George threw his arms around Dixie’s legs and hugged her tightly before running off and returning with his coat and school bag dragging behind him. Three mornings a week Dixie walked George to school. She was indeed the proud great-grandmother. Molly zipped up George’s coat, pulled his hat down over his ears and slipped his hands into his gloves. ‘Have fun!’ She kissed him on his cheek whilst Cam high-fived him, but she noticed that George was pulling at Dixie’s pocket.
‘Did you bring me any sweets?’ asked George.
Dixie gave him a look that Cam had seen many times when he was a small boy. He couldn’t help but smile. It was the look that meant:Be quiet, don’t tell the parents.
‘Please do not tell me you fill my son full of sweets on the way to school,’ said Cam to Dixie, who was looking considerably sheepish.
‘Not all the time, and it doesn’t do you any harm.’ She gave Cam a cheeky wink. ‘Right, young man, are we ready?’
George hugged Molly then Cam, who handed him a white paper bag with a warm bagel inside. ‘Take this, you can eat it on the sledge.’ With his backpack hoisted up on his back, George headed outside with Dixie, much to the delight of Darling, who began yapping the second she saw them.
Molly wrapped her arms around Cam’s waist and they watched as George sat on a blanket that had been placed in the sledge, with his legs stretched out in front of him. They chuckled as Dixie began pulling the sledge and George squealed with delight, clutching his bagel. The sight of Darling prancing in the snow as she attempted to walk beside the sledge was comical enough to make anyone smile. They set off up the road leaving tracks on the freshly laid snow and soon were out of sight.
‘I hope I’m as sprightly at that age,’ said Molly, who already felt exhausted and had only been out of bed for just over an hour.
‘You were quiet last night and a little so this morning.’ Cam narrowed his eyes at Molly. ‘Are you feeling okay?’
‘Of course, just pregnant,’ she replied with a smile, as she began piping the insides of the doughnuts with jam. ‘I’m not sure how anyone can ever say they enjoy being pregnant or that they feel radiant and blooming. I can’t sleep properly with the constant night-time kicking from this one; I’m exhausted and feel blooming awful.’
Cam gave Molly a hug. ‘You are doing amazing. Only another few weeks to go and then the real fun begins.’
‘Ha, and then that really does mean no sleep.’ But Molly knew the real reason why she had struggled to sleep last night. She’d tossed and turned thinking about the girl she’d met in the doorway of the shelter – Bree. There was something about her she couldn’t quite put her finger on. She seemed very familiar but Molly didn’t know why. It was unnerving her a little.
Molly knew that the shelter would close after breakfast until it opened up again this evening and so Bree would be back on the street for the day. Sam had been campaigning to extend the opening hours but with no official outcome so far. Molly had often seen homeless people walking down the street or sitting in doorways in the day but had never thought about what they did with the rest of their time. Where would Bree go? Would she sit around waiting all day for her luck to change or for money to fall from the sky and instantly change her situation? How do you actually turn your life around when you’re in that position?
Last night the shelter was full of people, all with different lives, different mindsets and different ambitions. She knew some might fit the stereotypes but also knew that many didn’t and that most homeless people were on the streets simply because they’d had a run of bad luck and were depressed and embarrassed about their situation. They needed a chance to get back on their feet and back into society.
Bree looked too young to be faced with this life all by herself. Every time Molly thought of those wide hazel eyes staring back at her she felt a tremor of emotion, an image from the past she just couldn’t shake off. With the weather this cold and bitter she knew even daytime spent on the street would be freezing.
‘You’re daydreaming again!’ Cam playfully nudged her arm.
‘Hey!’ she said, squeezing the piping bag. Jam squirted over the counter.
‘You are meant to get that in the doughnut, not everywhere but… You doughnut!’
‘Ah, funny,’ she replied, rolling her eyes. ‘And who are you calling a doughnut?’ She aimed the piping bag at Cam and pressed it with full force. She giggled as Cam quickly moved out of the way and strawberry jam trailed across the counter.
‘You are lethal with that thing,’ he said, throwing a cloth at her. ‘I’ll be banning you from the bakery kitchen if you carry on. Now back to work,’ he ordered with a smile.
Molly saluted. ‘Yes, Chef!’
Cam carried on checking the ovens before he began baking a batch of croissants. He looked across at Molly. Her cheeks were glowing and her pregnant bump touched the counter. Cam couldn’t quite believe their second baby was about to be born in a matter of weeks. Molly was his world and he loved her with every inch of his body. She was kind, generous, always thought of others, and he knew he was a lucky man that their paths had crossed.
Turning away, Cam was stricken with a sudden surge of guilt. When George was born, they’d promised each other that they would always look after one another and be honest and open about everything. But he’d been in a dilemma for a few weeks now, unable to tell a soul what he was grappling with, knowing that there was a possibility he was about to shatter his family’s lives. Cam had always championed honesty, and feeling that twinge of guilt his thoughts turned to the letter he was hiding in his apron pocket. He knew he should tell Molly his news as the date of his scan was getting close, but at this stage in her pregnancy he didn’t want to worry her. Cam had always found personal stuff difficult to talk about – it was just the way he was – and there never seemed to be a right time to broach the subject. And truthfully, he felt scared. He always thought his future was mapped out with a happy ever after for the family he cherished with all his heart, but there was a possibility this scan could change everything. All he had to do was try and keep everything together for another week and then the wait would be over and he could tell Molly the – hopefully good – news.
Trying to keep his emotions in check, he concentrated on beating the eggs in the bowl in front of him, hoping Molly wouldn’t notice the tears in his eyes.
They worked in silence for a couple of minutes until Molly switched on the radio and began to sing along, using the piping bag as a microphone, causing Cam to look over in her direction and laugh.
‘You’re looking way too serious for your own good,’ she remarked, placing the piping bag down on the counter and holding out her hands. ‘Come and dance with me.’
Cam shook his head in jest. ‘You are mad, you are.’
‘I know.’ She grinned, grabbing hold of him. ‘Come on.’
Cam twirled her around and she laughed and danced them towards the shop window, where she stopped mid-twirl. ‘Look at the weather.’ Even from inside they could tell there was a cutting chill in the air and a heaviness about the sky. The snowfall had stopped for the time being but it wouldn’t be long before those flakes began to fall to the ground again.
‘We are entering the world of Christmas; the winters in Scotland can be brutal,’ replied Cam, taking a brief look out of the shop window. He let go of Molly’s hand and opened the shop door. He quickly looked up the road. There was no one in sight.
