1920s: Josephine gets a very special Christmas gift

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In the Sinclair family, Josephine and Nash have slowly started to get over their loss. It's a very traditional little family, just as Josephine wants them to be. Nash focuses his attention on providing for his family, working long days and only seeing his son for a few hours in the evening, and Josephine in her turn tries to manage the perfect household. It is not always easy to balance, but she wouldn't want her life to be any other way, especially as Thomas is developing so quickly. He's learnt to sit, to creep, to put his toe in his mouth and play with toys. In Josephine's eyes, he's the perfect baby!


And now Christmas is at the door. Normally, Christmas Eve would be spent at the Preston's, but Ida has let her sister have the honor this year, as this is her first bigger family gathering. Josephine has been preparing for days! Planning the perfect ham-dinner, making sure the house is decorated properly, adding more chairs to the main table. She is desperate for the night to go well. But as the night arrives, she finds herself more tired than normal, and more hungry. She is so focused on making everything perfect that it is not until well into the party that she realises why that is. It's not stress, it's not pressure to be perfect. She's pregnant again!


Josephine cannot imagine a better birthday present! It's a dream come true. Finally little Thomas will have a brother or sister to keep him company. As Christmas morning comes around, Josephine and Nash opens their presents at home, in the morning, while baby Thomas is playing on the floor. Later in the afternoon, they are all gathering at her parents' house as per usual, but this morning, they have time to just be a perfect little family, just the three of them.


Back home at Whittaker house, Anna has returned home for the holyday. The family is delighted, and Anna even helps her mother in the kitchen before the rest of the family comes rushing through the door. There is a cacophony of noise for the rest of the day. People are talking, playing, laughing, and (somehow) reading, all around the living room and dining room. Food is served and eaten and at the end of the evening Father Christmas join their ranks. It's noisy and wonderful and if you're a baby very, very, tiring. Then it's good you have a grandmother who does not mind holding you while you sleep. 


Tomorrow they'll do it all again at Ida's place, as Emily has graciously offered not to host this year. In truth she is exhausted, and doubt she'll be able to do it well enough without Frank getting drunk in front of his family. But this way, Ida is grateful, and she gets to save face. But that's tomorrow. Tonight, everyone is ready to head home and fall into bed. Exhausted, happy and well fed.

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