**No Joy Without Struggle**
Honestly, Alice, how did you get yourself into this mess? Whos going to want you now with a baby on the way? And how do you plan to raise it? Dont expect me to helpIve done my bit raising you. Pack your bags and get out of my house!
Alice kept her head down, saying nothing. The last shred of hope that Aunt Margaret might let her stayeven just until she found workvanished in an instant.
If only Mum were still here
Alice had never known her father, and her mother had been killed by a drunk driver at a crossing fifteen years earlier. Social services were about to send her to a childrens home when a distant cousin of her mothers, quite unexpectedly, stepped in. Aunt Margaret had a steady job and her own house, so guardianship was easily arranged.
She lived on the outskirts of a quiet village in the Cotswolds, lush in summer and dreary in winter. Alice was always well-fed, neatly dressed, and no stranger to hard work. With a house, garden, and a few chickens, there was always something to do. Perhaps she missed a mothers affection, but who had time to dwell on that?
Alice did well in school and went on to teacher training college. Those carefree years flew by, but now they were overexams passed, and she was back in the village she called home. Except this return was anything but happy.
After her outburst, Aunt Margaret finally simmered down.
Enough. Get out of my sight.
Please, Aunt Margaret, just
No. Ive said all I need to.
Silently, Alice picked up her suitcase and stepped outside. Had she ever imagined coming back like this? Humiliated, cast out, and expecting a babythough still early daysbut Alice had decided to confess the pregnancy. She couldnt hide it anymore.
She needed somewhere to stay. Lost in thought, she wandered, barely noticing the world around her.
It was high summer in the countryside. Gardens were heavy with apples and pears, plums glowed purple under leafy branches. The scent of jam, Sunday roasts, and freshly baked bread drifted from open windows. The heat was stifling, and Alice was parched. Spotting a woman by a garden shed, she called out,
Excuse me, could I have some water?
Martha, a sturdy woman in her fifties, turned. Come in, if youre friendly. She dipped a mug into a water jug and handed it over. Alice gulped it down and sank onto a bench.
Mind if I sit here a moment? Its sweltering.
Course, love. Whereve you come from with that suitcase?
Just finished college, hoping to find teaching work. But Ive nowhere to stay. You wouldnt know anyone renting a room?
Martha studied herneat but weary, weighed down by troubles.
You could stay here. I wont charge much, but pay on time. If that suits, Ill show you the room.
The idea of a lodger pleased Marthaextra cash never hurt, especially in a quiet village miles from anywhere. Her son lived up North and rarely visited, so company would be welcome on long winter nights.
Alice, hardly believing her luck, followed her inside. The room was small but cosya window overlooking the garden, a bed, a wardrobe, and a table. Perfect. They agreed on rent, and after changing, Alice headed to the local education office.
Days blurred into weekswork, home, work. Alice barely had time to tear pages from her calendar.
She and Martha grew close. Martha was kind-hearted, and Alice, sweet-natured and helpful, pitched in around the house. Evenings were spent chatting over tea in the garden, because autumn in the countryside takes its time arriving.
The pregnancy was smoothno sickness, just a slowly rounding waistline. Alice confided in Martha, a story as old as time.
In her second year, shed fallen for Oliver, the charming son of well-off university lecturers. His path was setdegree, PhD, a cushy academic career. Handsome, witty, popular, he couldve had any girl. But he chose quiet Alice. Maybe it was her shy smile, her gentle nature, or the quiet strength of someone whod known hardship. Who could say? They spent their remaining college years inseparable, and Alice dreamed of a future together.
Then came *that* day. Waking queasy, unable to stomach breakfast, shed ignored the signs until the obvious struck hershe was late. A pregnancy test confirmed it. Two lines. She stared, disbelieving. Exams were looming, and now this! How would Oliver react? Babies werent part of the plan.
Yet, a fierce love for the tiny life inside her surged.
Little one, she whispered, cradling her belly.
That evening, Oliver took her to meet his parents. The memory still brought tears. In short, they suggested an abortion and a quiet departure after graduationOlivers career came first, and she wasnt suitable.
What they said to him, Alice could only guess. The next day, Oliver walked in, dropped an envelope of cash on her desk, and left without a word.
Abortion never crossed her mind. She already loved this babyhers alone. Still, she took the money. Pride wouldnt feed a child.
Martha listened, patting her hand. These things happen, love. Youre brave to keep itevery babys a blessing. Might turn out for the best.
But Alice couldnt forgive Oliver. The humiliation, the cold rejectionit stuck like a thorn.
Time passed. Alice waddled like a penguin, eagerly awaiting her baby. The scan couldnt reveal the gender, but she didnt mindhealthy was all that mattered.
In late February, on a frosty Saturday, her waters broke. Martha drove her to hospital. The birth went smoothlya healthy baby boy.
Little Henry, she murmured, stroking his chubby cheek.
In the maternity ward, gossip flowed. Two days earlier, the local police inspectors partner had given birth to a girl.
They werent even married, whispered another mother. He brought flowers, chocolates, even whisky for the nurses! Drove here in a Land Rover every day. But she kept saying she didnt want kids. Then she left a note, abandoned the babysaid she wasnt ready.
Whatll happen to the baby?
Bottle-fed for now, but the nurse said shed do better with breast milk. Trouble is, everyones got their own to feed.
At feeding time, the nurse brought in the tiny girl.
Could anyone feed her? Shes so fragile.
I will, Alice said softly, laying Henry down and taking the girl. Oh, shes so small! Ill call you little Rose.
Compared to sturdy Henry, Rose was delicate. She latched on hungrily, then dozed off within minutes.
Told you she was frail, the nurse sighed.
So Alice fed both babies.
Two days later, the nurse bustled in. The babys father wanted to meet her. Thats how Alice met Police Inspector Oliver Hathawaya man of average height with sharp blue eyes and a no-nonsense demeanour.
What happened next became local legend, retold by nurses, doctors, and eventually the whole village, because the ending was one to remember.
On discharge day, staff gathered at the entrance. A Land Rover decorated with blue and pink balloons waited outside. A young inspector helped Alice inside, where Martha already sat, then handed her a blue bundle, followed by a pink one.
With a cheerful honk, the car drove off, disappearing round the bend.
And so it goesyou never know what consequences your choices will bring. Alice held the twins close, their steady breathing a quiet rhythm against her chest. Oliver sat beside her, hands careful on the wheel, voice low as he said, I didnt know. No one told me. When I found out, I came straight to the hospital. He glanced at her, eyes raw. Ive made so many mistakes. But if youll let me, I want to make this rightfor both of them.
Martha smiled from the back seat, watching the trees blur past. The sky, pale with early light, stretched ahead like a promise.
At home, the garden wore a dusting of frost, but inside, the fire blazed. Baby Henry cooed, Rose nestled into Alices shoulder. Oliver knelt beside the crib theyd built together the night before, his fingers brushing his daughters tiny hand.
Years later, the children would run laughing through the same orchard where Alice once wandered, lost and alone. And every autumn, when the plums ripened purple under the leaves, she would pause, watching them play, and whisper to herself, No joy without struggle. No joy without struggle.
