Julie didn't feel nervous talking to Tim's father. She told him about her family and her move to London and her job.
"You don't like your job?" he asked.
"No, I never wanted to be a secretary, but I couldn't afford university."
He just nodded as if he understood. He didn't patronise her. She imagined he was much the same with his patients, even in the horrid conditions that Tim had mentioned.
"It's a fine job. You're young still. I'm certain you'll find your place."
"Tim's lucky. He knew he wanted to be a doctor since he was a boy."
"Did I tell you that?" Tim looked amused.
Julie realized that it was Arthur who mentioned it. "Well Teddy has, I may have confused you."
"Tim, you need to watch out for her," Patrick said laughing.
Teddy protested, "I might be a footballer and not a doctor."
"Of course, I forgot. Tim, did you aspire to be a footballer too or was it a musician?"
"I was never good enough to make music a profession."
"Tim's sport was cricket and other scrappy street games," Patrick added.
"Yes, I was quite neglected and lived on the streets for a few years. Thank God, Mum came along and saved us both."
"You were never neglected… completely," Patrick laughed.
Julie imagined the poor motherless boy and the busy doctor trying to get by.
How could the caring nun, not notice and fall in love with two endearing souls?
Bored Teddy pleaded, "Julie can we play a game?"
"What would you like to play?"
"Yahtzee!"
She noticed that Tim was holding back a smirk. When Teddy went to get the game, Tim whispered, "He cheats. See how often he says 'that one didn't count'."
Teddy went first of course. Then Julie took her turn. She hadn't played often. Kate's family had the game, but Julie's family didn't play games.
"Three twos," she said disappointed. She was trying for a full house.
Tim rolled and ended up with four sixes and a five. Teddy rolled and Tim suggested he try for a straight. He rolled twice more and didn't get the number he needed.
"That one didn't count," he said.
Tim squeezed Julie's hand under the table and said, "Give it one more go."
Julie tried not to laugh, but the boy was endearing even when he was cheating. He conceded after his extra roll and took two points for his ones.
They continued and again, Teddy said, "That one didn't count."
"Ted," Patrick said sternly.
Julie had thought that Dr. Turner was reading the newspaper and paying no mind to their game. The lad straightened up after that and Tim won by a score almost double hers and Teddy's.
"No wonder he cheats, you're lucky with the dice," she said.
Tim replied close to her ear, "I was lucky the day you were alone at the cinema."
She loved the way he said sweet things to her. She wanted to kiss him, but his brother and father were right there.
As if reading her mind, Tim's father said, "Alright Teddy time for bed. Hurry and get ready and I'll read a chapter of Mr. Fox."
"It's called The Fantastic Mr. Fox," Teddy corrected him.
Teddy obeyed his father after that comment and went upstairs, first hugging Julie and asking her to come back again.
"I'd like to," she replied as she looked at Tim. He smiled.
Julie thought of Teddy's comment to his father, her father wouldn't have liked it if one of her siblings corrected him. If he said the sun was blue then the sun was bloody blue.
Once his father followed Teddy up the stairs, Tim pulled her into his arms and held her. He whispered, "Thank you," into her ear.
She responded by holding him tighter. Her head was resting against his chest. She liked the feel of his arms. She felt content and oddly secure.
Their moment was interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. The shrill filled the silence of their moment and caused them to separate.
She heard heavy, hurried footsteps upstairs and a muffled voice. Then Dr. Turner appeared.
"Tim can you finish with Teddy? I've been called out."
"What is it?"
"An elderly patient, I'll know more later, son."
Julie listened as father and son transformed briefly into doctors. Not that either said much, but their demeanor changed and his father clearly treated him respectfully. She imagined that they spent time together discussing medicine.
Tim went upstairs to finish the job of tucking his brother in. When he returned, he was smiling.
##
"We're alone," he said.
Reaching for Julie's hand, he pulled her in to his arms again. She smelled like flowers and he inhaled her scent. Releasing her, he lead her to the sofa. Tim was suddenly torn. As much as he wanted to snog, he want to talk to her about her visit.
Was she overwhelmed? Did she like my family?
He opted for a bit of snogging first, but stopped as he felt the heat between them. He was raised a certain way and wasn't going to lose his head and disrespect a girl like Julie in his parent's house.
Holding her hand, he asked, "Was Teddy too much for you?"
She laughed naturally in a way that Tim knew she was being honest as she said, "Silly he's adorable. My brothers were monsters when my parents were out."
Sighing with relief and asked, "And my dad?"
"I could tell immediately that he cares about his patients. He didn't judge me."
"Why would he judge you?" Tim asked confused.
"Because I came from a poor family, because I'm not educated, because I'm not good enough for you..."
"Stop!"
Tim hoped she was through, but he didn't want to hear more if she wasn't. He took her hand and held it to his heart and started his response.
"Your family being poor only matters because it shaped who you are. I knew a lot of stupid blokes at university. You're far more intelligent, so never think you're not."
Tim leaned in and kissed her and then he said, "You are too good for me. I took up bassoon to impress a girl and failed. When I met you, I thought you deserved a posh bloke like Jim. I'm not posh. My family is ordinary."
"I think your family is extraordinary. Jim Albert can't hold a candle to you. You're fun and sweet and…"
"See that's why you are good enough for me. You see me."
Tim hoped he convinced her. Just to be certain, he kissed her again. He took her bottom lip between his. This kiss was not as chaste as their others. He resisted the urge to explore with his tongue. He was trying to convince her that she was worthy of him as a person not as an enticing woman.
Enticing, she is!
When Patrick came home, they were on the sofa together. He hid a smirk, but said nothing. Tim expected that his father would be unable to hold his tongue for long and would tease Tim about mushy stuff.
Much to Tim's chagrin, as the most logical solution, his father offered to drive Julie home when he went out to fetch Mum. He couldn't turn down a lift and send her off alone on the bus. He couldn't take her back, because he was needed at home.
That was how he was forced to kiss Julie on the cheek with his father watching on and then he whispered to his father, "Don't scare her away!"
As they drove off, he felt disappointed, because he knew it could be at least a week or more before he would see her again.
##
"You are too good for me."
Julie thought of Tim's words and wondered if he meant them. She was nervous about getting a ride from Dr. Turner. Not only would he see where she lived, but he may change his opinion of her when Tim was no longer around.
It was silent for a while and then he spoke, "Don't mislead…"
Oh Lord, here it comes...
Julie dug her nails into her palm.
He continued, "... Teddy too much. That boy is a sensitive soul. He has mended more than one baby bird. He had a crush on Angela's friend for a year until he met you. You would think he was the boy who didn't have a mother. Perhaps we smothered him a bit being the baby."
Breathing a sigh of relief, she replied, "I truly like him. He is sweet and funny. I don't think there is anything wrong with a boy who cares deeply… too many don't. Tim cares too. I can see it and I think he will be a wonderful GP."
She saw through the shadows of the car that he was smiling like a proud father should.
When she directed him to pull over, he looked up and asked, "Do you live here alone?"
"No, I have a flatmate."
He nodded as if he approved.
"Thank you for the ride, Dr. Turner."
"You'll come over again and have a proper family dinner. My wife would like that."
She turned around and waved after she reached her door. He didn't drive away until she was inside.
She made certain that Kate would hear her unlocking the door to their flat. Kate had a date with Arthur and Julie didn't want to walk in on them snogging or whatever else they might be up to.
The couple was sitting awkwardly on the settee, as if they'd just urgently jumped apart.
"Did you have fun?" Kate asked.
"It was lovely. Arthur, your friend Jim is wrong. He told me that Tim lives in a slum, but Tim lives in a big house with a garden and a kitchen the size of this flat."
"What are his parents like?" Kate ask.
"Nice. Him mum was just there a moment, but his dad drove me home. He was nothing like my dad, the drunk bugger."
"Your dad isn't a drunk. He just likes the pub. My dad too, but they both work hard."
"My dad's a businessman. He has a drink on the train home," Arthur said.
"That's more respectable than mine… ours," Kate said.
"I reckon I best be off," Arthur said as he stood.
Julie disappeared into the loo. She waited until she heard him leave. She thought of how Tim was forced to kiss her on the cheek in front of his father.
Did he wish he could have given her a proper kiss?