I worked afternoon shift in a factory , not for pleasure, but absolute necessity. We would have lost our house and everything we owned if I had not gone out to work
. I didn't like working much, I would have much preferred to stay home with my two year old son, and spend my days sewing and gardening and being a very contented wife and mother.

But it was either work or go bankrupt, so a job it was, with my son in Day nursery for a couple of hours until my husband collected him on his way home from work.

At least it was Summer , so I didn't have to come home in the cold. My husband made a bed up for him alongside our bed, and I'd step over him carefully as I fell into bed utterly weary sometime around midnight.

One night after I had fallen asleep I sensed someone at my side and woke up. There was my little boy in nappy and pyjama coat . Too tired to tell him to go back to his own bed, I lifted the covers and in he came .I kissed his soft cheek and murmured "Goodnight, sweetie," and we both fell asleep.

After that the die was cast, and every night he would sleep in my warm curve with my arm over him. Every night I would say "Goodnight Sweetie" and he would answer "Goodnight Mummy"

Several years later we were blessed with a second son, who was totally beloved by his big brother. One day there was an accident in which our younger son was injured. Not seriously, but he suffered shock and distress.

I had been away from home at the time and returned to find my husband had very capably dealt with it all, but our younger son developed nightmares. For days and nights he was traumatised and we were beginning to really worry, when as if by magic it stopped.

I was awake late one night when I heard him begin to cry in his sleep, I was just about to go to him when a small figure in pyjamas slipped past our bedroom door. It was my elder son. I heard him talking to his brother, the sobs eased and then stopped.

I slipped out of bed and peeped in at them. My little son was wrapped snugly in the embrace of his elder brother ,fast asleep. My elder son, my little hero, opened his eyes drowsily and smiled up at me with an expression such as angels wear.

He snuggled down into the warm blankets as I leaned over and kissed both of them tenderly. His eyes closed in sleep but just as he drifted off he said Oh so softly"Goodnight Mummy" .