, "Oh, with so many lovely opportunities!" she used to say and sigh in delight every single time she was taking up the pen in her hand.

A week after Julia left St. Gerard Majella's House for good and started making out the plan for her first ever book, Lake's husband, Jim, telephoned the Sunflower House to announce that Lake delivered a healthy boy whom she called Benjamin for her father who died exactly ten years before his first grandson was born. Three days after Julia took her chidlren and visited Lake and little Benjamin at their house.

"I forgive you for leaving midwifery now." Lake said to her while still smiling at the small bundle in her arms "The world seems much more colourful and vivid now that my Benji is here!" and she kissed the little boys' brown curls tenderly, making Julia's eyes to turn watery.

Two weeks later, Julia thought that the world really couldn't get any more colourful or vivid as Lake described it. She finally finished her first chapter of the book and was very pleased with it, especially because when Blythe, who read it first of course, nodded in amazement "If I knew you could write like this, I would make you to start writing in the first place!" he said to her and Julia couldn't be more proud of herself.

Paris was all giggly around his mother and Joy always wanted to play in princesses with her, and made Julia a crown out of flowers and leaves she found in the garden.

And suddenly, at the end of October, just a day before Faith and Jem were supposed to come for a weekend to White Sands, black rainy clouds appeared on the clear blue sky. It rained for the whole day, and it was quite foggy as well, not generally a nice weather to go outside at all. In the evening, when Julia and Blythe danced together to the radio in their living room, and Joy played with her dolls on the sofa with her brother Paris slowly falling asleep in his bassinet, a loud ringing sound of the telephone filled up the jolly air around them with worry and stiffness.

Julia picked up the 'phone with a cheerful "Hello there!" and to her biggest surprise she heard a soft sound of weeping on the other side, which made her far more serious and so she turned down the radio a bit so that she could recognise the voice in the receiver "Hello?" she repeated, fearing that the voice belonged to Rose.

"Julia?" a shaking voice said.

"Lake!" Julia's voice grew more worried than it already was and she put the telephone nearer to her ear "What happened?"

"It's… Jim." she cried again.

"What do you mean, Lake?" Julia repeated again and sighed impatiently "For Heaven's sakes, tell me what's going on, Lake!"

"Jim… was killed… in a car accident." poor Lake breathed out, leaving Julia completely speechless.