11th November 1918
Ada ran into John's room to see a sleeping Libitina. She started to shake the girl so she would wake from her slumber.
"What is it Ada? Are the kids okay?" Libitina asked her best friend worriedly.
"Yes they are fine but you need to wake up and get dressed, the boys are coming home today! Tommy sent us a letter a couple days ago but it only arrived this morning!" Ada explained.
"Oh my god, okay okay, can you get the kids ready for me while I get myself washed and ready?!" Libitina asked.
"Yes of course the train will be arriving at around 12, you have two hours, chop chop." Ada shouted as she went to wake the kids.
Libitina couldn't believe the day was finally here, but the worst thing is she didn't even know if John would be getting off of that train today. The truth is Libitina hasn't received a letter for months now and she doesn't even know why. She thought they were okay before he left for war but now, she didn't know.
When Libitina was done getting ready she headed downstairs to join the rest of the family walking around the dining room kissing all the kids on the forehead one time each. She picked up Harry from the high chair he was in and gave him a bottle of heated up milk which he happily started drinking. The other kids have already started eating their bread and jam that Polly prepared for them that morning.
"Are you going to eat my darling girl?" Polly asked Libitina lightly.
"I'll eat when we get back Aunt Poll I'm not that hungry but could you possibly get me a cup of tea?" Libitina asked politely.
"Yes dear no worries." Polly said while pouring her a cup of tea.
When everyone was finished eating and drinking they hurried out the door as they only had fifteen minutes to walk to the train station. They got there about five minutes before the train arrived. The station was packed with mothers, wives and daughters and sons awaiting for the men of their house to arrive.
When the train arrived everyone started to cheer and the men stuck their heads out the window and started to wave at all the women in the train station, the train stopped and all the men piled out of the busy train. The men all ran to their families and hugged them. The first person Libitina saw was Arthur. He ran to her and picked her up from the floor and spun her around.
"Hello you, you've changed so much oh my god." Arthur said still hugging the young woman.
"Hello big brother how are you? Fucking hell you've changed so much! I've missed you so much" Libitina spoke with a shaky voice.
"I'm good darling glad to be home with the family." He said untangling himself from the girl.
"Go on say hi to the rest of the women, they've gone crazy without all of you!" And with that Arthur walked away to the rest of the family.
The next man she saw was Tommy, she already saw the change in him, in his eyes, but she didn't let that stop her wrapping her arms around the man she saw as a brother.
"Hello you." she whispered in his ear.
"Hello not so little Lib." He said to the girl in his arms.
"I must say, your the one I missed the most." She said kissing his cheek and untangling herself from his grasp.
"I missed you more though, can't believe how much you've changed. What's happened with the hair? Got bored of the brown I see." Tommy spoke noticing how she's dyed her hair a nice light blonde colour.
"Yeah, didn't feel like me aha, I like the blonde, feels more me, now go say hi to the rest of em, they've all gone wild." She said with a smile on her face.
"Am I not going to get a hello then eh?" A voice spoke from behind her.
She instantly turned around and wrapped her arms around the man she called home.
"Hello Johnny." She whispered in his ear with tears in her eyes.
"Hello my beautiful Lib." He whispered bacl.
"I told you I'd wait, and that's exactly what I did even if you didn't want me to." She said her voice shaky with tears falling from her eyes.
"I thought you wouldn't wait, this has made me so happy I can't believe you waited, and thank you, for looking after the kids, showing them pictures of me and telling them all the nice stories so they'd remember me, and thank you for taking them to her grave the day of her funeral all them months ago, it means the word you would do that for er and them." He spoke quietly, his Birmingham accent thick.
She moved out of his grasp, cupping his cheeks with her cold hands.
"I would do anything for you and her and the kids, she was my best friend, no one will ever replace her in my heart, and you, well you are my home, and if that means looking after that hectic lot then so be it." She said softly to the now man in front of her.
"I love you." He whispered to her.
"And I love you" She said with a big smile on her face.
After everything they needed to say they joined the rest of the family. John taking Harry from Polly and giving him a kiss on the temple of his nose. Libitina watched this with a massive smile on her face while holding Katie's hand.
The family decided to walk home and have a massive lunch to welcome everyone home.
When they got through the front door of 6 Watery Lane, the men decided to unpack everything they had in their bags and the 3 women went into the kitchen to prepare lunch for the household.
When lunch was ready everyone tried to place themselves around the dining room table. Succeeding at this everyone started to pick out things to eat from the plates on the table and poured whiskey into their cups, the children only drinking water. Everyone held up their glasses and made a toast to "family".
When everyone was finished Libitina stood up from the table and spoke up.
"I'll be back in about 10 minutes I just have to go get all my things packed from John's and move them back here." She excused herself from the table and walked out the front door across the street to John's house.
When she got up to his room she started to pack up all her clothes from his wardrobe and her makeup from the vanity next to it. She didn't realise John followed her. When she turned around she jumped seeing him at the doorway of his room.
"God John you scared me." She said to him.
"Do you have to go back? Can't you just stay here with me and the kids?" He said with pleading eyes.
"John you'll be okay, I'll come round every morning to look after the kids while you go and work. It'll be okay, I promise, and plus you'll get to know your kids better." Libitina told him.
"I just don't know if I'll be able to do it alone, Martha made it look so easy before I left." He said in fear not knowing if he would be able to be a good dad.
Libitina walked up to him and hugged him gently.
"You'll do great, I promise. I'm just across the road if it gets too hectic you can come and get me." She whispered to him.
"You promise?" He asked.
"I promise."
And with that she picked up her bag and they walked back to the family home.