Family dinner

"It's that time of the month, Cora is feeling a bit off" Connie säger för att hjälpa Cora släta över det.

Hon ger sin syster en blick, blandad med avund och tacksamhet.

"Do slow down, Cora. You shouldn't drink so fast, you'll feel ill if you do, especially if you're already feeling a little peaky." Francis ser också bekymrad ut, även om han vet vad som ligger bakom det så har han ju lovat Connie att vänta till efter kvällens middag med att ta upp det. Men kanske behövar han ta ett par ord med Cora privat innan?

Will ser forvirret ut igjen. "What time...?" Thomas avbryter raskt. "Thank you. Right." Han tror ikke på forklaringen, men bestemmer seg for å snakke med Cora privat senere.

"Tell you later, Will. It's not a dinner table subject " säger Connie. Hon sneglar oroligt mot systern. Kanske hon inte skulle sagt något

Cora blänger på dem, hon är inget barn och vill hon dricka så gör hon det. Samtidigt så vet hon ju att hon gör dumt så hon ler svagt. ”No worries. Just a bit of a stomachache” i alla fall hade det varit sant om hjärtat satt i magen.

"Even more reason to take it easy. Take care of yourself, dear." Francis tittar fundersamt på Cora, han vet inte riktigt var han ska börja när de talar om det hela sedan, men det är bäst att han listar ut det.

Når desserten kommer på bordet, er det tydelig at Thomas slapper mer av. Han ser fremdeles sliten ut, men alkohol har drevet bort angsten og forvirringen over å være hjemme. Noe lengtende kommer plutselig over ham.
"Has anyone heard from Mikey? Or Hope?"

"I got a letter from him just before he got shipped out" Connie försöker sno lite av Athine's dessert. Det var så länge sedan hon hade möjligheter att njuta av godsaker.

Thomas ser urolig ut. Tenk om Mikey aldri får se barnet sitt? "What did he say?"

"He... he was scared worried about never meeting his child," Connie slår ner blicken
"When will this end so no-one else have to die in vain?!"

Thomas legger fra seg skjeen. Han har ikke lyst på mer kake.

Fionas ser ner I sin tallrik. "Han mötte Jane i London innan han åkte" säger hon tyst. "Han frågade mycket om Michael sa hon." Att han är döpt efter hennes bror som avled i det första världskriget känns plötsligt - konstigt.

Francis lägger handen på Thomas ben under bordet och kramar lite till stöd. "Mikey is a good, sensible lad so he'll be careful out there. Honestly, whilst I hate that Mikey is scared and worried, having things to get back to makes you less likely to take foolish risks. Eventually this damned war will end and we'll all be together again, we have to have hope."

"I remember when he first was deployed his commanding officer praised him for being scared because it made him make smart decisions. Decisions that didn't get him or his unit killed." Connie trycker Athines hand.
"He cares so much about both Hope and the child, I'm sure he will fight to come back. He even made me promise that I and Athine would help them if he didn't make it home"

Thomas nikker alvorlig og svelger. Tenker på broren Will, og hvordan faren aldri ble det samme igjen da Will døde. Kjærligheten til sine barn er for stor, man kan ikke leve skikkelig uten dem. "Hope and the child are family," hvisker han. "We look after family. How is she? Is she able to visit while I am here?"

"That is a great idea! If course we should ask her!"

"I invited her by letter through Viola before I left Tunisia. But I am not sure Viola recieved the letter yet. I want to see - " Han holder på å si barnebarnet sitt, men det blir litt feil. Riktignok kan nok Fiona og Francis huske hvor opptatt han var av å snakke med de ufødte barna sine. "I want to talk to the baby." Han rødmer litt.

Francis ler ömt mot Thomas. "I'm sure we could call or send a telegram to Hope and she'd be here as soon as she could. As you say, she is family and we'd all be glad to have her here."