It wasnt blood that tied her to these five but who could tell the difference?
George lost his wife. She never recovered from the birth of their youngest.
Grief or no grief, five children were left behind. The eldest, Michael, was nine. Elijah, seven. The twins, Alex and Leo, were four. And the youngest, little Eleanor, barely three months oldtheir long-awaited daughter.
A man cant afford to grieve when little mouths need feeding. But late at night, after tucking them all in, hed sit at the kitchen table, smoke curling from his cigarette
At first, George managed as best he could. His sister-in-law came by now and then to help, but they had no other family. She offered to take Alex and Leo*Lighten your load*, she said. Then two social workers showed up.
They suggested sending all the children to a care home. George wouldnt hear of it. Give his own flesh and blood away? How could he live with himself? Hard as it was, theyd manage. Theyd grow up, bit by bit.
Sometimes he even found time to check the older boys homework. Eleanor, of course, was the trickiest. But Michael and Elijah pitched in where they could.
The health visitor, Nina Thompson, came often, always fussing over them. One day, she promised to send a nanny. *A man shouldnt raise a baby alone*, she said. *Shes a hard worker, that one. A nursery assistant at the hospital. No children of her own, not married yet. But she helped raise her siblingsbig family, from the next village over.*
And so Lucy walked into their lives.
Petite, sturdy, round-faced, with an old-fashioned braid down her back. Quiet, toonever a word out of place. But the house transformed under her hands. Floors gleamed, clothes were mended and scrubbed clean. She juggled Eleanors care, cooked meals, and still had time to spare.
The school and nursery noticed straight away. The kids were neat, buttons sewn with matching thread, elbows no longer patched.
Once, Eleanor fell ill with a fever. The doctor said shed recover with proper care. Lucy sat up night after night, never once lying down herself, until the little girl was well again. And somehow, without anyone noticing, she just stayed.
The younger ones started calling her *Mum*, starved for a mothers touch. Lucy never held backa kind word, a pat on the head, a warm hug. Children needed that.
The older boys, Michael and Elijah, were wary at first. They never called her *Mum*, just *Lucy*. Not a nanny, not a motherjust Lucy. A way to remember their real mum, maybe. She wasnt much older than them anyway.
Lucys family disapproved.
*Why saddle yourself with another mans brood? Plenty of lads in the village!*
*Plenty of lads*, shed reply. *But I feel for George. And the little ones theyve grown on me.*
And so they lived. Fifteen years slipped by unnoticed. The children grew, studied, misbehaved sometimes. George would lose his temper, reach for his beltbut Lucy would tug his sleeve. *Wait, Dad, lets hear their side first.*
They fought, they made up. Soon, no one in the village called her *Lucy* anymoreshe was *Mrs. Ludmilla Wilson*, respected by all. Michael married last year, his own little one on the way.
The young couple lived separately, Michael working at the farm. Not just any tractor driverevery year, another award, another bonus. Elijah was finishing university in the city, Lucys pride and joy. *My boy, the engineer.*
They stuck togetherplayed as children, stood up for each other as they grew. Eleanor, now in Year 10, was Lucys delight. A singer, a dancer, the life of every village celebration.
And George? More than once, he thanked his lucky stars for Nina Thompsons matchmaking.
This summer, though, Lucy felt something was off. Aches, dizzinessnever been ill a day in her life, but now her vision swam if she stood too fast. She shooed George and his cigarettes onto the porch, the smell making her queasy.
*Itll pass*, she thought.
It didnt.
The doctors visit left her quiet, thoughtful. She waved off Georges questions. *Nothing, just nonsense. All fine.*
But that night, once the house was asleep, she called him outside.
*Sit down, Dad. We need to talk. You know what the doctor said? Im pregnant. Too late to do anything now have to keep it.* She covered her face. *The shame of it.*
George just stared. All these years, no childrenand now?
*What shame, Mum? The older ones are nearly grownjust the two of us left, eh? Natures got it right, I reckon. Well manage.*
*What will the children say? An old woman like me*
*Old? Thirty-nines nothing!*
*I dont know what to do*
*Ill tell them. Tomorrow, when theyre all here.*
And he did. The moment they sat down for supper, he said it plain. *My dears, youll have a new brother or sister soon. Thats that.*
Lucy kept her eyes on her plate, flushed to her ears.
Michael, visiting for the weekend with his wife, burst out laughing. *Brilliant, Mum! Youll have yours the same time as us! The little ones can grow up together!*
Alex grinned. *Go on, Mum! We need another brother!*
Leo shook his head. *Nah. A girl. Too many lads herejust one princess.*
Eleanor shot him a look. *Spoiled, am I?* She clasped her hands. *A sister, Mum! Ill braid her hair, buy her pretty dresses!*
*Dresses? Shes not a doll*, Elijah cut in. *Children need raising.*
*Well raise them*, George said.
But Lucy still hid her growing bellywith a shawl, a coat, anything.
The months flew by. Michaels boy arrived firsta sturdy little lad. Elijah went back to university. Alex and Leo left for agricultural college. Eleanor started her new school year.
The house grew quiet.
One night, Lucy waited up for Eleanor. Thenpain. Sharp, blinding.
*George* she gasped. *I think its time.*
He paled, fumbling with his shoes. *Wait, MumIll call an ambulance!*
Eleanor bolted outside, returning minutes later. *Mum, Toms dad will drive youhis vans outside!*
*Tom, eh?* Lucy thought, before another pain seized her.
The boy whod been walking Eleanor home stepped in. *Dad says hell take you. You coming?*
*Im coming*, George said, grabbing his coat. *Dont fret, Lucy. Im here.*
All night, George smoked on the hospital steps. At dawn, a nurse pushed open the doors.
*Still here, Dad? Youll be cutting back on those now. First time?*
*Fifth*, he muttered.
*Five? Make that seven! Your missus had twins!*
*Twtwins?*
*Boy and a girl! Little lads got lungs on him.* She chuckled. *Go home. Come back tomorrowtheyll stay a bit longer. Bring what they need.*
Dazed, George nodded.
On discharge day, the whole family gathered. Even the students skipped class. The nurse carried out two bundlesone in blue, one in pink. Lucy, flustered, trailed behind.
George took one. *How do I hold two?*
Michael grinned. *Here, Dad. Not my first rodeo.*
Eleanor peeked into the pink bundle. *Oh, shes perfect! My little sister!*
Flowers and cake handed over (proper, like), they piled into the farm vanthe manager had lent it specially. *Big occasion, this!*
*Mum, youve outdone yourself*, Michael laughed.
Lucy cradled one bundle, smiling softly. *God willing, theyll grow up kind* Her eyes met Georges, steady over the second baby.
*Well raise them*, she corrected herself. *Together.*
*Kids*, she said, *what shall we name them?*
The van filled with cheerful arguingfavourite names, family names, names that just *felt right*.
And the driver, Georges old mate, listened to the happy noise behind him and thought: *Not their blood, these five but who could tell?*
