A boy, the spit of Freddy when he was little, charging about the lawn of 41 Kensington Gardens with a football, Edith proudly sitting by in a lawn chair and calling out “Pass it to Uncle Percy!” Percy, not particularly inclined to sports, runs around after the child gently, and when passed the ball kicks it lightly into the makeshift goal, where Freddy stands as keeper.

Percy scores and the little boy cheers, Freddy coming out of the goal and hoisting his son playfully over his shoulder. The little boy has a giggle fit as his father playfully hangs him upside down, proclaiming him a “Chip off the old block!” Edith comes over and kisses the child before taking him in her arms. The boy snuggles into his mother’s neck. Later, they will go back to their flat when Percy’s brother-in-law and sister come to visit with his nephew Graham, but for today they enjoy their visit and stay in the place they once all called home.

The fight of that August afternoon has not been forgotten but has been all but forgiven. The child does not know of it or how the three people who dote on him were once tied together. He knows only his mother and father and ‘Uncle Percy’. Uncle Percy ruffles his hair as he goes inside to fetch the drinks on a tray.

His mother places him on his feet as Freddy embraces her, kissing her cheek. Freddy goes over to the gramophone and places the needle on ‘Margie’. Freddy and Edith dance on the lawn. As they are dancing, a young man comes through the sun doors into the garden. The boy spots him and runs to him, clasping his leg, “Newnie!”

Edith turns as her brother approaches, ‘Margie’ is still playing. Newenham has come to invite the little family to Shakespeare Crescent for dinner, even though they dined there as recently as Friday. Edith happily agrees, as does Freddy, who has become momentarily distracted by the boy’s latest antic, an attempt to climb the tree that overlooks next door’s garden.

Freddy grasps the child round the waist and hoists him up onto his shoulder, from which vantage point the boy attempts to grasp his uncle Newenham’s hat, his little fingers just shy of the brim. Newenham reaches up and tickles the boy in the ribs. The invitation to dinner accepted, the Bywaters family wish Percy goodbye and travel to 231 with Newenham.

The four of them are greeted at the door by Avis, who kisses them all in turn and takes the boy into the front room where the family are gathered. The child is happy to see his aunt and grandparents, his grandmother, Ethel Graydon, taking him on her knee. Edith and Freddy come through from the hall. They sit together on the sofa. Mrs Graydon watches the young couple, remembering years before when Edith and Percy had sat there, happily married. But that was a time ago, and as Edith said it was no good raking through ashes looking for coal.

Edith and Freddy have given the Graydons a grandson. Mrs Graydon watches the parents, still so much in love with each other. Edith is leaning into Freddy’s shoulder as he, Harold, the youngest Graydon, and Bill discuss their most recent voyages. A week ago, Freddy came back from Australia, bringing his son a wooden kangaroo as a present. He always brought home gifts for Edith and the boy, and he always sent a postcard to let them know he had arrived safely.

Edith still has the sketch of the ship Morea (Freddy’s ‘temporary home’) in its frame and the little brass monkey. She must always have them to remind her of her darling when he is away. The boy misses his father when he sails but Freddy thinks he shall take after him and sail too. Edith and the boy come down to Tilbury to see him off when they can.

Edith hopes that when their boy is older, she will be able to go back to Carlton & Prior and take up work again. She misses her job dearly, and she is sure Mr Carlton would take her on again, she was a key part of the running of the milliners before she found herself pregnant.

She had thought at first that it would be like before and she would have to take care of it with medicine, but she and Percy had separated by then and divorce was imminent.

The wedding wasn’t much to speak of, since everyone thought the circumstances scandalous, or simply just sad. Avis particularly was upset by it because she still held out a hope for Freddy, as in the early days, but she took it with her stoicism everyone so admired and stayed by Edith. She always had stayed by her and she always would. She could hardly ask for love that no longer belonged to her. Freddy loved Edith, they loved each other and that was that, once Percy agreed, which took time and strife on behalf of all parties but was won in the end.

The family of nine sit down to dinner. Harold, as usual, eats enough for two. Afterwards, the men take the boy out for another game of football. His younger uncles are as good at football as his dad and sore many goals, despite Newnie’s best efforts as keeper.

Edith and Avis come outside and Edith proposes a three-legged race, she is ‘quite a sport’ at them after her outings at Eastcote. Using Edith’s sash, the sisters’ legs are tied together. Freddy and Bill tie their legs together with Bill’s tie. Newenham plays referee. The men win, toppling over the imaginary finish line and Edith and Avis consider this amusing spectacle a worthy exchange for their losing. Determined to beat them at something, Edith says they will have a usual race, she can win those. Going like a ‘racehorse’ as she has been called, Edith does indeed win this race. The boy races his uncles and they allow him to win, which Edith and Freddy appreciate. It is a happy family that, after a cup of tea to quench the thirst worked up by their exercise, journey home to their Chelsea flat.

On the train the boy falls asleep in his father’s arms, swaying gently to its motion. The parents remember their many secretive train rides together to Fenchurch Street some years before. Edith nestles into Freddy’s neck, stroking the boy’s hair with a contented sigh. Things are right. At their stop the boy wakes. He asks his father about the train; can they ride again? Freddy tells him they will ride it again tomorrow. The boy is too tired to fuss about having to wait.

His father unlocks the door and his mother carries him to bed. It is too late for a story this evening. Later, Edith is reading in bed. It is another Hichens novel, The Last Time. Her favourite is still The Fruitful Vine. Freddy is getting into his pyjamas. He climbs in beside her and kisses her cheek. Freddy is reading the latest novel by Locke; he has two weeks of leave left. Later this week it is his birthday and he and Edith will leave the boy with his grandparents and dine at the Holborn, their favourite restaurant, to celebrate. Freddy’s birthday, the 27^th of June, is also what Edith calls ‘their birthday’, ‘the birthday of the palship of two halves’; she likes to mark the date.

…

“Be good for auntie Avis,” Edith kisses the boy’s head, Freddy ruffles his hair. The parents arrive at the Holborn and sit at their usual table. Edith toasts Freddy, “Many happy returns.”

They discuss their holiday plans, the Isle of Wight again, they make sure to go every year. This year they are staying in Ventnor but they will make sure to visit Shanklin. Edith still refers to ‘the Shanklin times’ as some of the happiest of her life, the time of their first kiss and ‘compact’, a ‘compact’ they have no need for any longer. When Edith thinks about it, she thinks it is quite remarkable that things turned out as they did. That Freddy thought an Ilford road at night an appropriate place to approach Percy as he did. Maybe it was the shock of it that finally made Percy understand. They had invited Percy on holiday with them but he had declined, not because he didn’t want to come but because he would struggle to get the holiday time. Perhaps he can come next time.