Chapter 29 - Arrival

Al took our bags from the car, while Jack stood there twisting his hands. "Nervous, dear?" I asked him.

"Oh, a bit," he said.

I touched his shoulder. "It'll be fine."

He took a deep breath and blew the air out slowly. "I hope… so."

Al turned around, carrying our luggage. "Problem?" he whispered.

"No," I answered, squaring my shoulders. "Come on, Jack." I took his arm and dragged him to the steps. I knocked on the door and waited for it to open.

The door flew open and Morwenna stood in the door, radiant and smiling. "Mum! Dad!" she yelled gleefully. She came out, and then threw her arms around us as I pulled her into my arms. Oh God, I could feel her little belly against mine, and suddenly my eyes were pricked by tears.

"Mum, Dad. Oh I am so glad that you came!" Morwenna exclaimed. "Aren't we Al?"

"Uh, yeah," he said with a grunt. "Can you take the reunion inside while I shift the luggage? Breaking my bloody back here."

"Sorry!" she answered, pulled me and Jack inside and then opened the door wider to pass both Al and our bags.

Jack managed to snag one of the bags, for poor Al looked like an overloaded weightlifter with beads of perspiration trickling down his face. "Steady there," Jack told him.

"Thanks Jack," Al muttered. "Uhm…"

Jack smiled. "You can call me Dad, you know."

"Right, Dad," Al told him.

I winked at our daughter, and she laughed, so then I laughed.

Jack and Al took the luggage away, leaving me and Morwenna by ourselves for a few precious moments.

"How are you Mum?" Her voice was a bit high and shaky, I could tell.

"Doing fine. Oh let me look at you!" I took her arms and looked her up and down. I could see she was preggers with her glossy hair, flushed cheeks, bigger bust, with just a hint of a belly pushing her blouse out at the waist. "And here we are," I said, "at last; at long last. Too long, I think."

She ducked her head. "Right," she said then hugged herself. "And you and Dad are well?"

"We are, and I must say that your Doc Martin really is a miracle worker. Making that diagnosis the way he did."

She nodded. "He's good at what he does, is our Doc."

"I'm not sure that I adequately thanked him during our visit."

"He and Louisa, Mrs. Ellingham, will be at the wedding. In fact Louisa helped me with my wedding dress. You can speak to him then."

My heart sank a little, thinking of all the things - big and small - which I missed over the years. Buying a wedding dress without me was just one of a million things I'd not done with my daughter.

"Come upstairs and I'll show you my dress!" She turned towards the stair, but stopped staring at me. "Mum… I am so… so…" she took a shuddering breath, "so… happy - yeah, that's the right word. Happy that you and Dad have come!" She stretched out her arms so I went into her embrace.

I started to sniffle, and then she did, and so by degrees we fell to crying as one.

When the men clattered down stairs she and I were still wrapped up in each other's arms.

"Mor'?" I heard Al ask. "Uhm, everything alright down here?"

Morwenna swiped at her dripping eyes. "All good."

"Just mum and daughter happy to see each other," I snuffled.

Jack glanced at Al and the boy caught his eye. They men gave each other a silent look.
"Ahm, right," Jack said after a few seconds.

Morwenna perched a hand on hip. "So wot's that look supposed to mean? Hm?"

Jack shrugged and shook his head.

"And you Al?" she asked her betrothed.

He held up his hands in surrender. "I… donnoh."

Jack broke the moment the way he was good out. "Now I'm thinkin' that a good dinner is proper. On us. What's a good place to eat 'round the village nowadays?"

Morwenna bit her lip. "Maybe…"

AL snapped his fingers. "We could go to… maybe the… oh, what's the name?"

"Freddies," Morwenna blurted out.

"Bit flash, ain't it?" Al screwed up his nose.

"Why Al Large! Flash? I do recall you took me there on our first date, if it counted, but certainly the second time, if you actually count the first."

"What's this?" I asked.

Morwenna blushed. "Well you see I met a fellow named Colin there."

Al started to grin. "And what was the girl's name? Right." He snapped his fingers. "Nefertari; that's the one."

"Who's this?" Jack asked.

I saw the sly smile Al gave Morwenna and the cheeky way in which she answered him. "Oh those two," she said.

"Well, however these people are, or were, I'm sure it will be fascinating to hear about them," I chuckled.

Three of us laughed, but poor Jack was left behind. "What, and who?" he stuttered.

I watched the way that Morwenna's eyes danced as she gazed at Al. Oh yes, she was in love with the boy, and I was glad that she was. For love was necessary to carry on, with a wedding and all.