Maggie's Girl by Sally Wragg

to tell the family why she was suddenly so happy. Everyone was so worried over Maggie.
    She couldn’t tell her mam, who loathed the Bradshaws. Billy was in an odd mood nowadays.
    Finally, she’d plucked up the courage and told Dad everything .
    She’d been seeing John Bertram a long time, and he was very keen on her.
    She couldn’t think now why she’d not told Dad ages ago. He’d never tell Mam – they both knew what kind of a storm that would pull down on their heads.
    â€˜We’ll have to keep it quiet for a bit yet, lass,’ the calm, familiar voice said. ‘She’s enough on, worrying over our Maggie.’
    Mary’s stomach lurched.
    â€˜She will come back safe, Dad, won’t she?’ Mary couldn’t think anything else. Her big sister had always been there, all her life.
    â€˜Of course she’ll be back.’ Dad gave her a quick hug.
    Mary drank her tea, trying not to think the unthinkable, because if you started that, you were lost.
    She looked up. A young man stood in the doorway looking round the tearooms, his blue cap to the back of his head. He caught her eye, and there was a look on his face she couldn’t possibly misinterpret. Her heart rose.
    â€˜John,’ she mouthed, and jumped up hastily, spilling her tea.
    He moved between chairs and tables to take her into his arms. Then he bent his head and kissed her for the first time.
    She leaned into him and put her arms around his waist, breathing in the presence she’d missed so long. This was amazing. None of those other boys had made her feel like this. Did he really mean so much to her?
    Abruptly, she was conscious of the customers, watching with obvious interest. People were all too used to seeing these sudden reunions and equally precipitous partings nowadays. It was the blasted war.
    â€˜You’ve lost weight!’ She disentangled herself and sat down again, forcing a bright smile to her face.
    As he sat down, she reached for his hand.
    â€˜I’ve missed you.’ She sounded surprised even to her own ears.
    â€˜I’ve missed you, too.’ His eyes never left her face. ‘You’ll never know how much I’ve missed you, Mary.’
    He so clearly meant it. She’d missed the thrill of being with someone who cared so much. If she could find it in her heart to love anyone, it would be someone like John….
    If only she didn’t long to have fun, to have all the good things in life! She’d never hurt anyone in seeking that, and John understood . Yet he still found it in him to love her.
    With John, she’d never had to be anything other than what she was.
    â€˜I was worried about you,’ she said as he watched her hungrily.
    â€˜You look worried,’ he said. ‘Are you going to tell me?’
    â€˜It’s Maggie!’ she blurted out. ‘You’ve no idea where she is, I suppose? You’ve no news?’
    â€˜It’s chaos over there, Mary! No one knows where anyone is. The men are simply getting back as best they can.
    â€˜I don’t know what’s happened to the medical units. They’ll be the same as everyone else. I expect, having to shift for themselves .’
    â€˜We should have heard something by now.’ Her breath caught in her throat.
    â€˜Don’t take on so; I can’t bear it when you take on.’
    His fingers caressed her hand, gently moving from the base of her thumb to the inside of her wrist in a soft circular motion that sent shivers up her spine.
    â€˜I thought about you all the time I was away.’ The pressure of his fingers increased, and his eyes gazed into hers with a strange intensity. ‘I came to some conclusions. I knew them all, really. Like life is for living, now, while we have the chance.’
    He let go of her hand and delved hastily into the inside pocket of his uniform, finally pulling out a tiny box. He fumbled it open to reveal a ring lying on blue