‘Can I stay the night, Daddy?’
Edward thought about it for a moment. He had to go to London tomorrow to meet his agent and the heads of Henshaw and Carlson. It might be nice for Flora to be with the family instead of rattling around Cranberry Cross with Hilditch.
He looked at Donna who nodded. ‘It’s fine with me,’ she said. ‘It’s Thursday and tomorrow I have the day off so why don’t you come and get her on Saturday or Sunday. We can pop into Asda and pick up a few things for your stay,’ she said to Flora who looked thrilled.
‘What about Christmas?’ she asked.
‘Hil can feed her,’ Edward promised.
Flora ran from the room to tell the boys, he assumed, and he sighed.
‘I know this is a mess but I’m trying to fix it.’
Sam cleared his throat. ‘You’re a successful writer, Edward but that doesn’t mean you’re a successful father. You have to make a choice. I chose to stay in the job I had for so long because my home life was more important to me than my work life. I could have gone further up the bus company and then Donna wouldn’t have had as much support at home and she couldn’t have done all her work with the rescue animals. I would rather have less money than less time with my kids.’
Edward was silent for a moment. ‘It wasn’t about the money, really. I was just…’ he searched for the word ‘…selfish,’ he finally admitted.
Sam nodded. ‘Men usually are,’ he said and then he picked up the paper, signalling his life lesson to Edward was over.
He stood up and put his hands in his pockets. ‘I’ll go and say goodbye to the children.’
Donna followed him to the back sunroom, where the boys were lounging and playing on their phones, while Flora was watching the fish in the tank.
‘I’m coming back for you on the weekend, Flora,’ he said.
‘Okay,’ she answered not looking away from the fish.
‘Bye, Myles, I’ll sort out the school stuff on Monday.’
Myles shrugged. ‘Whatever.’
Gabe and Nick looked at Edward sympathetically. ‘Bye, Mr Priest,’ they said.
‘Edward, please call me Edward,’ he said and he left his children in the best care he knew right now.
‘Thanks, Donna,’ he said to her at the front door.
‘It’s okay – you all need support,’ she said.
He paused, knowing he shouldn’t ask about Eve.
‘When you speak to her, tell her I said thank you. For everything.’
Donna’s face gave away nothing. ‘Drive safely, Edward, and good luck for court tomorrow.’
Eve didn’t want to see him anymore and why would she? He had nothing to offer her really. He was too old for her, too selfish, and he had a complex home life.
He didn’t blame her, he thought as he drove back to Cranberry Cross. He wouldn’t date himself either.
Hilditch was in the kitchen when he arrived home.
‘Flora’s staying there for a few days,’ he said, sitting down at the table. ‘Probably best while I sort this mess out.’
Hilditch looked up at him. ‘Good idea,’ she said. ‘She loves Donna. The grandmother she never had.’
‘She does have two grandmothers but they’re not really into being grandmothers,’ he said.
He imagined leaving Flora at his parents’ house. They would probably try to teach her bridge and how to make a good Pimm’s fruit cup.
