A Christmas Wish for the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell

Author:Nancy Revell [Revell, Nancy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Sunday August 15

‘… Happy birthday to you … Happy birthday, dear LuLu … Happy birthday to you!’

Everyone cheered and Joe lifted up an unusually shy-looking Lucille to blow out her candles. There were five of them on the cake and she managed it in one gusty blow.

Everyone cheered again, the sound filling Vera’s café and spilling out onto the main road as the hot weather meant the café door had been lodged open. The birthday venue had been Lucille’s present from Vera and Rina. They had moved all the tables and chairs to the side for the partygoers to sit and eat their sandwiches, leaving most of the wooden flooring free so that Lucille and all her little friends could run around and play.

‘Make a wish,’ Bel whispered in her daughter’s ear. She caught sight of Hope padding her way towards them – a look of determination on her face.

‘And remember,’ Bel said, giving her daughter a quick kiss on the cheek, ‘you can’t tell anyone, otherwise it won’t come true.’

In the corner of her eye she saw Dorothy whisk Hope up and away.

Bel and Joe watched as Lucille closed her eyes and scrunched up her pretty little face.

‘All done!’ she declared.

‘That didn’t take much thinking about,’ Joe joked.

‘That’s because she always wishes for the same thing,’ Bel mumbled.

Joe gave a quizzical look before he guessed.

‘Ahh,’ he said. ‘Of course.’

It was the same thing her mammy wished for every day.

‘LuLu …’ Polly had appeared, one hand on her huge bump, the other stretched out to her niece. ‘Are you going to help me cut the cake?’

‘Yeah!’ Lucille yelled as Joe put her back down.

Bel and Joe watched Polly take Lucille’s hand and walk around the table that had been used to display the cake. Hannah was there, ready with a stack of plates to dish out slices of the much anticipated chocolate sponge. Lucille teetered on tiptoes to put her small hand over her aunt’s and help cut the cake. Hannah stepped in and lifted her up so she could reach. Joe chuckled seeing that Polly was also struggling to reach the cake due to her bump.

‘I think my not-so-little sister will be glad when she finally has the bab.’ Joe glanced at Bel. She was also watching Polly, but seemed in another world. He took her hand and squeezed it. More than anything, he hoped that Lucille’s birthday wish was granted. And soon.

‘Please, my dear, don’t tempt me. I can feel my waist expanding just looking at it,’ Lily said, putting her hand up.

‘Are you sure,’ Charlotte said. ‘It’s a proper chocolate cake. Not one that looks like one but tastes like cardboard.’

‘I should hope it doesn’t taste like cardboard, the amount it cost to get all the ingredients,’ Maisie said, taking one of the plates.

Lily threw Maisie a disapproving look. ‘One should never talk about money in public, especially when it concerns a gift. It’s very uncouth.’

Charlotte bent down and handed a plate to a little boy who was standing waiting patiently by her side.

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