Page 84 of The Spitfire Girls
‘You don’t have to indulge her,’ Ben’s mother said. ‘My other girls would never have asked so many questions when they were her age.’
From the way she had treated May, taking her into her arms and knowing exactly what she needed, it was obvious she was the mother of daughters, and May had all the time in the world for her little girl.
‘Your brother does all the work to make sure the planes are safe and running properly, and then I fly them to where they need to go. We make a good team.’
Violet looked confused. ‘But you’re a girl.’
May laughed. ‘I am. Girls can do anything, you know. Even fly huge warplanes.’
May thanked Ben’s mother for a beautiful meal, then they all joined hands as they bent their heads in prayer. Violet’s hand was tiny and warm in May’s, and she sighed as she inhaled the smell of chicken and vegetables in front of her.
‘Thank you, Lord, for the food in front of us. Thank you for bringing us together, and for the time to rest. And most of all, thank you for those we love.’
As Ben slowly released his grip, May caught his eye, keeping hold for a second longer.
‘Thank you,’ she whispered, blinking away tears. She’d needed this more than she could ever have realised.
‘Benny, are you in love with her?’ Violet blurted. ‘She’s so pretty and you’re looking at her all funny.’
‘That’s enough, young lady!’ his mother scolded.
May looked around at Violet giggling at her brother, at Ben’s mother reprimanding her daughter, at his father eating his food, and smiled. She only wished Ben’s other sisters had been there so she could have met them.
‘You’d be a brilliant pilot when you grow up, you know,’ May said, nudging Violet and receiving an excited grin in return. ‘We need plucky girls like you who aren’t afraid to stand up to big boys like Ben.’
Violet stuck her little chest out. ‘When can I start flying then?’
That made them all laugh, but Ben’s mother wagged her finger. ‘Not until you’ve finished your dinner, young lady!’
It wasn’t until later that night, after helping his mother clean up and standing side by side washing dishes with her in the kitchen, that May had any time alone with Ben. She was sitting on the end of her bed when he came in, just as the dark thoughts were starting to creep back into her head, as she wondered how she’d sleep without falling into the nightmares that plagued her every single time she shut her eyes.
‘Afraid of going to sleep?’ he asked.
She nodded, and he reached down to hold the covers back, gesturing for her to climb under. Ben tucked her up and then lay behind her, on top of the covers, his big body warm against her as he spooned her.
‘You can’t stay in here. What if you mother sees? Or Violet?’ she whispered.
Ben held her even tighter. ‘The door’s open, we have nothing to hide. There’s nothing wrong with me holding you like this, May, nothing at all.’
‘Your family is so lovely,’ she said, her voice cracking.
Ben was silent, his breath warm against the back of her neck.
‘Ben, being here tonight, seeing your parents, I ...’ Her voice was no more than a whisper now. ‘I need you to take me home.’
He kissed her hair. ‘I thought you were never going to ask.’
The next day, May waved goodbye to Violet from the car, grinning at the little girl jumping up and down on the veranda.
‘She’s going to hate me for taking you away so quickly,’ she said.
‘Hate you? She’s already told me that she wants to be just like you when she grows up.’
May laughed, the darkness that had plagued her for so long making way for something warmer and lighter.
‘When we get there, I want you to just go,’ she told him. ‘Come back to Violet and your family and leave me.’
‘You’re certain?’
