War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 309

Chapter 28: Richard

Christmas 1945

C

hristmas Eve had arrived and while presents were scarce, good humor wasn’t. It had been snowing constantly for the past few days and a thick layer of pristine white snow covered the soft hills around the farm.

Richard exchanged a glance with his mother and knew the women wanted to decorate the tree and put the presents – one for each child – under the tree.

“Who wants to go sledding?” Richard yelled and within seconds a bunch of children, including the little ones of the Hansen family living on the farm with them, surrounded him with eager faces.

“I guess I’ll sit this one out.” Katrina smiled at him. With the baby due within two months, her belly had swollen and she wasn’t as agile as she used to be. Richard didn’t mind. His wife’s advancing pregnancy had never looked more beautiful to him.

He caressed her baby bump, giddy with anticipation, and kissed her positively glowing cheeks. “Take care, sweetheart.” Then he turned around to look at his sisters. Anna and Ursula were busy peeling potatoes, but Lotte eagerly used the opportunity to get away from the dreaded kitchen chores. She threw down the knife and jumped up saying, “I’ll go with you.”

“Get dressed,” he told the children and then asked Lotte to come with him into the cellar, where he grabbed a bunch of empty potato sacks. “We’ll have to take turns since there aren’t enough for everyone.”

“It’ll do,” Lotte said, taking her share from him. “Do you remember how I used to get into snowball fights on the way home from school?”

“I do. And I always had to come and rescue you from your self-inflicted trouble.”

“Not true!” She punched him on the shoulder.

“I’m so glad to have you back,” he said, giving her a hug, before they climbed up the stairs again where a bunch of eager children waited for them.

“How many are there?” Lotte asked.

Richard chuckled. “I don’t know. I lost count at about a dozen.”

“Maybe we should count them before going sledding, just to make sure we bring them all back in the afternoon?”

“Do you really think one of them would want to miss the

Christkind

and its gifts

?

If anything, we may pick up some children on the way.” Lotte laughed and put on a pair of old gloves that belonged to her uncle and would fit two of her hands into one.

“Ready to go?” Richard asked. They all cheered and he led them the way to the hill at the edge of the forest where generations of village youth had been sledding. Lotte made up the rearguard and when he looked back the procession looked like the Pied Piper of Hamelin leading the children away. At the sledding hill they encountered more villagers.

Many hours

later they returned with thoroughly tired children who weren’t allowed into the sitting room, but had to take a nap or at least rest.

Richard pulled Katrina aside and suggested a short walk through the magical snow-covered landscape.

“Today was nice,” Richard told Katrina, holding her gloved hand and loving the rosy glow on her cheeks. “You simply can’t take away the cheerfulness of children, even in the most dire situations.”

“Children are our future and I believe it will get better over time.”

A wave of warmth surged though his body, as he thought of the little bundle of joy that she would soon birth. His child. But his joy was followed by concern and… shame.

“What’s wrong?” Katrina asked, perceptive as ever.

“It’s just… there’s nothing I can give you and the baby except for my name.”

“We have everything we need. Food. A roof over our heads. And your love,” Katrina reminded him.

“It’s not enough. My wife deserves a house of her own.” His inadequacy to provide for his family weighed heavily on his shoulders. “We’re living with my aunt because without her, we’d be living in someone’s shed just like the Hansen family.”

“In time things will get better. You’ll see. We can earn money by selling herb potions and…”

Richard nodded and hugged her close for a long moment, pulling away when he felt her shiver. “Cold?”

Katrina nodded. “Getting there.”

“Let’s return. We don’t want to keep the others waiting. I’m sure the children are dying of curiosity.”

“Aren’t you, too?” She teased him.

They returned to the house just in time to eat a hearty potato soup with thick slices of freshly baked bread.

Richard stole glimpses at his mother and Lotte, who devoured their portions in a blink of the eye. Their emaciated faces reminded him vividly about his own time on the road with little to no food. Yes, conditions had definitely improved. If he worked hard enough, he could one day afford to build a home for Katrina and his children.

After dinner, the children unpacked the presents. Aunt Lydia brought cookies and hot fruit tea – with a shot of rum for the adults. They sang Christmas carols and simply enjoyed being together.