‘What? I haven’t said goodbye yet.’
‘Quickly, then.’
Finn fist-bumped his dad, and then disconcertingly gave Silva a hug before disappearing into the house.
‘What the hell, Brayden?’ Added to the drama that had been bombarding me over the past couple of days, this had me about ready to blow. ‘You sprang this on them without discussing it with me first?’
His jaw set firm. ‘What, are you vetting the conversations I have with my kids now?’
‘If it’s something this serious then you could at least warn me. I could have helped prepare them.’
‘Brayve wanted to share the happy news with his own children without you twisting it into something negative first,’ Silva said.
‘Stay out of this. It’s none of your business.’ I swung my body around to face my ex-husband, daring him to let that comment from his girlfriend go.
‘Maybe let us talk this one out, babe.’ Brayden grabbed Silva’s hand and kissed it, gazing into her eyes for a nauseating few seconds before turning back to me.
‘Finn wanted to play football, so Silva very kindly brought my ball to the park. The kids wanted her to stay, and when she got out of the car they noticed her bump.’
My eyes flashed over to Silva’s skintight strapless dress.
‘They needed to find out anyway. It’s not a big deal. You saw Finn; he’s fine with it,’ Brayden went on.
‘And while we’re discussing it,’ Silva interrupted, ‘it’s vital that we cultivate a positive relationship between all of Brayden’s children, so we’ll be spending a lot more time together as a family from now on.’ She then caught the look on my face and quickly clamped her mouth shut.
‘It’s not Finn I’m worried about.’ My voice was trembling with emotion. ‘I can’t believe we spoke about Isla only this morning, and then you did this to her. There’s not a chance in hell of you spending more time together when, every time she sees you, she ends up upset. Right now, I’m seriously considering whether it’s a good idea for you to see them at all.’
‘Keep your voice down,’ Brayden snapped, nodding behind me. I turned and saw Finn standing in the doorway holding his favourite stuffed elephant while trying to put his trainers on. Mercifully, he didn’t appear to have heard me.
Before I could respond, Isla pushed past him, racing over and pressing one of her own cloth dolls into Silva’s hand.
‘Sorry, sorry. It took me ages to find it. I wanted my new baby sister to have my best one. Mummy!’ She spun around, eyes shining. ‘Did you know Silva and Daddy are having a baby? I’m going to be a big sister and have a little sister! I was so happy and excited when they told me, I couldn’t stop crying all the way home.’
Then she flung her arms around Silva’s midriff and pressed one cheek against her bump. ‘Hello, baby sister. I love you!’
Brayden said nothing while he kissed both his children goodbye and gently helped his partner get into their low-slung sports car, carrying the elephant and the doll. After the years we’d shared a life together, he didn’t have to. The raised eyebrow and defiant puff to his chest said it all.
Nicky messaged me that evening.
What are you up to?
I had a quick debate with myself about whether to be honest:throwing a full-on pity party for one.
In the end I stuck to the facts.
Watching TV with a jumbo bag of tortilla chips
She replied instantly.
Perfect! My open-water swim club is going to the new comedy club in Newark and Miranda’s got a migraine
Did you forget the minor detail of me having two small children?
Can’t you ask Dad to watch them?
I remembered Dad pouring the lovely, slightly formidable Janet a glass of wine and shuddered.
He’s on a date
