I’d only ever seen Dad drink beer.
He’d had a haircut and was wearing a proper shirt and full-length trousers.
Did he have a whole other life – hisown life– that I knew nothing about? Was Ithatchild, the one who thought they were company for their lonely parent when actually he couldn’t wait for them to grow up and stop bothering him?
For a dreadful few seconds I had to fight back tears.
Then Dad pulled up another chair and started splitting his prawn cocktail into two glasses, giving me no polite way to avoid gatecrashing whatever this was, and I had to pull myself together and act as if everything were normal.
‘I didn’t realise you two knew each other,’ I said, once we’d covered the basic how-are-yous.
‘Well, I do pick the kids up three afternoons a week,’ Dad replied.
‘I don’t normally see you around the playground at home time,’ I said to Janet, trying not to sound as though I was interrogating her.
‘Well, you aren’t a single man with a decent pension and a striking head of hair.’ Janet winked at Dad, and I almost choked on a prawn.
‘Another joke!’ Dad chuckled. ‘My pension is abysmal. We simply got chatting about how I could help at the summer fete, and found out we have a lot in common. Of course, we’re just friends.’
Are you?I wondered, noticing the frozen smile on Janet’s face as Dad started talking about the fete. He’d said nothing about Janet referring to him as single. It was weird, seeing him having a nice time with someone other than Mum, but I realised with a sinking heart that it shouldn’t be. Mum had been gallivanting across the world for years. Should the thought of him and Janet being more than friends feel so terrible?
I stayed for a bowl of home-made pasta, but by the time Janet nipped inside to assemble the meringues she’d brought for dessert, her not-so-subtle glances made it clear I’d been playing gooseberry long enough.
‘I’m going to leave you to it,’ I said, standing up.
‘Why?’ Dad appeared genuinely baffled. ‘You love meringue. I wanted to hear what you thought about Janet’s plan to create a school eco-garden.’
I sat down again, checking the back door was clear before leaning closer and taking hold of Dad’s hand. ‘I think Janet would prefer it if I left.’
‘What are you talking about?’ He shook his head, offended on her behalf. ‘Janet likes you. She told me.’
‘Yes, but that doesn’t mean she wants me gatecrashing. This is a date, Dad, whether you knew it or not.’
Dad’s mouth dropped open at the very thought. ‘But I’m a married man. I stated very clearly that we’re simply friends. Why on earth would she think that?’
‘I don’t know – a three-course lunch with a bottle of wine?’
Before he could reply, Janet reappeared, causing him to swiftly cover up his rattled demeanour by pouring her another glass of wine, tipping half of it all over the pretty tablecloth.
I left them to clear it up.
The instant Brayden’s car pulled into the drive the rear door flew open and Isla tumbled out, streaking across the drive, her orange sundress flapping behind her.
As I opened the front door, she shot through, ignoring my wide-stretched arms and hurtling up the stairs. I caught a glimpse of her tear-streaked face as she passed me. I would have followed her, but Finn was now outside the car, and Brayden wasn’t the only person standing with him.
‘Hi,’ I said, making the split-second decision to find out what had happened before heading upstairs.
‘Mum!’ Finn said, turning to face me. To my surprise, he was smiling. ‘Silva and Dad are having a baby!’
‘Wow. That’s… massive news!’ I vaguely registered my stomach shrivelling into a hard, angry ball. ‘Is that why your sister’s crying?’
He shrugged. ‘Either that or because one of her chips was wonky or today had a letter Y in it.’ He glanced at Brayden and Silva, waggling his eyebrows to share the joke.
‘Okay. But I don’t think Isla crying is something to joke about.’
‘Yeah, but she’s?—’
‘Go inside, please, while I talk to your dad for a minute.’
