Autumn to summer in Penny Lane

March - A quiet night in

There was the slow clunk of the front door closing with Calam breathing a quiet sigh of relief. It was all over until the next visit. Meeting Caitlin's Mum and Dad had been traumatic enough but then it was amped up to one hundred on the Wednesday when they met his Parents.

It had to be said that Caitlin's Dad Paddy had been hard work and had managed to piss off his Dad which was some going. There was nothing wrong with being a bit loud but a little bit of needling him about being a surgeon and quiet did grate. Mind, at least Caitlin's Dad knew not to push it but then his Dad did have that presence of letting someone know that they were pushing it.

Mind his own Mum hadn't exactly helped relations either. She looked dismayed when they had broken the news about Caitlin expecting a baby. That temporary look of utter shock before forcing out the word of congratulations like a miser being prised of a tenner.

'I don't know who she thinks she is,' Calam had overheard Caitlin's Mum Teresa complain to Paddy when she thought everyone was out of her earshot.

Unbeknown to Calam there had been a few smart arse quips from Paddy to Caitlin who had sighed and asked if she why couldn't she have hitched with someone better. Caitlin's eyes glowered black as she held on to her temper as though it were a pack of direwolves straining on the lease. Without realising as she always did she put her hands on her hips, especially when her Dad had mentioned 'that at least it was a fella.'

Caitlin snapped as she waved her finger like a conducter. 'Oh and I guess the kind of fella you'd like would be one propping up the bar and popping down to the bookies to blow his wages.'

'Don't you...'

'I'll take whatever tone I wish when you speak to me like that.'

'Let's not fight.' Teresa interjected. 'Honestly, why can't we celebrate good news like any other family?'

The pair glowered before making another uneasy truce. At least Paddy had the decency to say that he was looking forward to being another Granddad even if it did make him feel old.

'All I can say is that Caitlin didn't get her charm from her Dad,' grumbled Thomas as Calam walked in. 'Still what can you expect from a Man Utd fan?'

'Dad.'

'Hey, I'm just saying that's all. By the way do not let her family put that team's shirt on our Grandkid.'

'You mean Cait's family?'

'Hey she's a lovely girl and I don't mind a Barca shirt but you have to make sure he or she is brought up properly as a Liverpool fan. We don't want to blacken the Madvig name.'

Calam raised an eyebrow at that one. Considering that his Dad and his family were known hard cases and it had to be said violent lunatics it would take something to smudge the name even further.

'When the baby is born he or she has got a choice between Cait's team Barcelona or my team Liverpool. And anyway we can stop slagging Cait's family off?'

'Oh come on her Dad is a whopper,' Thomas said before sighing. 'Okay, okay no more digs I promise.'

'Yes well.'

'You are happy for us Mum?'

'Of course,' Holly smiled although privately the thought that the baby might be slightly brown like Caitlin did make her feel uneasy. It was stupid but well she didn't want anyone thinking the baby was foreign. Not that Holly had anything against Caitlin. She was a lovely girl but just very Medittereanean or even Arabic looking. Not that Holly had anything against those people but whatever it was it didn't sit easy with her. Of course it was stupid as Holly was glad that her son had found someone. Somehow Holly was going to have to put those thoughts to one side.