1920s: A very solemn Christmas

When Christmas Eve comes around, Nash is desperate. He now has another mouth to feed, and a holiday coming up, and no money to pay for either. As Josephine dotes on her new boy, Nash tries to find some way to come up with the money to at least buy a tree for the family. Taking on the odd jobs he can find on a Christmas eve, he still doesn't even cover the cost of the tree he brings home. Behind Josephine's back, he pawns the gaming table and chairs instead of just moving them to the attic. She won't know until the holiday's over and it pays for the tree, for some nice food for Christmas and then some.

Of course it does not pay the §15 000 bill that looms overhead. Unless he can come up with something fast, lights will be cut off tomorrow. Now wouldn't that be a fantastic Christmas gift? Perhaps he should tell Josephine, but he doesn't want to spoil the evening, so instead he lets the family rejoice at the tree, and Josephine cook a fantastic meal, and pretends not to be worried out of his mind as he and Thomas dress the tree and the family enjoys dinner. It's a quiet Christmas Eve, but a nice one.

After dinner Josephine brings out the violin she got from her father and plays for the entire family.

While the children listens, Nash suddenly has an idea. As Josephine heads upstairs with the children putting them into bed, he stares at the violin. It's an expensive one, and he saw one just like it in the pawn shop when he pawned the furniture. One of these will fetch more §12 000. With the money they have saved that's enough to cover the bill and still have a few hundred left over. But it is Josephine's most treasured possession. Still... what choice do they have?

He waits until she's slipped into something more comfortable, and come back down before he breaches the topic with her. At first she flat out refuses. Why should her violin be pawned? Surely they can get money some other way? How much is it anyway? As Nash tells her, however, reality starts to dawn on her. "We owe the bank §15 000 and they want it back now?"

Nash shakes his head. "We owe the bank more than §100 000 and they want §15 000 of that now, they'll want the rest too, eventually, but we need to pay this bill now. I know it's your violin, and we'll get it back for you, I promise, but you don't want the children to freeze when they shut off the power. Do you?" Josephine relents. When her children are at risk, how can she not? Nash tries to comfort her, but it is with a heavy heart she goes to bed that night.

Nash on the other hand, rushes off with the violin, and pays off their bills for the week. At least for now, they are safe. Still he too has a heavy heart when he goes to bed. What kind of man is he when he needs to take his wife's private possessions to pay for the bills of the house?

As Christmas Day begins it's a quiet morning in the house. Josephine puts on a brave face, but Nash struggles with feelings of inadequacies and failure. Still, the kids need food, and getting dressed and everything else that comes with a family of four young ones before they head off to the grandparents for Christmas dinner. Once there, Nash tries to keep a brave face, even though the topic of conversation among the men is all about the financial crash. Does he, who works in finance, have any inside information on how long this will last? How about his job, now that the bank is struggling. "It's a huge blow financially," Nathaniel says, "that the local branch of the bank is closing. They've been a very loyal tenant and provide one of my biggest incomes." Nash pretend he isn't completely thrown off by this news, but that the of course knew the bank was closing all along. How could Rhett not have told him this when he was there the other day?

"Will this affect your job at all?" Joseph asks Nash, who is still reeling from the news but then suddenly catches onto an idea. "I'm not at the local branch per say, they deal with loans and such and I'm in the investment side. But, there is a risk that we might have to relocate if this continues so I am looking at other options right now. Of course nothing is certain yet so I have not yet told Josephine," he ads, knowing she'd throw a fit at the idea of selling their home or moving. But nevertheless the thought has now lodged itself in Nash's mind. In a big city there will be more opportunities for him, and more banks. If he can get one of them to hire him then perhaps they can get back on their feet? He'll have to think about this.

Joseph grunts. "I can't say I like the idea of you moving, but either way you should include Josephine in the decision," he says. Nash nods. "When I know more, I will. Right now there is no real risk so there is no need to worry her needlessly."

As Nash worries, the rest of the family is enjoying Christmas Day. The dinner is as usual excellent, and present pile so big it no longer fits under the tree and people are chatting and eating and laughing. Josephine, so good at putting worries out of her mind, forgets all about her violin and financial issues that the only one not being able to let it go is Nash.

By the time they get home the girls are exhausted as they are read to sleep by their parents.

The rest of the holidays go by quietly. Nash and Josephine stays at home with their little family and newborn over boxing day and New Years. As 1929 turns into 1930 the entire family is sleeping and no one really pays any attention.

Next years start with a string of birthdays. In that first week of the 1930s, Madison Preston is turning into a YA and Austen Preston is set to start high school. In the Sinclair family Grace and Hazel are soon ready to start school, but most pressingly little baby Arthur needs a bigger bed. One they really can't afford right now but needs to buy anyway. Even as this weighs heavily on Nash, they first need to attend Madison's birthday party. Tess has outdone herself with the food, and Nash realises he will miss his gaming table as the family gather around the one in the Preston family living room. He has yet to tell Josephine about the table, but figures there will be time for that. Either way, they have a nice night. Madison makes a wish, blows out her candles and gets ready to leave the nest. She's already engaged, and will be married shortly, as her sister is already married. In 1930, women married early, and Madison knows her dream. To become the best mother she can.

But back home, Arthurs need of a new bed is pressing, and money is tight. As the empty space that used to be their gaming table becomes glaringly obvious, Nash makes the decision to sell the typewriter. It is not as if he needs it right now, not without a job, and Arthur needs a bed more pressingly than he needs a typewriter. It's also an item which Josephine does not use and will not miss. He can only hope he's found work before the girls' birthday, so that he can better afford their new beds.

The very next morning, Nash is back at the unemployment office in Newcrest Townhall. This day, however, the line is even longer, and so the waiting is too. Tensions are high, and at one point even a fight breaks out between two men asking for the same position. When Nash finally gets in, the news aren't hopeful. On the one hand, his schooling is excellent, on the other banks just aren't hiring at the moment. "It doesn't have to be in finance," Nash assures the employment agency handler. "I do understand, but you have to understand that right now unemployment numbers are soaring. Almost a quarter of all men are looking for new employment. I cannot find jobs that aren't there. But I will keep your papers, and let you know if something shows up."

As Nash returns home, things are not looking better than they were when he left. How in the world is he going to explain this to Josephine?