thought it better you not know."
"What does that make me, uncaring? Ultra conservative? Unsophisticated?"
"No, sweetheart, they loved you and thought you had enough on your plate without this as well. It was Bobby that told me that you and Jean were separated and had been for some time. I knew I was carrying Rosemary by then and was confronted by the knowledge that I had not only lost you, I couldn't think of continuing my relationship with Frank either, he would eventually have found out how I felt about you. I loved him too much to hurt him but not quite enough to hide my feelings for you in the long term. I broke up with him, quite amiably I thought, citing the difference in age and then kept out of his way while I grew larger with Rosemary inside me. I didn’t realise until now that Frank had enduring feelings for Rosemary and possibly me that I was completely unaware of."
"So how did your husband Bob come on the scene?"
"Bob was a police sergeant, who kept finding any little excuse to come into A&E, where I was working at the time. He came in every opportunity he had. He watched me all the time and noticed my condition as soon as I started showing. He knew I was unmarried and unattached. He was married before, up in Scotland. Bob and his wife had been trying for a baby for ten years without success and eventually went for tests. She was fertile, his sperm was not. His wife desperately wanted children and she took the step to sleep around until she fell pregnant. Then she divorced Bob so she could marry the father. Bob had to leave Scotland, he couldn't stay up there as it was too painful seeing her with the baby, so he transferred forces and came down here. He spoke to me, very frankly which was his way, explaining his circumstances, that he felt he had already fallen in love with me and would happily bring up the child as his own, hoping in time that I would learn to love him in return. I never told him who the father was, he never asked, nor did he ever let on if he ever knew. I thought it would be easier to keep our daughter secret from Frank if I had another man on the scene, and so I married Bob."
She squeezed my hand. "He was a lovely man, Bob, generous and kind, a great father to Rosemary ... and I did learn in time to love him very much."
"He sounds like a great man, sweetheart," I said, squeezing her back and kissing her on the forehead.
"He was, but right now, this is ... a perfect dream."
"OK, sweetheart, but I really do have get up now to use the toilet. Do you want a drink?"
"Yes, but I think we both need showers first."
"OK,” I laughed, “I'll get the shower warmed up."
Before we showered, I showed her the framed photo where I found it on Da's dresser, it was an innocent joyful photo of mother and young daughter taken, Maureen thought, by Bob on holiday at Skegness when Rosemary was about 30 months old. She had no idea how Frank could possibly have got hold of it.