feet. “Declan, I want a quick word with you please . . . alone?”
With a nod, I stood. Once I had, I dipped to press a few small kisses onto Alyssa’s cheek, partly because I wanted to remind her that I loved her, but mostly to rub Curtis’s face in the fact that she’d chosen me.
I followed Ruth into the room we’d been staying in. Everything we’d been using temporarily was packed into the back of the Prado, so it was back to looking like Alyssa’s old bedroom—except without the personality of her photos and mementos. After glancing around the room, I looked down at Ruth and saw the tears on her face.
“Hey, now, what’s up?” I asked, as softly as I could. I reminded myself that regardless of how Curtis reacted to me and Alyssa being together, Ruth had been in my corner. She at least was happy about my reunion with Alyssa.
“It’s just sinking in that she’s really going. I won’t be able to just pop in to see her anymore.”
“Sydney’s not that far away, and there’s always Skype, and phone calls,” I said, trying to cheer her up a little. “And emails.”
“You’ll look after them, won’t you?” She looked at me pleadingly.
“With my life.” Every word was sincere. I wouldn’t let anything hurt either of my girls. I’d made enough mistakes where both of them were concerned.
She nodded. “Thank you.”
She pulled me down to her, wrapping her arms tightly around me. In that moment, she was a mother saying goodbye to her son. For me, it was the goodbye I hadn’t been able to say to my own mother.
“Ruth?” I asked, my voice soft and filled with the emotions roiling inside me.
“What is it, sweetie?” she asked.
“When Mum comes back, can you make sure that she’s not alone?” I couldn’t bear the thought of Mum returning to her old life since she’d been freed from my cheating fucking bastard of a father. I didn’t want to think of her going back to him, or worse sitting around an empty house consumed by her loneliness.
“Of course,” she said before pulling me into one final embrace.
We walked back into the kitchen to find Alyssa and Curtis in a tight embrace of their own. Phoebe was on the floor, switching between their legs.
Alyssa’s eyes were closed, but it was easy to see she’d been crying. “I’m going to miss you too, Daddy,” she whispered.
In that instant, I had a moment of crystal-clear clarity. Despite the fact that I’d only been in her life for a short time, I couldn’t imagine losing Phoebe. Even if she was an adult, it’d be hard to say goodbye. It would be impossible knowing I couldn’t see her whenever I wanted. When Curtis and Alyssa finally broke apart, I walked over to him and offered him my hand as a peace offering.
He stared at it for a beat before shaking it with his own.
“Don’t worry, sir. I’ll be there for them both.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alyssa smile before darting off to give Ruth a hug goodbye.
“You’d better be, son,” Curtis whispered venomously the moment she was out of earshot. “Or you’ll have me to deal with. I won’t have you hurt her again.”
His hand tightened around my own. Before he could hurt me though, I responded in kind. We shook hands for a few seconds longer than was strictly necessary, both tightening our grip as much as we could. I was certain his hand would be aching as much as mine when we finally let go. I vowed to myself that I would make him trust me and when I had, I’d make him eat his words.
The visit with Josh and Ruby had gone much the same way. Truthfully, I would have been happier to have avoided it altogether, but I sucked it up for Alyssa. Instead of tempting fate, I stayed outside in the car. The temperature was well over forty, and hotter still inside the car, but it was better than the icy reception waiting inside. Not that it mattered when the goodbyes spilled out onto the front lawn and Josh shot pointed gazes and a shouted warning at me from his
With a nod, I stood. Once I had, I dipped to press a few small kisses onto Alyssa’s cheek, partly because I wanted to remind her that I loved her, but mostly to rub Curtis’s face in the fact that she’d chosen me.
I followed Ruth into the room we’d been staying in. Everything we’d been using temporarily was packed into the back of the Prado, so it was back to looking like Alyssa’s old bedroom—except without the personality of her photos and mementos. After glancing around the room, I looked down at Ruth and saw the tears on her face.
“Hey, now, what’s up?” I asked, as softly as I could. I reminded myself that regardless of how Curtis reacted to me and Alyssa being together, Ruth had been in my corner. She at least was happy about my reunion with Alyssa.
“It’s just sinking in that she’s really going. I won’t be able to just pop in to see her anymore.”
“Sydney’s not that far away, and there’s always Skype, and phone calls,” I said, trying to cheer her up a little. “And emails.”
“You’ll look after them, won’t you?” She looked at me pleadingly.
“With my life.” Every word was sincere. I wouldn’t let anything hurt either of my girls. I’d made enough mistakes where both of them were concerned.
She nodded. “Thank you.”
She pulled me down to her, wrapping her arms tightly around me. In that moment, she was a mother saying goodbye to her son. For me, it was the goodbye I hadn’t been able to say to my own mother.
“Ruth?” I asked, my voice soft and filled with the emotions roiling inside me.
“What is it, sweetie?” she asked.
“When Mum comes back, can you make sure that she’s not alone?” I couldn’t bear the thought of Mum returning to her old life since she’d been freed from my cheating fucking bastard of a father. I didn’t want to think of her going back to him, or worse sitting around an empty house consumed by her loneliness.
“Of course,” she said before pulling me into one final embrace.
We walked back into the kitchen to find Alyssa and Curtis in a tight embrace of their own. Phoebe was on the floor, switching between their legs.
Alyssa’s eyes were closed, but it was easy to see she’d been crying. “I’m going to miss you too, Daddy,” she whispered.
In that instant, I had a moment of crystal-clear clarity. Despite the fact that I’d only been in her life for a short time, I couldn’t imagine losing Phoebe. Even if she was an adult, it’d be hard to say goodbye. It would be impossible knowing I couldn’t see her whenever I wanted. When Curtis and Alyssa finally broke apart, I walked over to him and offered him my hand as a peace offering.
He stared at it for a beat before shaking it with his own.
“Don’t worry, sir. I’ll be there for them both.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alyssa smile before darting off to give Ruth a hug goodbye.
“You’d better be, son,” Curtis whispered venomously the moment she was out of earshot. “Or you’ll have me to deal with. I won’t have you hurt her again.”
His hand tightened around my own. Before he could hurt me though, I responded in kind. We shook hands for a few seconds longer than was strictly necessary, both tightening our grip as much as we could. I was certain his hand would be aching as much as mine when we finally let go. I vowed to myself that I would make him trust me and when I had, I’d make him eat his words.
The visit with Josh and Ruby had gone much the same way. Truthfully, I would have been happier to have avoided it altogether, but I sucked it up for Alyssa. Instead of tempting fate, I stayed outside in the car. The temperature was well over forty, and hotter still inside the car, but it was better than the icy reception waiting inside. Not that it mattered when the goodbyes spilled out onto the front lawn and Josh shot pointed gazes and a shouted warning at me from his
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