The War left many grieving, those who would never get the chance to tell their loved ones that they loved them one last time. Iris Brown was one of them, her twin sister ripped away from her at just 18, she never got the chance to do the things with...
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Iris stared down at the silver band of which adorned her ring finger a small smile gracing her features. The past three years had passed so much faster than she imagined they ever could have. And sure they had not been without their challenges. Iris was not sure she could ever have a truly easy life, not with the luck which seemed to have followed her since she was 17. But she supposed her luck might have started to turn around, she had recently been promoted at work to manager and now owned a key to the pub. George's business was booming even more than it had been when it first opened having become a favourite of all customers down Diagon Alley and they were in talks to take over the old zonko's joke shop in Hogsmede as the owners looked to retire. They had finally finished renovating the house they had purchased and now it looked a lot more modern than the 1980s style it had been when they first signed the deed.
So maybe things were looking up for her. And as she was reminded things were starting to get better. She had a godson now, little Joseph who was slowly approaching six months old. That was who she was going to see that day. Being a manager at the pub meant she had changed shift patterns and now often found herself having more weekends off. And that was how the group of three friends, and baby in tow, were able to meet. They had chosen Lisa's house as her husband did not have the fortune of having the weekend off and Padma was bringing the baby along.
And a few hours later they found themselves waiting outside one of the bathrooms as both Lisa and Iris took turns to take a test. Lisa had been trying incredibly hard to have a child of her own as of recent though had not been fortunate thus far to conceive. And at this point needed the moral support as she took another test. Moral support which had turned into Iris also taking a test so they could both look at the same time. Or look for one another, Iris wasn't sure what the plan was as they waited for the egg timer to run out.
It had crossed her mind a couple of times what would happen if one was positive and the other wasn't. And in her own case if it was hers which was negative she wouldn't be horribly upset she was not trying for a baby just yet. Sure the government had put an expectation that the married couples from the law would conceive soon but they had retracted the time allowed due to understanding that matters of conception could not be given a strict timeline. And if it was the other way around, she didn't know what to do. She knew Lisa wanted this so desperately, she wanted it for her friend as well.
"Are you sure you don't want to do one for the sake of it?" Lisa asked Padma the woman moving her concentration away from the sleeping baby beside her and towards her two friends who both stood there with looks of anxiety on their face. One hoping for the best one hoping that nobody gets hurts at the end of it.
"I know the answer to that question without the need to waste money on the test." Padma motioned towards her son before continuing. "Plus having another one so close is not something I really want. He's a lot of work as it is." But before any of the other women in the room could reply the egg timer they had set a few minutes ago rang out.
"How do you want to do this Lisa?" Iris asked looking at the other woman.
"I'll check yours if you check mine?" Lisa offered before going to the two tests which had been left on the sink, a piece of paper with either of their names on to not confuse them. Iris moved to look at the test which belonged to Lisa and felt her heart drop for her friend as she noted the result. And as she attempted to word how she was going to let her friend know her thought pattern was interrupted.
"Iris?" Lisa's voice was a little bit unusual the same tone she had used in school when she had been trying to break something to the other girl. Like when Lisa had witnessed Trevor Hastings who Iris had the biggest crush on when she was 14 kissing another girl and then had to tell her best friend.
"Is something wrong?" Iris questioned back as she put aside how she was going to break the bad news to her friend.
"There might be." And with these words Lisa held out what was a positive test in Iris direction and she felt herself gasp almost losing hold of the test she had in her own hands.
"Shit. I'm sorry." Were Iris' first words which only got a bubble of laughter in response from her friend. Lisa had from those words essentially worked out why Iris was sorry but all she could do in that moment was laugh. "Why are you laughing?"
"Because only you would apologise. It's okay Iris my time will be soon. Right now we have to focus on you." Lisa took the two tests placing them back on the side before bringing her friend into her arms. Lisa swayed them both as Iris stood there both confused and a little overwhelmed.
"Are you two alright in there?" Padma's voice broke through the hug which was going on. She had remained outside of the room during this time, and had become nervous the longer the pair were inside without saying much that she could really decipher. She had popped her head in, baby Joseph still asleep outside, to check on her two friends only to be further confused with what she saw.
"Yeah we're fine." Lisa responded as she beckoned Padma to join the hug bringing the group of three into a mutual bonding.
"So will someone be joining me at playgroup then?" Padma had to probe and she looked closely at both of her friends. Lisa gave her a small smile which accompanied a shaking of her own head but Iris almost seemed to be in shock. She cast her eyes towards the sink where she could vaguely see on positive test and connected the dots.
"Oh Iris." She gave the woman a squeeze knowing fully well why her friend seemed so shocked about the revelation. As to why Iris seemed suddenly a lot more fearful than she had been just half an hour earlier.
"I can't have it happen again." Iris finally spoke and the two other woman could say nothing only bring her in closer as they held onto her. Allowed her to work through the emotions. There was nothing they could say, they could not promise her that things would not happen again but they could all hope.
