For Sarah for being a nincompoop and making me laugh harder than I have in a good while.

'Is it safe to come in?' Sister Julienne asked through the door.

'Of course.'

'Come in sister.' Chummy smiled.

'I have someone who wants to see you all.' She held out a hand and pulled a nervous Shelagh into the room.

'Sister Bernadette!' Trixie squealed as she flew at the woman and wrapped her in a tight hug. 'Oh I'm so glad to see you.' Smiling sister Julienne withdrew from the room. This was a private matter between Shelagh and the nurses. She wasn't needed. Perhaps she'd better go warn Sister Evangelina and Sister Monica Joan of the developments.

'It's good to see you too.' She hugged the other lay nurses before turning to Chummy, propped against the far wall.

'Long time no see.' They smiled.

'I'd hug you but I'm not sure I could fit around the bump.' Shelagh giggled.

'Later?'

'Definitely.'

'You've left the order then?' Jenny asked as Shelagh sat on the edge of the bed.

'I have. But I'm still going to be a nurse and midwife here.'

'Thank goodness.' Cynthia smiled. 'We were so worried we'd lose you.'

'What do we call you then? I assume Bernadette isn't your real name?'

'Uh no. It isn't. Shelagh Mannion is my real name.'

'Shelagh. Not would I have guessed.'

'What did you expect?' Shelagh laughed as Trixie blushed, realizing how her words could have sounded.

'I don't know. Something more Scottish perhaps.'

'It's spelled the Scottish way if it's any consolation.'

'The Scottish way?' Cynthia looked confused.

'S. H. E. L. A. G. H.'

'Ah. Again not what I would have guessed.'

'What do you think then?' She asked nervously.

'About your name or you overall?'

'All of it.'

'I love the name, it's really very pretty and it suits you. And I think you're absolutely stunning. I had no idea you were so beautiful under that wimple. Your hair is gorgeous. Such a lovely colour. And your figure! You've been holding out on us, that habit does nothing for it. Where did you get these clothes from? I expected you to turn up in the same clothes you wore before you became a nun. I saw Sister Evangelina washing them. They smelt damp apparently.'

'Well, there's quite a tale there.' She recounted her adventure and meeting of Rebecca, neglecting to mention the more romantic, heartbroken moments of it, only stopping twice to help Chummy through her contractions.'

'Wow. You've had an eventful day.'

'Aye. Not as exciting as Chummy's is going to be though.'

'I'll get excited when it stops hurting so much and the little bean is in arms. ' Chummy winced.

'Oh dear. It'll soon be over.'

'You never know, you may well be the next one in this position Shelagh.' Shelagh blushed heavily, ducking her head to damp down the ache that pierced her throat once more.

'Trixie!' Jenny and Cynthia admonished.

'Sorry Shelagh. That was rather blunt wasn't it?'

'Don't worry about it. But I've only not been a nun 15 minutes. Give me a bit more time to get used to it all and get to know myself a bit better.'

'Of course. I cannot wait to get to know you better as Shelagh.'

'We always wanted to invite you to join in with us when we were doing things and I got the impression, especially in the last year or so that you wanted to join in too.' Cynthia said tentatively

'I did. I came to want it very much.' Shelagh admitted. She'd already lost one potential future dream, she couldn't bear to lose the nurses as her close friends dream too. She had to be honest. Honest about this at least, she still wasn't prepared to tell them about Doctor Turner. Maybe one day, months or years into the future when it was no longer so unbearable and apinful to think about, when she perhaps had a husband and children, when she had found an even greater joy she could. And if this all-encompassing love was not her destiny then who knew what God given love would feel like. 'I would find myself wishing I could take off my habit, slip on one of those beautiful dresses of yours, style my hair like you, drink in your rooms and go out dancing with you. Sometimes I would stand outside your doors as you socialised and find myself crying. Once when you went out, actually it was when you all went dancing with PC Noakes because Chummy didn't want to go alone just after they'd started courting, I watched you leave and went to my room. I took off my wimple and just stared at myself for nearly 20 minutes just imagining what it would be like, questioning whether I had made the right decision in becoming Sister Bernadette, questioned if I was missing out on life. That was the first time I truly doubted my choice. I felt so guilty that night that I ended up crying in the chapel begging God to forgive me. But it only got worse and worse

'Well, now to can join us. And we'll make you sick of us.'

'I highly doubt that is possible.'

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In the next chapter: Patrick turns up at Nonnatus House