Jed sat down on the couch and put his glasses on, then unfolded the sheets of blue notepaper that Abbey handed to him. His heart jumped a little as he recognised his mother's handwriting and then he looked at the date at the top '12 October 1946, Manchester NH'.

He read on:

Dear Mary

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write to you, but such a lot has happened since I got here.

The voyage was fine – no storms, no icebergs! – and Eddy was there waiting for me when we got to New York. He had a week's shore leave, so first we had two days in New York – what an amazing city it is, hope that you got my postcard? I was quite scared at first because it was so busy and there was so much traffic. But we had a wonderful time – Eddy showed me all the sights, like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, and we walked around Central Park with our arms round each other, and it was so good, just being with him again.

And he was so excited about the baby, Mary! He took me into one of the big stores – Macy's, it was the biggest shop I've ever seen – and we bought lots of baby clothes. And he said he'd told his parents all about me and about the baby too and they were fine about it all. So that made me feel a bit less scared about meeting them.

Then we drove to their farm in New Hampshire, it took nearly all day to get there. And his parents were so lovely. The first thing his father (I call him Dad now) said to me was 'Welcome to the Bartlet family, Annie' – wasn't that nice? We only had three more days before Eddy had to go back to Groton to join his sub, but he took me all round everywhere, showing me where he'd been at school and where he used to go fishing as a boy, and even the hill where he'd come off his bike and broken his arm. And we started making plans for the wedding too, on his next shore leave.

When he left, it all seemed a bit strange and I started to feel very homesick. But the family were very kind, they really looked after me, and Eddy's brother, John, came home from college and he started taking me places, like over to the seaside (they just call it the 'beach' here) and even down to Boston one day.

And then we got the news and it was John who came to tell me. I was down in the orchard, and I knew as soon as I saw him that something really bad had happened. Anyway, he told me that Eddy's sub was lost, somewhere in the China Sea, when there had been a big storm. I didn't understand at first, I remember saying 'But Eddy's all right, isn't he?' And John just looked at me and shook his head and said that they were all lost and that Eddy was dead. And of course he was upset too, because Eddy was his big brother. And we both just stood there in the orchard, with our arms round each other, and I just cried and cried.

Well, after that I was in a daze, I didn't know what I was going to do. I'd almost made up my mind to come back to Ballykane but then one day Dad came to me and said, "Annie, don't worry, we'll look after you. That child growing inside you is a Bartlet, so you'll always be part of our family." So I decided to stay, because I really want my child to be born as an American and to have all the advantages of being a Bartlet, instead of being raised in a small poor Irish village.

And, as it was the summer vacation, John was there, and we started spending more time together. In a way we were comforting each other. And then one night we were sitting on the porch, and he asked me to marry him. He said he knew he wasn't Eddy, but that he loved me and wanted to take care of me. And a few days later, after I'd thought about it all, I said yes. So I'm a married lady now, Mary – we just had a quiet wedding at the farm at the end of September. I think I've done the right thing. John cares a lot about me, and even though I don't love him in the same way that I still love Eddy – and he understands that – I do feel a kind of love for him.

John's got his first job – teaching at a school in the town, which means that I can stay on here at the farm until the baby's born. But we're looking for a house in the town, and then we can be a real family.

Only 2 more months to go – the baby's due the middle of December, as you know, and I'm getting really big now! I'm sure it's going to be a boy – and the family say that if it is, I have to call him Josiah – after his ancestor who was Governor of New Hampshire and who signed the Declaration of Independence. But I'm going to have my own way too, Mary – his second name's going to be Edward, because for me he'll always be part of my Eddy. Josiah Edward Bartlet – what do you think of that then?

I'll write again soon – and you let me know how things are in Ballykane, won't you – and how my Da is?

Your loving friend Annie.

As he reached the end of the letter, Jed swallowed hard and then stared down at it for a long time, even though the words became blurred as his eyes filled.

Abbey had been standing watching him as he read the letter. She'd seen his frown soften into a small smile at one point, and then his face had stilled as he had continued to read. Now her heart seemed to twist inside her as she watched him struggling with his emotions.

"Has it helped?" Abbey asked quietly.

Jed took off his glasses, and looked up at her, managing a small smile. "Yeah," he said. "At least now I know that they – that they really were in love with each–" His voice choked and he looked down again, covering his face with his hand. Abbey moved across to him and bent forward to kiss the top of his head gently, then sat down beside him, her hand resting on his knee, waiting until he was ready to talk about it…

TBC