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“Jack?!” Chummy shouted across the kitchen. “Jack is absolutely not allowed to be old enough to have a child.” She shook her head as she leaned over little Freddie’s washing.
“He’s twenty-one now, Camilla,” Peter said smiling, shaking his head. “He’s perfectly old enough to be married and to have a baby. You were at his wedding last year for goodness’ sake.”
“I know that, Peter, dear. I just don’t want to know it. I don’t want him to be old enough because it means I’m getting old.”
“Camilla,” Peter said indulgently, “You’re not getting old. We’re growing up together. We’ve got Freddie and our little pup, and now Jack is married and having his first baby. And he and his wife Linda want you to be their midwife.”
“I am well aware they want me to help but I cannot imagine why. I’m no better than anyone else and this bally stain won’t come out of my uniform. There’s nothing more unsettling to a first-time mother than an unkempt nurse!”
“Hello, Jack,” Chummy said with a soft grin.
“Hello, Nurse!” Jack hollered as he waved across the cobblestones. Nurse Nokes nearly fell off her bicycle, just like the first time she’d come to a birth on this street. “She’s upstairs. We’ve already cleaned everything up and I’ve got the water boiling. Should be spick and span for you.”
“Right-o, Jack. Off you pop. I know you’ve got that new job over at the bottling plant. Don’t want you to be late for your shift and first babies are notoriously stubborn, especially when they’ve stubborn fathers.”
“I’m off for the day. Foreman knows it’s my first and I’m picking up an extra shift over the weekend. I want to help, Nurse.”
Chummy huffed exasperatedly, “Well. If you must stay, join us upstairs, grab some clean towels, and a spot of something to wet the baby’s head in several hours.”
They scurried up to the second landing of the row of flats Jack had grown up in, turned the corner and heard rather a loud screech. Jack’s eyes grew wide as saucers as Chummy ran inside ready for the long labour ahead.
“Go on, then Linda. One more bally great push!” Chummy reached out her hands, ready to receive the little one making its way into the world for the first time. “That’s it! That’s it! You’re doing wonderfully! Oh!”
“Ahhhhhhh!” Linda squealed.
“You’ve done it, Linda! You’ve done beautifully.”
“What is it, Nurse? What have I got?”
“A little girl, Linda. You’ve got a beautiful, absolutely perfect, little baby girl,” Chummy said softly, handing the baby over to her mother for a cuddle.”
“Nurse! Nurse!” Jack bellowed as he rapped on the bedroom door. “What do we have? I wanna meet the littlun’!”
“Jack you are a father now. Please refrain from shouting so loudly that your daughter will be able to hear you across the entirety of Poplar!” Chummy whispered through a small crack in the door.
“My…my…daughter?” Jack looked at Chummy, his eyes widening once again. His face blanched slightly as a look of confused joy crossed his features. “I…I have a daughter?”
“Yes, Jack. But mother and baby are not yet ready for visitors. Everything is all tickety-boo, but we have a few more things to take care of before you can meet your little one.”
When Chummy left Jack’s flat, he and Linda were ensconced with their little girl, ignoring the whole world around them in favor of their newly minted family. As she put a leg over her bicycle and checked her bag was secure, Chummy heard Jack calling out, “Nurse! Nurse! NURSE!”
“Jack,” Chummy said crossly, “I told you not to—"
“Nurse, “Jack said firmly. Chummy looked at him, seemingly seeing his adulthood for the first time. He looked like a young man. A young father. Just like so many she’d seen before.
“Yes, Jack, dear?” Chummy said indulgently.
“Nurse. I…well, Linda and I were talking, and well. We wanted you to be first to know. We’ve already picked her name, and we’re calling her…” Jack shuffled his feet, looking down, then up while running his hand through his hair, “We’ve decided on Camilla Jean.”
Chummy promptly dropped her bicycle and ran over to Jack. “Really?” she said, unbelievingly.
“Really. I talked to Linda about you and how you’ve always done right by me and my family, even when I was an awful little bugger as a kid—”
“Jack,” Chummy interrupted. “I am. Well, I am so pleased. She has a wonderful father and mother and oh, dear.” She dissolved into tears, grasping Jack’s hand. Jack let her squeeze his hand until the tears subsided. Nurse Noakes then went on her way, back to Peter and Freddie and their little dog in the country, knowing that she’d done good that day, and many other days before.