Facing your mistakes has consequences…

August 2018

Molly and Charles

"You're right, you do need a shower, you're minging" she giggled. Charles pretended to be affronted as he indignantly pointed out that she had pounced on him the second he had walked through the front door after being away for two weeks on exercises. "Sexy and sweaty is one thing" she was still laughing "But you stink. Go and have a shower"

"Only if you promise not to come in and seduce me" he laughed, meaning the exact opposite.

"I can't, it's far too hot to play silly buggers and my recovery time is not as good as yours these days, I'm pregnant in case you hadn't noticed".

"Really? Are you? That's a relief. I couldn't think what that was!"

"You sarky bastard, don't be so mean"

"I'm not being mean, I love it, you know I do. I think you look fantastic and it makes me feel bloody clever to do something that well. And as for being sweaty, I bet you spent all afternoon sleeping under the fan with the windows open and then had a cool shower, you lucky cow"

"Don't forget the cool drink"

"Yeah, that'd be right! Well, I spent all afternoon in a packed bloody troop carrier wearing full kit in 100 degree heat with a bunch of sweating squaddies, who moaned all the time, as we trundled around Salisbury Plain playing sodding soldiers".

"Lovely" she had got his intonation spot on.

"Actually reminded me of Afghan a bit"

"Couldn't do, I wasn't there"

He was about to joke about her not being the only female medic around when he thought better of it. Molly's confidence could be fragile at times and he never quite knew what would upset her, especially at the moment. He showered away the grime of a long, hot day and listened as she went downstairs and opened the fridge, bringing him a beer as he stretched out clean, cool and naked on their bed, totally happy.

"I saw Beck today" he paused, "I was wondering when I should tell him about us or whether I should just let him find out for himself at some point. If they don't find out until she's ten, it won't matter, because none of them can count backwards!" He grinned "I still haven't got a good answer about how you got pregnant while we were on tour, well not one that would let me keep my job, anyway. Have you decided what you want to do yet? Are you going back to some regiment somewhere or are you going to stay at home and be a kept woman?" He thought for a moment "That's if I've still got a job to keep us! Or should I stay at home and be a house husband and dad while you go back to work? That'd solve the problem."

"You don't have all the basic equipment to feed the baby, numptie"

" She could have a bottle"

"What do you think nature gave me these great tits for? As a reward for you to play with?"

"Yup"

He was just starting to drift into a light doze when he became more than aware that she was lightly butterfly kissing him from his navel downwards, then as the anticipation of what she was about to do began to have the affect she'd intended, the door bell rang. "Ignore it" he muttered as she stopped what she was doing "They'll come back if it's important…oh please Mols, don't stop, whoever it is will go away if we ignore them" Molly ignored him as she started to search the bed for her T shirt and knickers,

" We'll do this later, I promise, it'll give you something to look forward to" she giggled, "Now where the hell is my T shirt?

"Whose T shirt?"

"Well, what's yours is mine. Okay, okay I'm coming for fuck's sake" Someone kept on ringing the doorbell. "If that's someone peddling religion, I'll shoot them" Charles muttered as Molly, engulfed herself in his T shirt and went downstairs, still without any knickers. He could hear a murmur of voices as he tried hard to identify a voice and almost began to doze off, then jerked awake to see her appalled face bending over him as she shook him, "Get up, its your bloody mother, I can't believe I answered the door to your bloody mother without any knickers on and my T shirt is on inside out".

"Oh, fuck, what does she want?"

"I don't know, she's your bloody mother, she's not mine, thank God, you go and find out"

"I can't" he gestured to his groin.

"Think about something else" she giggled.

He groaned as they both started laughing and she threw him some jeans and told him to get down there, now!

Penny

Molly had answered the door and looked totally appalled to see her, or that might be unfair, maybe she was just shocked at her unannounced visit. She had shown her through to the lounge and then scampered off as fast as she could, bearing in mind that she was heavily pregnant. Penny looked around and realised that Charles' bergen was dumped in the hall and his clothing was strewn up the stairs. It dawned on her that he had just got back from somewhere and she had called at a very, very inopportune moment, bearing in mind that Molly didn't appear to be wearing anything other than Charles' T shirt and that was on inside out and that there was a lot of muttering going on upstairs and some laughing.

Bill had finally lost his temper with her and instead of making the faintly supportive and sympathetic noises he had been giving her ever since she had torn their family apart, he had turned on her and told her the plain unvarnished truth that had made her face facts about how ridiculous she was being and how much damage she had caused. The realisation that it was her and only her that had caused the rift and not Molly or Charles had been like a shower of ice down her back. Where and how to start saying sorry was her biggest problem.

He had told her that he had seen Charles several times over the last few weeks and had been for a drink with both of them in the little house they were renting in Salisbury and that in future he wouldn't hear a word against Molly, because in his opinion she was the best thing that had ever happened to Charles and for a split second she had felt completely betrayed. But Bill ignored her small noise of protest and went on that not only was it apparent that they adored each other, but he had never seen their son so happy and relaxed. That stiff army baton that had been attached to his spine had gone completely as the pair of them laughed and teased each other. He had been completely right about what they had got up to in Turkey and when he asked about the army's reaction, Charles said that they had decided not to tell them just yet, and they had both laughed. Molly had added that it had been a close run thing in Afghan as well but they had managed to resist, to which Charles had said 'mores the pity' and they had both laughed again.

Bill told her in no uncertain terms that he expected her to repair the damage she had caused in any way she could and with regard to access to Sam she had to sort it out immediately and in any way she could because he didn't want Charles' new found happiness wrecked and Charles still hadn't been able to see Sam, and from his own point of view, he wanted to be able to share in the joy of both their grandchildren, both Sam and their granddaughter when she was born and while he would like to do that with Penny, if necessary he would do it alone.

Charles appeared from upstairs looking slightly sleepy with his face one huge question mark but he spoke to her as an army Major, not her son.

"Mum, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" Cool, controlled, ultra polite, with no warmth whatsoever.

"I don't know where to start but I would like Molly to be here as well, I probably owe her the biggest apology"

"Yes, you probably do" He wasn't giving an inch "Molly, please can you come down for a minute, gorgeous" he called her.

Molly reappeared, still wearing an inside out T shirt but she did now appear to be wearing knickers. She went and leaned against Charles, her back to his stomach and he put his arms round her with his hands on their baby as she looked up at him and they smiled at each other and Penny suddenly saw what Bill had been talking about, her son adored this girl and he was totally happy with her and she couldn't think for the life of her why she had tried to wreck it. While she was struggling to find the right words all she could say was "Sorry, sorry, I'm so sorry" as the tears started to pour down her cheeks. Charles appeared to be completely impervious to her tears but Molly came and put her arms round her and said "Course you are, come on Charlie, it's not like any of the rest of us haven't fucked up sometimes, is it? You put the kettle on and we'll have a cuppa and talk babies" His mother saw the half grin he gave Molly followed by the mock despairing shake of his head which she completely ignored, so Penny found herself saying "I'd love to" then realised that she meant it.

I have spent quite a lot of time now with Molly and have got to know her quite well. She is a lovely girl, so endearing and warm hearted and so good for my son. He is a totally different person to the one that was in a miserable marriage with Rebecca, she makes him laugh like the carefree person he used to be before he was even in the army and they are both very excited about the baby. I know that Charles is very close to Sam and was when he was a baby, but the poisonous atmosphere between him and Rebecca made life very difficult and Rebecca often uses Sam as a weapon to punish him for his shortcomings as a husband. I will always be ashamed that I tried to do the same thing and gave Rebecca ammunition for her on-going battle with Charles. She has relented at the moment, but I fear that that is because he has threatened her with court. I have a feeling that he is going to be a very hands-on father this time, although what will happen when he is deployed I don't know. Molly, being in the army herself, will understand if he has to go, but I don't think he is going to want to. It sounds strange to hear him called Charlie, something he has resisted ever since he was old enough to start objecting, but he seems so totally happy with it that I have found myself thinking of him as Charlie, something I haven't done since he was a very small boy.

My relationship with my son is still quite strained but looking at what I tried to wreck I don't blame him. He has warned me to stop swamping Molly, that she has her own mum and a grandmother who is going to come and stay when the baby arrives and while it is nice of me to take her shopping for baby clothes and stuff because she doesn't drive, I have to remember that she is, despite her fragile appearance, fiercely independent and a very tough cookie. I don't really believe him. As far as I can see she is very sweet, very loving and very kind, the exact opposite of Rebecca and I am not swamping her. He says he lost her once because she felt suffocated, so he is not going to let it happen again, so I have to back off. I explained that I just want her and the baby to have everything they want, he says he wants to spoil her and if I don't stop he will get Bill to cancel our joint credit cards. I hadn't realised before just how bossy he is, army Major through and through. Don't know where he gets that from. I offered to come and look after them to save her grandmother having to come down from London, but he just gave me a long look and then said "Best not alter Molly's arrangements, thanks"

Molly tells me that she is doing her best to stop swearing so much, but that it's a difficult habit to break, what with where she comes from in London and then the army, but you know what, and it does still make me cringe sometimes when I hear her swear, most of the time I don't even notice how she sounds any more, it's the person inside that counts, why the hell did I forget that for a while? She says that she is used to making poor first impressions on people, that even Charles didn't like her at first, but I don't believe her, I think she is just trying to make me feel better.

Molly

We have managed to patch things up with Charlie's mum although I still can't bring myself to call her Penny, as she keeps asking me to, it would feel too much like calling Her Maj, Lizzie. I know she means well and is really trying to make everything right from her being such a horrible old bag to start with, but she is incredibly bossy, I know where Charlie gets it from now. They both really like to be in charge of everything, so although they have called a truce, there is still a lot of tension between them, although to be fair to her, it is mainly Charlie who appears to be holding a bit of a grudge. Charlie's dad has been over lots, he is lovely and I'm pretty sure he put Her Ladyship up to apologising, I reckon it's his kind of thing but I haven't asked him cos I don't want to make him feel awkward. Charlie tells me that she has offered to come and look after us when the baby is born but he choked her off, thank God! I wonder how she will get on with Nan? Should be interesting!

He is going to ask for a meeting with Beck today. We really have to come clean cos he can't put me down as NoK or put me and the baby down as dependants as things stand without lots of questions and raised eyebrows. We have no idea what will happen.

Authors notes: Hope you enjoyed this. My other half has accused me of thinking this family are real, and I have to admit he probably has a point but it is mainly because I like them so much. So how sad am I?! Please review for me and any suggestions for story lines would be welcomed. I thought Nan and Penny would be interesting but haven't decided yet.