Some pleasures are simpler than others.
The high, bright sky of a brand-new day.
The affection of friends.
Serving others.
Giving to others.
Belonging with others.
And knowing, at last, that a prize
may be within our grasp.
My first event as mayor!
I want it to be
a wonderful seaside experience for everyone.
It'll be absolutely smashing, Vi.
I can't wait. Bit of relaxation.
There'll be no relaxing for you, Fred Buckle.
You're the mayor's consort!
Now, the coach company still needs paying
and...we mustn't forget prizes!
Prizes? For what?
The sandcastle competition.
Now where are you going? Oh!
To distribute invitations
and to drum up support from local businesses.
Who could refuse such a worthy cause?
From you? Not many.
Morning.
Good morning.
Hello, everyone.
Now, mayor's excursion!
All are welcome,
but spaces are limited.
Mrs Webster?
Now, would you like a story
from Sister Monica Joan whilst the nurse checks with the baby
in Mummy's tummy?
Oh, what a little dote!
In the cubicle.
I shan't tell you off for chewing your nails.
That's not my job.
Though I can advise that they're not particularly nourishing.
It's Miss Webster, by the way.
We're not married. Not yet.
I shall ask Miss Higgins to amend your records accordingly.
I know what you're thinking.
Two children out of wedlock.
I've been a midwife for over 45 years.
As shocking revelations go,
that's rather low on my list.
We did plan to get married before we had Danielle, but...
..we used to row something awful,
so we went our separate ways for a while.
Hopefully, that's it now.
Indeed.
You've got two children to think of.
They need stability.
I know.
Neither of us had much of that.
Both grew up in children's homes, see?
My ma died when I was Danielle's age and...
..Dad couldn't cope. That's what it said in my notes anyway.
Melvin doesn't even know what happened to his.
And now you've been blessed with a family of your own.
This is a chance for both of you
to be the parents you didn't have.
That's the thing, though. I thought when you had kids,
that's when you became like a proper adult, but...
..if I'm honest, I feel more like Danielle's big sister
than her mother.
I did it!
I knew you could! Yes! Yes!
Well done. Well done.
Hey! Er, wrong side!
Really? You trust me?
Of course! You just passed your driving test!
Welcome to the play scheme!
Please find a space to sit.
That's right.
Help yourselves to squash and biscuits.
Danielle, stop it!
The man'll shout.
Oh, no, not at all. It's lovely to see her enjoying herself.
The concept of play is very new
to a lot of these disadvantaged families.
They may take a while to warm up.
Perhaps we could visit a showroom later.
It might be a good idea to build your confidence
before we rush to buy another car.
To quote the examiner, I am extremely assured.
Sir Matthew! Just the person!
Now, I don't know if you've heard about my excursion.
Of course!
It's the talk of Poplar!
And I shall be driving. I just passed my test!
Oh, congratulations!
We're going to a showroom later!
Well, we didn't actually agree on that.
How are preparations going? Swimmingly.
Although there is something of a shortfall with funds.
Since the Alderman Matchett picnic fund fell by the wayside,
we're, erm, reliant upon the philanthropy of...
..generous souls...like yourself?
Usually, I would be very... He'd be delighted to help!
Sir Matthew, you are a saint amongst men!
For anyone who hasn't already attended these play sessions,
there are structured activities such as singing and games,
but the most important thing is to have fun!
Yay! Oh, and for those of you who haven't already met him,
er, this is Mr Robinson,
our new child welfare officer.
Perhaps you'd like to announce the excursion.
Exciting news.
Our mayor has organised a trip to the seaside this Sunday!
Everybody's welcome!
Will there be food? Is it free?
If you can be quiet for a moment,
we'll provide all the details.
I can't think of anything worse.
How can you say that?!
If it was Maracas Bay in Trinidad, then count me in.
The last beach I went to in England was so cold
I nearly developed hypothermia.
And the lucky ladies off to the seaside are...
Nurse Highland!
And...
Nurse Clifford!
Why have you made me a dress?
It's a changing cape, Teddy, not a dress.
And you will get plenty of use from it this summer -
the mayor's trip and a week in Devon.
Can we keep this on?
They don't have any arms! They're for getting changed under...
..not playing in!
That's it.
Timothy!
Are you staying for long?
Yes, I'm home for the summer!
- Oh! - Are those for us?
I've been living off tinned pineapple for two months
to get enough tokens to get these.
It's a beachball!
And a Lilo.
Here.
Oh, that's enough now. It's almost bedtime! Oh...
Lindy Webster...
Young lass at clinic today with her daughter Danielle.
You've visited them before at home, haven't you?
Yes, I have.
And to put it mildly, it was utterly chaotic.
There's a vulnerability about her
that deeply concerns me.
Brought up in a children's home.
And I do worry that without the right support,
it'll be a case of history repeating itself.
Oh! No balloons, thank you kindly.
Instructions from the mayor.
The convoy has to be decorated uniformly,
or, erm...
...she'll have our guts for garters.
That's right, Cubs. Use the full length of the coach.
No jostling, now!
You two! With me!
Tout de suite!
Please, could you just...
In the back. No fighting.
Can I go in your car? Please? That coach is chaos.
It's a case of muck and nettles in my opinion, but hop in!
Everybody in your seats, please!
Anyone prone to travel sickness,
please ask me for this in good time.
A queasy tummy can't be helped,
but vomit on the seats will incur
a fine from the coach company and shan't be pleasant for others.
Cast your gaze elsewhere.
My constitution is rather robust at the moment.
Pregnant lady coming through!
You're in the right company if Baby arrives today.
Clear off. I need to put me feet up!
Do you want a drink?
Everyone ready?
As we'll ever be.
How about a song?
# Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside
# Oh, I do like to be beside the sea! #
That's the spirit!
Oh, Matthew, don't be such a spoilsport!
Sick duty was my forte growing up!
Father was head of a boys' prep,
with me as the only girl. Miss! Can I have the bucket?
Most people shudder at that,
but they were simply the happiest years
and the entire reason nursing became my vocation.
I often helped Matron in the school sanatorium...
Miss! He's going to be sick! ..and she used to say
my natural aptitude for caring shone through.
He's going to be sick, Miss! If only I had the same faith
in myself as she... Bucket!
That's it.
Stop here! Stop! Stop!
Matthew! Please do not shout "stop" like that!
How was I to know there was a pothole?
It had nothing to do with your driving.
I-I just need to use the telephone.
Yes, this is, er, Sir Matthew Aylward.
I wish to speak with Mr Richards as a matter of urgency.
Oi! Who threw that?!
It was him, it was him, it was him!
Hey, stop! Turn around! Turn around!
Throw it. Throw it at that boy.
Ow!
If children cannot look to their own parents
to set a good example, then who can they look to?
Why are you looking at me? They started it!
Because you are an adult, Miss Webster!
I'm sorry.
Some business with a stockbroker I needed to check.
No more work chat now, please. Today is a holiday.
Isn't it, Jonty?
Yay! Yay!
Oh!
Here, Vi, it's turned out nice for us!
I see you got your new necklace on!
I am the mayor, and it is important to keep up standards!
Oh, welcome to Poplar's inaugural summer mayor's excursion!
# She was afraid to come out of the locker
# She was as nervous as she could be... # Oh!
Not quite the beach weather I was expecting.
Oh, I know, but I love the British summertime!
# Two, three, four, tell the people what she wore
# It was an itsy bitsy teenie weenie... #
Smile!
Lovely.
Oh! Thank you.
# ..So in the locker, she wanted to stay
# Two, three, four, tell the people what she wore... #
Come and get it!
# ..Yellow polka-dot bikini
# That she wore for the first time today
# An itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka-dot bikini... #
What?
Well done, Violet.
You've done such a wonderful job putting all this together.
Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, don't they?
And it's lovely to see the enthusiasm
for the sandcastle competition.
Yes, particularly from the fathers.
I just hope that there's enough food to last all day.
I think there's enough food to last until Christmas.
I want to go on the Lilo!
One moment, May.
Is that young lady in distress?
Lindy?
Are you all right, dear?
Just some twinges.
Looked more than a twinge to me.
Come on, let's get you back to the maternity home
before Baby comes.
Er, do you want me to come?
No, you stay with your family.
Miss Higgins, will you drive my car
while I go in the back with Mother? Certainly.
Oh.
We've never been to the seaside before.
I know, lass, but it can't be helped.
There'll be other chances.
Come on, or Baby will be born a long way from home.
# Ip, dip, dip My blue ship
# Sailing on the water Like a cup and saucer
# O-U-T spells out! #
Yaaay!
Can somebody help Martin look after my Cubs, please?
I will, Nurse Crane. Don't worry!
Thank you.
Come on.
Quick, quick! That's it. In you go, in you go.
Good boy. Patrick, where are the girls?
With you, last time I looked.
They were right here a moment ago.
May!
May! May!
Angela! Angela!
May!
May! Angela!
Do you like my shell collection?
Where's May?
She's in the sea.
May!
May! May!
Help!
Keep still or you'll drag us both under!
May! May!
Come on! Quick!
Bring her here where I can lie her down!
That's it. Come on, come on.
Come on, that's it.
Breathe.
We need to clear her airway! That's it.
Oh, May!
May!
That's it, good girl. That's it.
Good girl.
Can't you go a bit faster?
Safety is paramount.
I shall therefore remain diligent
in observing the correct speed limit.
Can I have a balloon for Danielle?
I'm sure that can be arranged.
Oi!
Can you go a bit slower, please?
Nearly there, that's it.
Oh, erm, someone'll need to tell Melvin.
He'll be at the Hand and Shears. At this hour?
Any hour!
Is there a radio?
I beg your pardon?
I had one with Danielle. It took my mind off the pain.
She come out to Ballad Of The Green Berets.
This baby will come out on the floor if we're not careful!
Nine centimetres dilated. Almost ready to push.
I feel like I want to push now!
Not yet. You'll be fully dilated soon enough.
Then you can push.
You're doing beautifully!
# Don't you worry, baby, now
# Your love is in my heart
# Hang on, baby
# Hang on, baby... #
And there we have...
..a pretty necklace!
Don't you look grown-up?
Baby's head is coming very quickly.
You're almost there. Well done!
Nice and slowly.
Pant for me, like this.
That's it.
Baby's head is out.
One final push for me, Lindy.
That's it. Keep going.
Did I do it?
You did indeed!
You've a beautiful little girl.
Congratulations.
Hello.
She's perfect.
She is.
Do you have a name?
I have now.
Michelle.
Shell for short.
Because I went into labour at the seaside!
I dread to think what would have happened
if it wasn't for Joyce and Cyril.
We were very, very lucky.
Mm.
But we can't dwell on the what-ifs.
I feel sick.
I diagnose too many iced buns.
My chest hurts.
Where, sweetheart?
Does it hurt when you breathe in?
Let me have a listen.
Now, big deep breaths, in and out.
That's it.
And again.
Good girl.
It sounds clear.
It's probably coughing strain.
Sleep will be the best medicine.
Yes. It's well past your bedtime. Oh!
Five more minutes.
And no more iced buns!
A present for you from your new baby sister.
Hello, princess!
Our policy is one visitor at a time!
Who are these gentlemen?
Wouldn't call 'em gentlemen.
Everybody out! Now!
This is a maternity home, not a public house.
But the father may stay!
Ah, you've done it again, Lind. Look at her. She's beautiful.
Got your nose.
Oh, don't say that in front of the poor girl.
Nurse!
She's had an accident. Can you sort it out, please?
A picnic buffet supper. How wonderful!
We didn't want you to miss out, so we brought the leftovers back!
And half the beach.
Oh, Nurse Crane, did you manage to make it back in time?
By the skin of our teeth!
Mother and baby girl both doing well.
If nobody minds, I'll take these up with me.
I'm going to develop my photographs
in the bathroom. Now? Yes.
I was hoping for a bath before bed.
I've sand in places that I never knew existed.
It won't take long, and if I don't do it now,
I may never get round to it.
This is the second such demonstration
in the Grosvenor Square area in the past two weeks...
Shall we get her upstairs?
Let's leave her to sleep.
I'll tuck a blanket round her.
..and certainly the largest gathering so far.
It is understood that several arrests have been made,
and the Prime Minister has...
Don't open that door! The photographs will be ruined!
Are you nearly done, Nurse Crane?
She's still not done.
Just use the outside bathroom.
Are you joking?
I'd rather be covered in sand than spiders, thank you very much!
A sip of milk to soothe your throat.
How's the patient?
Oh, definitely a lot worse in the last couple of hours.
Hello, trouble.
Mind if I have a little listen?
Her chest is very rattly.
Her breathing's laboured.
Oh, perhaps I should call your father.
I saw something in the emergency ward during training.
A man was admitted after he'd fallen from a fishing boat.
He had a very similar presentation to May.
The diagnosis was water aspiration.
I'm worried that it could be the same.
But that happened yesterday.
And she was perfectly fine just a few moments later.
Inflammation of the lungs can show up after a few hours,
days even, after submersion.
That was the case in the man I saw.
And was he all right?
We need to get May to hospital immediately.
Everything is as we'd expect.
Tootsies fanning out nicely. And...
..she's got good reflexes.
Long legs, too.
I reckon she could be a ballerina.
That's what I always wanted to be when I was little.
Maybe this one'll get the chance that I never had.
Oh? Do you hear that, twinkletoes?
I think we might be
seeing you on the stage with Miss Nadine's dancing school.
Just a quick look at her eyes now and then we're done.
We had some trouble with Danielle's right eye when she was a baby.
It was sore and it made her cry.
The poor little thing couldn't tell us what was wrong.
Anyway, she hasn't had any problems for a while now.
Hmm.
I'm just going to take her
into the other room.
I'll get a better look where it's not so bright.
We won't be gone long.
Come back soon!
Mummy's going to miss you!
Time was we'd be reporting ophthalmia neonatorum
to the authorities on a weekly basis.
Any eye trouble's rare in newborns these days.
It's the improvement in hygiene.
This is like a tiny spot,
right at the back.
But I can't be sure.
We'll have to keep checking.
Timothy's on the telephone for you, Doctor.
Oh, I'm here, sweetheart!
Oh... Oh.
You need to wait here.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.
My God, my strength in whom I will trust.
Shelagh! Oh!
Where have they taken her?
Which paediatrician is she with?
I don't know, Patrick. They haven't told me anything!
You wait here, and I'll go and find out what's happening.
I need you to stay here...
..with me.
You aren't the doctor in this situation,
any more than I am a nurse.
We're just May's parents, Patrick.
I know we are.
Bathing Baby's eyes in sterilised water
will help keep them clean of infection.
Can you do it? I don't want to hurt her.
You won't.
Very gentle strokes with the pad...
..from the inside of the eye outwards.
That's it.
Good morning, Lindy! How are we getting on?
All right, thanks. I've got some provisions for the baby.
Here is some information about financial support,
along with the relevant forms. It would be prudent
to get these completed as soon as possible.
What's that?
Perhaps it's best to talk to Lindy herself,
seeing as she's right in front of you.
Shelagh, this is Denzil Kerrigan.
Hello, Mrs Turner. Sorry to be meeting you
when you're both on the other side of the fence,
so to speak. Are any results back?
Do you know what's wrong with her?
May's chest X-ray shows that
she is suffering from water aspiration.
It... It's a form of...
..partial drowning.
But she seemed perfectly all right.
Once we brought her out of the water, she was fine.
The damage was already done.
Or...being done.
Her lungs are struggling to function.
We'll keep her on oxygen
and she's already receiving antibiotics.
But the next few hours are going to be quite crucial.
You know where to find me.
Shh.
How did I miss this, Shelagh?
I... I should have anticipated it!
Even brought her in last night...
No. ..when she felt sick!
No, Patrick. This is my fault!
I should never have taken my eyes off her in the first place!
Shh.
Oh.
I simply cannot bear to imagine
what Shelagh and Dr Turner are going through.
A carefree day at the seaside turning into a nightmare.
I can hardly believe it.
What's the matter?
May's poorly, sweetheart.
But she's being looked after in hospital
by very clever doctors.
That was Mrs Buckle on the telephone.
The, er, Gazette are doing an article about the excursion.
They want to use one of my photographs.
Oh, how lovely.
Well, we'll look through them together
and see which one to choose to put forward.
When will May be home?
We're not quite sure, darling.
The doctors are working very hard to get her better.
I miss May.
I know.
We all do.
Can we go and see her?
Please.
They're very strict about letting children visit.
There's a biscuit left.
It must be May's.
And we want something for the Gazette
that truly captures the spirit of the day.
Which one best represents our community?
This is a lovely one.
There's Sister Veronica enjoying an ice cream.
30 seconds later it blew out of my hand, and I didn't get another.
Why is that little girl's eye funny?
Hmm, let me see.
I must have made a mistake when I was developing it.
Thank you.
We're going to need two next year.
Coaches!
You've no idea how many people
have been asking if the beach trip is going to be returning.
Word is spreading fast, Fred!
Well, that's smashing,
but can I get my breath back first before we start planning
the next one?
Morning, son. How can I help?
What would you like for breakfast, sweetheart?
Her mum's in the maternity home with the new one, so I'm on duty.
Ooh, congratulations!
I'll....
I'll take these.
What, chocolate? For breakfast?
Sugar gives you energy, don't it?
Oh, erm, and a pack of ciggies.
Millicent, I need to talk to Dr Turner rather urgently.
Would that be appropriate, all things considered?
There's been no news of little May overnight, good or bad.
I think he values the distraction of work.
Doctor, I wonder if I may confer with you
about something?
Of course.
This is a photograph I took of Lindy Webster
and her daughter Danielle at the beach.
I didn't notice it at first, but look at Danielle's eye.
It looks as though it's reflecting light.
It's not normal, is it?
No.
It's not normal at all.
What sort of tests?
Do you see the white ring inside Danielle's eye?
Sometimes something shows up on camera
we can't see in real life.
And sometimes it indicates a problem.
What sort of problem?
I'm not a specialist, Lindy,
but I do think we need to get this looked at
by someone who is - at the hospital...
..and as soon as we can organise it.
Can't it wait? I've just had a baby.
Doctor thinks the specialist
should have a look at the baby as well.
Might it be something that's...
..catching?
Not catching as such.
But it might be something that affects them both.
I'm praying for poor little Danielle and her sister.
That young couple could barely manage as parents
to begin with, and they certainly won't be able to cope
with two poorly children.
Well, the welfare office must be informed.
I think I'll head to the hospital.
My support may be needed.
Teddy will be very cross that you're getting all these sweets
and not saving any for him.
Teddy didn't nearly drown.
Hello. Guess what! Did you find Dr Kerrigan?
I waylaid him on his way to his afternoon clinic,
and he gave me some good news.
This morning's X-ray showed
a significant reduction in lung inflammation.
In fact, there is every evidence that this young madam
has responded very well to treatment. Did you hear that, May?
Perhaps you'll be coming home soon.
Kerrigan is planning to discharge her
when he makes his rounds.
As he said, she will need careful nursing
for at least two weeks,
but with her own personal medical team on call,
he doesn't doubt she'll get it!
Did you hear that, May?
You'll be back where you belong.
Oh!
Mild concomitant esotropia in the right eye.
Stay nice and still for me, please.
Suspected choroidal detachment.
What does that mean?
Can somebody tell me what's going on?
We'll need to get a clear picture before we discuss any findings.
Can you see anything wrong?
Results will go to your consultant.
I'll get it.
Ah, it might be the district nurse.
We can show her how well you're doing, May.
Good day, Mrs Turner.
It's Miss Williams.
From the Hong Kong adoption project?
Yes, of course. Hello, Miss Williams.
I am sorry. It's been quite a while.
How can I help you?
We received the news on May's hospitalisation.
I wanted to pay a visit and see how she was doing.
It was a dreadful ordeal but she's much better now.
Would it be possible to have a quick chat with May herself?
Of course. Come through.
May, do you remember Miss Williams?
She's come to see how you're doing.
Hello, May.
Oh. We'll leave you to it.
Can I get you anything, Miss Williams?
Tea? And I've just baked some scones. No. Thank you.
I'm fine.
Mm. This isn't a social visit.
Can you hear what she's saying? It's been ages.
I shall be on my way now, Mrs Turner.
May and I have had a lovely chat.
Can I ask...
..what will happen now?
May is a content little girl.
She's clearly happy living with you.
But I need to go back to the office and file my report.
This is standard protocol with foster children, Mrs Turner.
I'm sure you understand.
In your report, will you explain it was just an accident?
One minute she was right in front of me...
I shall write down all the facts
so that they can be properly discussed and considered.
I see.
We will be in touch.
How much longer are they going to keep us waiting?
What, you'd rather be with your mates at the pub, would you?
Oh, wonderful. There you are.
I was hoping I hadn't missed you.
What are you doing here?
I thought you might need my support.
Danielle and Michelle Jones.
What do you both understand about what's been happening so far?
Well, that's just it. We don't understand nothing really.
There might be something wrong with Michelle's eyes.
And then there was a thing about Danielle's eye in a photo.
Yes, you're right.
There is something wrong.
I'm sorry to say that the results have revealed
that both Michelle and Danielle
have retinoblastoma in their right eye.
Fortunately, there's no sign it has spread.
I don't think the parents know what that is.
Is that an infection? No, it's not an infection.
Retinoblastoma is a malignancy of the retina,
the back of the eye...
..most often discovered in childhood.
Malignancy? A cancer.
I'm very sorry.
It's caused by a genetic defect,
which is why both your daughters are affected. Cancer?
Both?
Both of my babies have got cancer?
I'm afraid so.
That isn't true. It can't be true!
I can't lose my babies. I can't!
I know we agreed to make the trip together,
but I was just...passing the car showroom
and I simply couldn't resist
a quick look.
I saw the perfect one called a Sunbeam Imp!
Isn't that the most delightful name for a car?
Erm...
Oh, you think it's frivolous?
Well, the sales gentleman said
it's actually an excellent choice for a new driver.
Mmm.
I do realise it's at the slightly...pricier end.
So...not a decision to rush into.
Well, nor should we wait until I'm too decrepit to drive,
surely?
We'll need to proceed with treatment
as quickly as possible.
You're lucky it was picked up when it was.
For Michelle, we recommend radiotherapy,
but Danielle will certainly need enucleation.
Why does nobody talk English to us?!
Enucleation is a surgical procedure to remove the eye. Oh!
But if you take the eye out, you take the cancer out?
And she'll live?
We hope so, yes.
What happens next? Well, we'll move things along very quickly.
Do you have any support? Any family?
Any grandparents?
Nobody.
It's just the two of us.
The girls will need a lot of specialist care, Lindy.
And they'll get it!
From their mother!
Both in shock, as you can imagine.
And Lindy's still
recovering from the labour, so she's been brought back here.
Lindy, you know Mr Robinson already, don't you,
from the welfare office?
He's here to help.
I'm not stupid. I know what this is.
You want to take my babies away.
That's the last thing we want to do.
But there is the option of help from other people
while Danielle and Michelle have their treatment.
Are you talking about foster care? No!
That is not happening! I know all about that.
We want to make sure you have everything you need.
All I need is for my babies to be healthy.
I'm taking them home.
You're welcome to stay here as long as you want.
There's no rush to leave.
You'll need to recover too.
I'm fine.
Melvin, come on.
The hospital have raised significant concerns
about their ability to cope.
My concern is that everybody appears to be underestimating
what that young couple can handle.
We need to keep this place
as clean as possible from now on.
Melvin?
This is our fault.
What are you talking about?
We're a bad combination.
It's us that done this to our girls. That's what they said.
You can't think like that.
Yeah, well, I do.
I can't help it!
You can help it, though, Melvin.
Either we...
..grow up
and concentrate on getting our girls through this,
or...we fall to pieces and...
We might not have had much choice about our lives,
but we can choose what sort of parents we're going to be.
Look what Mrs Buckle sent for you, May. Oh!
Not many girls get baskets of iced buns from the mayor.
I wish someone would send me a basket of iced buns!
Can I have one? Oh, Patrick!
At least wait until your dinner's gone down!
Whoa!
This donkey's trying to throw me off!
Cos you're too heavy, that's why!
Be careful, please! We don't want any more hospital visits.
Good evening. Dr Turner speaking.
But we've already received a visit.
Oh, well, yes, of course.
That's no problem.
Oh, very well.
We'll see you, then.
Goodbye.
That was Miss Williams.
We're to go in and see her in her office -
for a meeting about May.
What if we enrolled Jonty in preschool?
St Nicholas is one of the best.
And it's a five-minute walk from the Barbican flat.
Matthew?
Are you listening?
If you're still cross with me
about spending nights at Nonnatus, just say,
but please don't sulk!
I was miles away, that's all.
Preschool for Jonty? What are your thoughts?
That it is an unnecessary expense?
Even if it means more time for us?
Is that really a valid reason for shipping my son off to school early?
Your son?
I'm...sorry.
I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't mean that.
I'm thinking of him.
It's better than a nanny.
And he's so sociable,
he'd simply adore spending time with children his own age.
Leave it with me.
I'll see you tomorrow, then, shall I?
I highly recommend earplugs!
You get used to it.
Do you have a moment to talk?
Unofficial break.
Might need to duck if I spot the gaffer.
You'd best get back to work, then. You can't afford to lose this job.
I'll go when I'm ready.
Life doesn't work like that, unfortunately.
If we all waited till we were ready,
I doubt anything would get done at all.
Don't need a lecture. Ta.
It's not a lecture.
It's advice...
..from someone much older.
I cannot fathom what you're going through, Melvin.
But I do know that you must dig deep
and do your very best by those girls,
however ill-prepared you feel.
What if I'm just not up to it?
Do you love them?
Of course I love them.
Then you'll discover that you are up to it.
All right, back to work!
Your break's over.
As it happens, since I came to see May,
Miss Tang has been in touch,
asking about news of her daughter.
She does telephone from time to time,
though we don't encourage it.
But we were, of course, duty-bound to inform her
of the incident at the beach.
Consequently, she has questions.
What exactly did you tell her, Miss Williams?
And what questions does she have?
I related the facts as I understood them.
And she asked why May was alone when this incident occurred.
She wasn't alone. We would never neglect our children.
Nobody's suggesting that.
We're simply trying to get as clear a picture as possible.
Miss Tang also referenced the playground incident
where May's foot required stitches.
Two years ago?
She had a playground accident, as any child might!
I did those stitches myself!
Miss Tang is aware that you're a doctor,
and, indeed, a nurse.
As she put it to me,
"I thought my daughter would be more safe with them, not less."
Oh... Do you think we could lose May?
This is not a case of you
losing the child you foster, Mrs Turner.
But May might have to be removed to an environment
in which her mother has more confidence.
Well, what can we do to reassure her?
Well, can we write to her?
Can you send her some kind of report?
We already send letters, and photographs too, sometimes.
We're always tactful.
I see no reason why that can't continue.
But May's mother has now asked for an ongoing, formal review
of the arrangement and for May to be moved if she is not satisfied.
The decision will be taken in three months' time.
You need to rest.
I'll take her.
I'm sorry.
You're right, Lind. I want us to be the best parents, too...
..whatever happens.
I promise...
..things will change.
Melvin, what the heck are you doing?
I love you, Lindy Webster.
Would you please
do me the honour of becoming my wife, for better or worse?
Yeah!
Mummy and Daddy are going to be right here when you come out.
We'll see you in two ticks, angel. Hmm?
Oh...
I've been so afraid of May seeing me upset...
..I've held it all in.
And here's the place to let it out.
You've been through such an ordeal.
Of my own creation.
You must try and forgive yourself
and move on.
What if they take May away from us?
Are you all right, Matthew?
Er, fine. Why?
Well...
..you've been desperate for me to spend more nights at home,
and now I'm here you've hardly said a word to me all evening.
I'm sorry.
I'll be right through.
Thanks.
So, how are you all bearing up?
Oh, up and down.
But we're coping.
Michelle starts radiotherapy tomorrow.
And Danielle's doing really well.
She's having an ocular pros...
Prosthesis? That's the one.
They showed us at the hospital and...
..it looks much better than I thought.
And the main thing is, it definitely hasn't spread.
That's wonderful news.
Where's Melvin?
Oh, he's at work. Not in the pub.
He's taken on extra work. Good for him.
And we're officially engaged.
Silver paper. He's saving up for a ring.
Priority is making sure the girls don't go without.
Very sensible.
And congratulations.
You should be extremely proud of yourselves.
Quite right.
We are...
..actually.
Patrick... I'm sending this to Hong Kong.
To May's mother?
I thought it would be nice for her to see May
in the dress she sent at Christmas.
But you completely remade that dress, Shelagh...
..to make sure it fitted her,
to make sure May wouldn't be upset.
But what if her mother notices?
If she notices, she'll know it's because I'm doing my best.
I need her to see that.
Perhaps I need to see that, too.
That's all we can do, isn't it?
Our best.
Other people will be making the decision.
Is any pleasure simple, in the end?
A smile can be the fruit of terror,
and of courage.
Our happiness is often rooted in its opposite.
The threat that rocked us that did not come to pass.
The loss averted.
The tears we did not cry.
But if our shadows fall behind us,
they can also lie ahead -
watching, waiting for their turn...
...under cover of the sunshine.
They've been left by their mother.
She begs someone to look after her children. Ooh!
Something is causing this and we need to know what it is.
I joined social services to help families. Now I seem
to be breaking one apart.
Studying? At this time of night?
You've been lying to me about this for months!
I haven't been lying to you! I've been shielding you!