The heat of the last few months had finally abated, leaving a pleasant warmth in its wake. Saoirse and Ada were enjoying a stroll around the shops, showing off the baby to everyone and they were having a hard time escaping from the greengrocer's shop because Mary's mother couldn't bear to let the baby go. She was holding him and cooing over him, talking to him about all sorts of nonsense in the way that people did to small babies and his darkening eyes followed her as he listened intently.

"I think you've got a fan, Mum," Mary commented.

The older woman was struggling with working full time due to undisclosed illness, one that Mary had confessed to not even knowing due to her mother's refusal to tell her. All Mary had been told was that she needed help and so she agreed to work three afternoons a week to help out. The problem was that on those very afternoons instead of taking time off, Marge insisted on staying in the shop to check that Mary was running everything smoothly.

"She just likes bossing me about," Mary had complained with a chuckle.

Saoirse knew that Mary was worried about her mother's health, she had confided in Saoirse as such, but Marge wouldn't be swayed. As far as she was concerned, her health was her own business and not for her daughter to be worrying about.

"Mum, are you gonna give Saoirse her baby back now?" Mary grinned. " Or even better, pass him to me because I just love him to pieces. "

"You've got enough little kids of your own to cuddle," Marge scoffed. " And this one is so much quieter than your bloody rabble."

"That bloody rabble are your grandkids," Mary raised an eyebrow, pretending to be put out, and as though he understood what they were talking about, Dylan started crying.

Without hesitation Marge handed the baby to Saoirse and told her to come and take a seat in the back room.

"I'm just gonna run to the bakery while you feed the baby cos if I forget Finn's currant buns, he'll have a fucking meltdown," Ada, who had come out to the shops with Saoirse, announced.

Saoirse nodded and was unbuttoning her blouse before she had even made it into the back as Dylan squawked as though he was being murdered. Sitting down on a makeshift seat, Saoirse smirked when Dylan immediately suckled hungrily and his fist gripped and pinched at her skin as though he was afraid she might pull away any minute and he would be without his food. Sometimes Saoirse couldn't believe how much it was possible to love another human so much. She didn't quite understand it, but she missed him even when she was with him.

Saoirse was half asleep and her eyes flickered open as she felt a gentle hand brushing the hair back from her face. Stirring she yawned and smiled sleepily when she saw her mother sat beside her in bed.

"Mummy? What time is it?"

"Late, poppet," her mother murmured. "It's very late and you should go back to sleep now, darling."

"If it's late, why are you not asleep?" Saoirse asked.

"Because I missed you."

"Where have you been to miss me?" Saoirse frowned.

"Nowhere," her mother smiled. " I was in bed and I couldn ' t sleep because I missed you. Move over and let me in bed to cuddle you. "

Saoirse thought of that memory and a faint smile crossed her face. She remembered thinking her mother was absolutely crazy but now that she was a mother herself, she understood completely. A wave of grief washed over her not for the first time since Dylan's birth and she hurriedly blinked back tears.

"They would have loved you, little man," she murmured sadly. "They would have loved you so much."

Saoirse was done feeding by the time Ada had returned from the baker's, after taking a quick detour at the confectioner's for some chocolates that she had seen in the window and had just been unable to resist. By the time they got back home, Dylan was fast asleep and Saoirse took up Ada's offer of a cup of tea and something to eat.

"You're just in time for some lunch," Polly smiled, peeping her head out of the back door as they came through the side gate. " Is the little man asleep? "

"Yeah," Saoirse nodded, pulling up the pram hood to keep the sun off her sleeping infant. " I'm going to leave him out here to enjoy the fresh air. "

"We'll hear him if he starts crying and at least you can eat in peace for a change," Polly smiled. "Just shut that back gate properly, Ada."

"Already done," Ada grinned, peering at Dylan with a fond smile as she walked past. " He's the spit of Tommy isn't he? "

"Absolutely," Saoirse agreed. " Although when he frowns he does occasionally look like my dad."

"Do you feel sad that your parents aren't around to see him?" Ada asked. " I know that when I have kids one day it will hurt not having my mum here. Couldn't give a shit about my dad but our mum; now she would have been an amazing grandmother."

"From what Polly's said of her I would agree. My parents would have doted on Dylan, my dad especially. My mum was soft and sweet, but my dad was even worse. As a child he could never discipline me, he used to let me get away with murder, and my mum would do all the telling off. They always wanted more kids, but it just didn't happen for them."

"They're watching down on you and the little man," Polly said knowingly. " They all are. Now sit your bums down and let ' s eat before we all start crying."

Saoirse checked on Dylan after they had eaten and he was still fast asleep, gripping his blanketed teddy bear for dear life and pursing his lips just like his father. She, Ada, and Polly decided to play a game of rummy to pass the time until he woke up. They were so engrossed in the game that they didn't hear the back gate creak open as John stepped through it. It was only when he walked in through the back door that they realised they had company.

"What are you doing here?" Polly queried. " Thought you had that meeting with Tommy and Arthur and that Dutch fella who lives near the docks? "

"Yeah, I do," John nodded, cramming a sandwich into his mouth. " But Arthur forgot the papers so I've come back to get them. "

"Well, I'll go and find the papers and Ada can make you some sandwiches to take back with you," Polly suggested. " Then you can stop stealing all of ours. "

"You're a legend, Pol, eh?" John grinned. " And don't tell Esme I said this, but your sandwiches are better than hers."

"Was Dylan still asleep when you came past?" Saoirse asked.

"I didn't see him," John frowned.

"Oh, he's asleep in the pram," Saoirse explained. "I thought you might have popped your head in when you walked past but not to worry. I'll go and check that he's alright; he should be getting hungry soon."

"He's not in the pram," John frowned. "I did stick my head in, but the pram was empty."

"What?" Saoirse stood abruptly, feeling like her heart had sunk to her toes.

She was out of the back door in a flash, followed closely on her heels by Polly, Ada and John. Saoirse wasn't aware of them though; all she could focus on was the fact that her son was gone. He was gone. Somebody screamed. Her? The sound was like an animal who had been wounded; it was raw. She fell to her knees, clutching the tiny blue blanket teddy bear that was the only thing left behind of Dylan. Completely unaware of the panicked shouts and chaos going on around her, she brought the teddy to her nose with a shaking hand and breathed in that newborn scent of her beautiful boy.

She looked up when a gentle hand touched her shoulder and her face crumbled when she saw Tommy standing there. She didn't even know how much time had passed. All she knew was that she didn't have her little boy.

"He's gone," she croaked pitifully. " He's gone, Tommy. "