Jamie had been press-ganged into meeting up with Laura and John on Saturday afternoon. He'd tried to get out of it by hinting he might be seeing his dad but John had seen through his excuse, and Laura had pleaded with him to come along. In the end, he'd agreed, and he was curious to see how John would act around Laura.

John had offered to pick him up, and he was sat in his bedroom waiting. His homework out but there didn't seem any point in starting it when he knew John would be calling for him before much longer. He looked over at his bed, his mom's diary was still tucked under the mattress. He'd not intended to read any more but he did have some time to kill. He pulled it out and flicked the pages to where he'd left off, when his mom had found out Louis was in Vietnam.

December 1963

I am still so totally shocked Louis has gone. I know lots of guys get drafted, single guys especially, but it never occurred to me that it would happen to him. I hope to god nothing bad happens, whatever he did to me, I wouldn't wish any harm on him.

My mom's offered to look after Jamie if me and Nick want to go out for New Year's Eve, I really don't, I want to spend it with my family. Nick, however, jumped at the chance. He said we should make the most of the babysitting and actually I was being very selfish not to let my mom have some alone time with the baby. I guess he has a point there.

New Year's Eve was strange, we went out for dinner but Nick was really quiet, I felt like I was boring him. At one point he told me to stop talking about the baby all the time. We ended up going back to my mom's early. Sam was there, and that seemed to put Nick into even more of a bad mood. He said he had a headache and went to bed before midnight. I was happy to celebrate with my family, and Jamie was awake with me, but I still felt kinda sad.

February 1964

I'm really struggling with my course work, Jamie's so active now I can't study during the day cos he doesn't sleep. I've asked Nick if he could look after him on the weekends but he told me I needed to be more organised.

March 1964

I got a C- in my latest essay, Nick was furious. He said I was making a fool of him by being so stupid.

Nick arranged for me to redo my essay, I still only got a C. He's livid.

I was supposed to be meeting Judy for lunch today but Nick wouldn't let me go. He said I had to study. I told him I didn't want a degree if it was going to be this hard and he lost the plot. He grabbed my textbooks and threw them at the wall, and then told me I was a dumb slut who was beyond help. I locked myself in the bathroom, I can't believe he's being so mean to me. I just want to be a good wife and mother, that's the most important thing to me.

After his outburst, Nick is barely speaking to me again. I tried to apologise, to explain, but he said he's had it with my childishness. If I don't step up then I can go home to my mom, and he'll raise Jamie. I can't believe he's serious, surely he can't take my baby away from me? I'm so scared about what he might do that I'd better just do what he says till he calms down.

Jamie closed the diary, his feelings towards his dad raging. What an absolute asshole he'd been. He wished his mom had packed her bags, and taken the pair of them back to California. Why on earth had she put up with the selfish bastard? He heard John's horn beep, and hurriedly shoved the diary back under the mattress before going out to meet him.

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'So I told Laura we'd meet her at the arcades,' John said to Jamie, his eyes briefly flitting away from the road ahead as he drove them. 'I think she's bringing Lucy and Evie along as well.' Evie was Lucy's younger sister.

'Great, it's a regular family outing for me,' Jamie joked as he tried to forget about the words in his mom's diary for the time being.

'Yeah sorry,' John said giving him an apologetic smile. 'I didn't think, Laura likes them.'

'It's fine John.' He made himself not call him Junior. 'They're like my step-cousins or something, it's not a problem.' He sort of liked both Lucy and Evie.

'So is it still a secret about your mom?' John asked as he drove them into the parking lot.

'Yeah I guess, I mean she hasn't told me, only Lou has.'

'That's kinda weird, that he'd tell you and she hasn't.'

Jamie had already thought that himself, he assumed Louis thought of him as more of an adult, and his mom much less so. He didn't know whether to be offended or if it even mattered in the grand scheme of things. John parked up, and they got out and made their way into the arcade. John made a beeline for Laura, quickly pulling her into his arms.

'Hey,' she said pushing him back slightly.

'Can't I be pleased to see my girl,' John said as he attempted to kiss her. Laura's cheeks flushed, and Jamie looked away not wanting to embarrass her, it was obvious how uncomfortable she was.

'So have you guys won anything yet?' Jamie asked them all.

Lucy pulled a face but Evie looked delighted. 'I have! Don't tell my mom though, I'm not allowed here,' she said giggling.

Jamie smiled at her, she was very much a sweeter version of Lucy. 'It's okay, none of us will say a word. I doubt my mom would approve either.'

Evie beamed at him, flicking her hair over her shoulder. 'You're so nice, you're my favourite cousin.' John smirked but Jamie ignored the look, Evie was only fifteen, and she wasn't really his cousin.

'Let's play another game,' Lucy said. 'I'm actually not doing that badly.'

'So where's your boyfriend got to?' John asked her and she scowled.

'Kevin is not my boyfriend.'

'Is that cos he's ginger?' John smirked whilst Laura gave him a nudge.

'He's strawberry blond as it happens, but his hair has nothing to do with it,' Lucy huffed.

'Keep telling yourself that Luce,' John said grinning. Lucy shook her head but she did not retaliate.

Jamie ignored them all turning his attention to one of the slot machines, and John sidled up to him. 'Did you know we're all going on holiday in July?' he asked.

Jamie frowned, that was news to him but it wasn't unexpected. Almost every other year their families had holidayed together.

John lowered his voice. 'I was just thinking of your mom, won't her baby be due around then?'

'I think it's due around May or June,' Jamie said his brows furrowing. He'd been trying to work it out even though it was early days.

'I guess they could still go,' John said. 'But would they want to? I don't know about having babies but won't your mom be recovering? And even if she's not, don't little babies scream all the time?'

Jamie laughed. 'Yeah if they're like Julia they do.'

John grimaced. 'So do you think they'll still go? I'm not being funny but if your family are gonna cancel I think mine should be given the heads up.'

Jamie frowned, that was something for the adults to resolve. 'John it's early days, my mom could still miscarry.'

John pulled a face. 'I bet she won't, you're gonna have to prepare yourself for a new sibling.'

'A new what?' Evie demanded, overhearing them. Jamie shook his head at John, urging him to keep silent.

'Oh a new...a new teacher,' John said pulling a desperate face at Jamie.

'You said sibling,' Evie insisted. 'Hey Lucy, get over here, Jamie's gonna have a new baby brother or sister!' Jamie groaned.

'A what? Is that right Jamie? Is Lottie pregnant?' Lucy demanded, turning an expectant face on him. Laura stood back from them all, detaching herself from the conversation.

'She might be,' Jamie admitted. 'But it's a secret, you can't say a word.'

'Oh my gosh,' Lucy said. 'But that's fantastic news. I wish our mom would have another baby.'

'I don't,' Evie said. 'I think it's sorta disgusting, I mean doing it at their age.'

In spite of himself Jamie laughed, that was kinda what he'd been thinking as well. His mom and Louis were far too old to be doing that sort of thing, except obviously they weren't...

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Thanks for reading, votes/comments much appreciated.