The District Nurses of Victory Walk. Annie Groves

      Ray had huffed in disbelief. ‘I don’t like the way he looks at you. You been leading him on or something?’

      ‘What? Billy? He’s a mate, nothing more,’ she had protested, sensing a side to Ray she hadn’t seen before. She’d known he could be very protective. But she hadn’t realised he could be jealous.

      ‘You make sure that’s all it is,’ he had snarled, gripping her arm and lowering his face close to hers, and for a moment she thought he was going to turn on her. Then he had smiled his usual charming smile and the dark moment passed. ‘There’s only one man for you, Kath, and that’s me. You don’t need no other,’ he had said, slinging his arm around her shoulder, and she had looked up at him and smiled back in delight, because she believed he would look after her and love her.

      She shook her head. That had been a long time ago now.

      The familiar ritual of making a pot of tea had calmed her, and by the time she’d brought it through to Billy, her hands were steady again.

      He’d stayed for a while to make small talk, producing a little rattle he’d picked up ‘for next to nothing’ and waving it at a now fully awake Brian, who had waved his arms back. Kathleen had beamed in pleasure, watching another stage of her baby learning how to reach for an object, loving his big smile.