Chapter 101
Sara started feeling great, well aside from being tired. She would often bundle Fiona up and taking her for walks. The fresh air was good for both of them. In the afternoon,she would walk to school to get Bernadette and Patrick. Ted was concerned about Helen, the babysitter, if the children stopped going in the afternoon.
Sara said, "It's only until I go back to the surgery and then she'll have Fiona too."
Helen greeted Sara and peeked in the pram to see the baby. "I'm looking forward to minding her. It's close enough, you can pop over on your lunch," Helen said.
Sara liked the idea of going and feeding her at lunch. It was a good thing she loved her job because leaving her was going to be hard.
On Tuesday afternoon, it was rather balmy and they took their time walking home from school. They went through the park and Sara noticed that there were a lot of people about. Because it was so lovely, others were enjoying the afternoon just like they were.
She noticed couples walking together and thought of Ted still working without her at the surgery. One couple caught her attention. Well the woman did… her hair, her height reminded her of…
It was a beautiful afternoon and Evie walked with her arm looped around Jack's. They had met after school. Evie was going to go talk to her mother, but Granny said she wasn't home. Instead they decided to enjoy the fair weather.
Suddenly she stopped and said, "Oh no!"
"What's wrong?" Jack asked.
"Sara… Sara and the kids," she said looking in their direction and saw Sara looking back at her.
Jack said, "So that's Sara. She does look young. I still think of those two as babies, but they're certainly not."
"Jack, what's she going to think?" she asked.
"You'll talk to your mum and then it won't matter," he said.
Sara thought something was strange about seeing Evie in the park. She knew Evie saw her, but she seemed to avoid her. The normal response would have been to greet each other. Sara sensed she knew another secret. Why would Evie dating be a secret? If Evie was moving on, it would be a good thing. After being hurt, Evie hadn't dated seriously. She reminded her a little of her friend Lydia, who had once been hurt by a man, but even she'd now been with Billy for well over a year.
When Ted came home after his lecture, she asked, "Have you heard if Evie is seeing anyone?"
"Not since Tony who we now know she never did. It's worse than the Soaps," he teased then he asked, "Why?"
"I saw her in the park looking a bit friendly with a man," she explained.
"Knowing my niece, it won't last long," he said and asked, "How's our baby?"
"Very hungry and very tired today."
"She's probably growing. We should get her back on the scale to see."
"If it's nice, we can walk to the surgery around noon tomorrow," Sara said.
Ted smiled and said, "That would make my day."
The following day was rainy, so Sara would need to skip her walk. Julie called and said, "I heard you wanted to visit the surgery. I'll take you over." She came and picked them up and once in the car she said, "I'm going to tell Ted that you need another car."
Sara didn't argue because she agreed, but wasn't comfortable asking herself.
Julie continued, "I can't help this afternoon, because Evie's stopping by for a visit."
Sara almost mentioned seeing her, but decided not to. Once at the surgery Ted snatched Fiona to put her on the scale. She was definitely gaining. Angela popped her head in and said, "She needs a doctor and you know it can't be you. Since I'm her sister's…"
Ted said, "Fine for now, but we were thinking of Marianne."
Angela smiled and said, "She'll like that."
The office was crowded at lunch and Sara asked, "Ted, can I take the car, so I can pick up at school? We'll come get you at the end of the day."
Tim said, "I can bring him home."
Julie said, "Ted, you need another car. Walking a baby in the rain and cold isn't good and poor Sara can't even go to Tesco when you're on call."
"I know. You're right as always Jules," Ted agreed, as Sara thought that was easy.
Evie was nervous when she arrived home. Her mum greeted her and went right into the story of taking Sara to the surgery. She asked, "Where's Granny? I wanted to talk to both of you."
Her mum prepared tea as she fetched Granny who said, "You can do this, dearest."
"Mum are you glad about Mare and Tony?" Evie asked.
"I glad she's happy. All I want is for my girls to be happy," Julie said.
"Mum, I'm actually really happy again."
"I've noticed a change since you started teaching."
"Yes, but that's not the reason. Mum, I'm happy because," she paused and took a breath and said, "because Jack's back."
"What do you mean back?" her mother said shocked.
"He's divorced and living in London. It hasn't been easy, but we've been working through the pain. We still love each other."
"Just like that he came back ready to pick up like nothing happened," she said quite angrily.
"No, he's the first to admit a lot has happened. Things were really horrible on his end… his whole marriage was a sham. He was tricked by his dying mother."
"Tricked? He had a wife and a child," she said still angry.
"Yes and no…" Evie told her mum the entire story starting with the deathbed wish of his mother… "When he found out Matty is not his son, it didn't change anything. He couldn't stop being his father."
"That's quite a story. Mum, you're awfully quiet," Julie said.
"I've spoken to the boy. I've seen his heart is where it always was, with Evie."
"Mum! How can you support this?" Julie asked in shock.
"Because I believe they belong together. Still given the alternative… if she is made to chose she'll choose him. We've seen that with Michael and his family… and most likely Tony too. We are not that kind of family," Granny said quite frankly. Evie was in awe of her grandmother's wisdom.
Her mother asked, "How did this happen?"
"He came to see me when I played in Belfast. That's when we started talking. Mum, I was angry… really angry. The whole time I didn't want to love him, but the problem was I did and I always had. I have no doubt that I always will. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I know how you all feel about him. I know that Dad will not take to this news well at all," she said as if she named the elephant in the room.
"You're right about your father. That man hurt you and your father felt your broken heart. He loves you… we all do," her mother said.
"I know and I love Daddy, but I love Jack. Mum, he's the kind of man that will love and support a child who is not his own. He had every right to cut her off, because she lied and manipulated him, but he won't for Matty's sake," Evie said adamantly, realizing she could sing his praises all day.
"I need to think on this. I assume you expect me to influence your father…"
"Yes, I don't want to have to choose between him and Jack," Evie said drawing a line in the sand.
Julie had spent countless hours worrying about her children, but never more than since Evie was jilted by Jack Walsh. She had run dialogue in her head about what she would say to him if she ever had the chance. Suddenly she realized that she could have that chance, but now she couldn't deny that Jack seemed to be a victim as well. The story was better suited for one of Michael's books or perhaps a melodrama on the telly. Certainly if she was to believe what Evie had told her, he was not the louse that she had been imagining. They all liked Jack and were hurt by him, especially Tim.
Tim had taken a liking to Jack right off. When Jack came to him and asked for his blessing to marry Evie, Tim did not give away his daughter, but rather gained a son. He knew Jack's father had abandoned the family years before and he saw Jack as the son he never had. No one, but Julie understand the depths of Tim feelings. Now she was concerned that her stubborn husband was going to cost them their daughter.
After Evie left, she looked at Mum and said, "Tim isn't going to like this one bit."
"I know, but he is no longer a boy I can't scold him and tell him what to do, nor can you as his wife. I recommend a lot of prayer," her wise mother-in-law said.
Julie called Marianne to find out what she felt about the situation with her sister. After greeting her she said, "Your sister stopped by today. It seems to be a very eventful week for my girls."
"What do you think about Jack being back?" Marianne asked.
"I'm honestly not sure. How can she trust him?" Julie asked.
"Because he's still Jack, as nice as ever and as patient with Evie as ever. Mum, she's not easy to love and he does really love her. I was only with him on Friday night, but I could tell," she explained.
"I'm very worried about your father," she said concerned.
"I know. He seems to have handled Tony well enough, but Jack… When will you tell him?" Marianne asked.
"I don't know…" Julie said not having any idea what she was going to do. She had not felt this defeated and helpless since Melissa died and she was helping a devastated Ted.
Tim came home in a good mood as was typical for him. He had stopped in to hold the baby for a few minutes when he dropped Ted off. He said to Julie, "I'm beginning to believe we just might be grandparents some day."
"Tim dear, I have no doubt about that," she said thinking specifically about Evie and Jack.
