As Tom and Barbara were preparing for their marriage, Tom looked around his small curate's house. He wished he had a larger house he could bring Barbara to after their honeymoon. The only advantage to his house was that it was near Nonnatus House. They had not discussed it if Barbara would give up work after their marriage. He knew she loved midwifery but he was a traditional man as were her parents. Her mother had given up a secretarial job the day she married and became a vicar's wife. His adoptive mother had never worked.
He walked around his house. It contained a living room with a small fire and small desk where he did some of his parish work, kitchen that doubled as his dining room and then upstairs was his bedroom, another smaller bedroom and a box room that had been converted into an indoor bathroom. He looked out from the window in his bedroom. He saw his postage stamp of a garden that still contained an old privy and a bomb shelter. A small lean-to containing his clothes washing facilities. He was lucky that National Service had prepared him for all eventualities.
Tom turned around to look at his bedroom. It contained a small wardrobe which contained his suits and civvies. When he first came to the parish he had decided to keep most of his church robes in his office at the church. Since he was rarely seen out of his uniform he did not have many suits. His wardrobe had a distinct divide, church and home, which was the way he liked it. He kept his trousers, collars and other clothes in a chest of draws next to the fire. The top of the draws contained pictures of his family and some books. It also held his comb, bryl dream and a mirror. His bed faced the window with a small bedside table next to each side. He kept a well beaten copy of the bible on one side with a small reading light. In a draw in the table he kept his reading book. Above his bed was a cross pinned to the wall. The wallpaper was chintz that was fraying around the edges while there was only a strip of carpet from the end of his bed to the chest of draws. He was good at fixing things but decorating was not his forte. He never had the money to do anything with his house. He had either had things donated to him by his family, parishioners or had picked things up at a market.
He wished he could offer Barbara something more. He knew what she was used to at Nonnatus house. A full length mirror and more wardrobe space, a dressing table and full meals. He knew that she knew what she was marrying into. She was a vicar's daughter but from all accounts her father was wealthier than him. He was lucky that he had got a scholarship to Durham University and then his curacy. His mother had always pushed him to get an education. He picked up one of his books and looked inside at the inscription.
"Tom, no matter where you go I will always be there. I love you. Happy Birthday. Barbara 1961" He kissed the inscription. He remembered her dark brown eyes glistening as she gave it to him. He knew that no matter what they would be happy. They would strive forward together, fighting the injustices the world faced, together. He could not wait to see Barbara walk down the aisle in her wedding dress. It would be the best day of his life.