Moses’ gaze was steady. ‘It’s totally up to you.’
While he knew his father’s name – hard to forget when it was identical to his – Cooper had no idea what he’d put for his occupation. Professional waster? Sleazebag? Child beater? Sociopath?
Hopefully it was ‘inmate’.
‘I’ll pass.’ He noticed Emma’s face, creased with concern beneath her veil. One more thing he would have to explain to her at some point. She reached out to squeeze his hand, and as she held on the twang of bleak loneliness that always accompanied any thoughts about his family faded into the background.
A loud thud on the door was accompanied by, ‘Are you finished in there cos Nonna says we can’t go and eat until you come out and I’m so-o-o-o-o-o hungry I’m starving!’
‘Oscar, you just had an apple and a massive oatmeal cookie, you’ll survive twenty more minutes!’ Orla yelled at the door.
‘Twenty more minutes? That’s to-o-o-o-o long. I can’t wait twenty whole minutes, I’m a growing boy and I’m so hungry I think I’m shrinking instead! Help, Mummy, help, now I’m as small as a dog! Now I’m as small as a worm! Now I’m as—’
‘Well, now I’m busy so you’d better wriggle off and tell your dad before somebody steps on you. SAM? CAN YOU PLEASE PARENT YOUR YOUNGEST CHILD SO EMMA AND COOPER CAN GET MARRIED? Ugh.’ Orla rolled her eyes. ‘Enjoy the honeymoon period, guys. Won’t be long before it’s a distant memory you get confused with a romantic film you once saw.’
Cooper took the pen Moses offered him with a grin and signed on the dotted line. Sofia had spoken briefly at the ceremony about how Cooper wasn’t simply marrying Emma, he was now joining their family, and while on the one hand their unswerving commitment to doing life together with in-your-face honesty felt akin to jumping out of an aeroplane blindfolded, he figured that if he was going to start learning how to be part of a family, he could do a lot worse than this one.
‘Right, all done.’
They moved out of the way to allow Ben, who had done that documentary-maker’s trick of slipping in unnoticed, to take a close-up shot of the certificate, and then Moses tore off the top sheet and gave Cooper a copy.
‘There you go, bro. Welcome to the Donovan clan. First things first, let’s get you and Mrs Cooper back to the farm before Oscar disappears altogether.’
‘Mrs Donovan,’ Cooper replied, looking at Emma before she had a chance to object. ‘I really don’t expect you to take my name.’
‘You should take hers,’ Annie said as they all trooped back out to join the others. ‘Cooper Donovan. Might be a whole lot less confusing. And you can ditch your secret first name for good.’
So, it would appear that Cooper was a fully fledged Donovan now.
He wondered how long it would be, if ever, before he could really believe it.
After the food, and the drinks, and Bear’s brief speech before he went up to bed, while most of the family lounged on sofas or played Uno with Orla and Sam’s kids at the dining-room table, Cooper ducked outside to grab some fresh air, and a chance to process some of the dozen thoughts whirling through his head.
He wandered over to a neighbouring sheep field, and leant his arms on the wooden boundary fence, deciding to start by simply breathing for a while.
It took about four breaths before he saw a pair of coat sleeves leaning on the fence beside him.
‘Thought I might find you out here.’ Bridget stopped and reconsidered. ‘Well, I thought I might find you lurking somewhere on your lonesome, and so I looked out every window until I spotted you.’
Cooper continued to breathe for another minute or so, sifting through everything he wanted to say.
‘Is Emma okay? I mean, about it being me. About youknowingit was me. I’m guessing from the look on her face that you hadn’t told her.’
‘Hardest secret I’ve ever had to keep.’
‘Onlysecret you’ve ever managed to keep from your sisters, more like.’
Bridget turned to face him, waiting until he moved to look at her.
‘How could she not be okay? Of all the men in the world I could have fixed her up with, she’s got you. One of the loveliest, kindest, most interesting people a woman could hope to end up with. Not to mention you’re also not completely ugly. I know you’ll do whatever it takes to make this work, and that means everything. To her, and me.’
‘I will.’ Cooper nodded, in that moment absolutely sure he meant it. ‘And thanks, that was actually quite nice. But don’t let Paolo hear you saying it. Now I’m married to your sister I was kind of hoping he might stop looking like he’s permanently deciding whether or not to punch me.’
Bridget rolled her eyes. ‘Well, Paolo does have lots of other qualities that you can’t claim.’
‘Really? Am I going to be last in the pecking order of Donovans-in-law, then? What does Paolo have that I don’t?’
‘Well, me, for starters.’ Bridget laughed.
