Twenty-six
When Rachel awoke next morning, it took her a few minutes to remember. Then it came back to her – Alexander, and his surprise, not a partner, but a little girl, Verity. They’d eaten with very little conversation. Her normally laid-back son seeming distraught, the poor little girl overwhelmed, as well she might be, arriving in a strange house, in a foreign country, after a long plane trip, merely saying ‘yes’ and ‘no’ and hiding her face in Alexander’s chest. Even Molly’s attempts to make friends went unheeded. Then Alexander put Verity to bed, disappearing himself soon after, claiming he was too tired and would explain everything in the morning. Too wired to sleep, Rachel had sat up with a glass of wine trying to figure out what it was all about. Alexander was clearly Verity’s father. The little girl was the image of photos of Rachel at that age – she’d always regretted neither her daughters nor her granddaughters had inherited her red hair. But who was Verity’s mother, and where was she?
Sighing, Rachel rose and dressed, before heading to the kitchen where Molly was awake and ready for her walk. Since there was no sign of Alexander or Verity – she’d agreed to Alexander’s request they share a room – Rachel decided to take Molly to the beach.
The heat of the day was already making itself felt and she was glad it was still early enough to make it pleasant to walk along the sand. This morning, to her disappointment, there was no sign of Luke and Nelson.
It was peaceful, strolling along at the edge of the water, the only sounds in the still morning the cries of the seagulls and the whoosh of the waves. It gave Rachel time to think, time to digest Alexander’s surprise. Verity was indeed a surprise, one she had never anticipated. And, typical of Alexander, he’d gone off to bed leaving her without any explanation. The little girl was three, a little younger than the twins, one of the few pieces of information she’d managed to elicit at dinner. The twins… how would they react to meeting her? It suddenly dawned on Rachel that she’d been prepared for the arrival of the woman in her son’s life, not a child, and it was Christmas tomorrow. She’d need to find time to shop for presents for the little girl. How could Alexander have been so insensitive as to just turn up with a daughter in tow at this time of year? She sighed. Verity was a lovely little thing. But to drag her all the way here, then back to England was pretty unfair. Why hadn’t he prepared Rachel for this, why had he kept her existence secret for so long? And where was her mother?
Without coming to any conclusion and having walked to the end of the beach and back, Rachel called to Molly and they went back up the steps to the house.
Alexander was in the kitchen making coffee. ‘Hey, Mum,’ he said, bending down to ruffle Molly’s ears, the little dog having immediately abandoned Rachel and gone to rub herself against his ankles.
‘Sleep well?’ Rachel asked, as she filled Molly’s bowls.
‘Not really.’ The bags under his eyes which she’d noticed the previous evening seemed to indicate he hadn’t slept well for some time. ‘Verity’s still out for the count.’
‘About Verity…’
‘Yeah. Coffee?’
‘I prefer tea in the morning. I can make it.’ Rachel could see it was going to take Alexander some time to explain his daughter to her. She fixed herself a cup of lemon and ginger tea and joined him at the table in the courtyard where he’d taken his coffee. Molly had joined him, having gobbled down her breakfast.
‘Well? I think I need an explanation.’
‘Yeah,’ he said again, sounding distressed. ‘She’s mine… obviously.’
‘Obviously. She’s the image of me at her age. You said she’s three?’
‘She’ll be four in March.’
‘Why did you never tell me about her? Why keep her a secret? Regardless of the circumstances, you know I’d have welcomed the news.’
‘I didn’t find out myself till recently.’ Alexander took a drink of coffee and dragged a hand through his hair.
He looked so like his father, it took Rachel’s breath away. She felt a niggle of guilt which she quickly suppressed. Kirk would approve of her friendship with Luke, even if it became something more.
‘Anthea… we worked together, we were mates, then one night, after a party… It was a one-night stand. Neither of us wanted anything more. Then she left, said she’d decided to go freelance, didn’t tell anyone she was pregnant… It was only the once, Mum.’ He gave Rachel a pleading look, the one he’d always used to get out of trouble.
She waited.
‘Anyway, a few months ago, she got in touch with me. She had breast cancer, stage four. She hadn’t long left. And there was this little girl who was my daughter. Can you imagine? I freaked out. Me, with a daughter? She wanted me to meet her.’
‘Her family?’
‘There’s no one. Her parents died in a car crash when she was nineteen. No siblings. No aunts, uncles, cousins.’
Rachel’s heart went out to this unknown woman.
‘So, I did meet her, get to know her,’ Alexander continued. ‘She’s a bright kid, not usually as quiet as she was last night. It was a long trip and…’
‘The poor child was exhausted, then to bring her into a strange house, meet a strange person. She’d just lost her mother. No wonder she was quiet. Everyone will be here for dinner tonight. I hope it won’t be too much for her. You never guessed…?’
‘How could I?’ Alexander dragged a hand through his hair. Rachel thought he was going to cry. ‘Anthea… she… She never thought of me that way, even though…’ he swallowed, ‘… if I’d known about Verity, I’d have… I missed out on three years of her life. And now Anthea’s gone...’
Rachel could see he was trying hard not to break down. She drew him into a hug. He might be a grown man, a father, but he was still her little boy.
‘Thanks, Mum.’ He pulled away as if embarrassed to have her see him like this. ‘I’ve told her about everyone – you, Jess. Steph, the twins, Emily. She was looking forward to meeting the twins, but since Anthea died, she’s retreated into her shell. It’s as if she can’t understand what happened.’
‘No wonder. The poor little mite.’ Rachel’s eyes moistened. To lose her mother at such a young age, to be thrust into the care of a father she didn’t know, brought across the world to meet a strange family…
A thought occurred to Rachel. ‘You had no trouble getting custody, bringing her to Australia?’
‘Anthea is – was – Australian, so Verity is an Australian citizen. And I’m named as the father on her birth certificate. It was really quite simple. It’s almost as if Anthea knew.’ Alexander gazed into space, a tear in the corner of his eye, and Molly, sensing his distress, got up on her hind legs and put one paw on his knee.
‘Sounds as if she cared for you… and you her?’
‘We worked together, were good mates, often had a drink together, a few laughs, talked about home. She was a great girl.’
At that moment, there was the patter of tiny feet, and Verity ran out of the door and flung herself against Alexander, turning to stare at Rachel.
Molly immediately began to lick Verity’s bare feet, triggering a tiny laugh.
‘I’m hungry, Daddy,’ Verity said into Alexander’s chest, her voice muffled.
‘Good morning, Verity,’ Rachel said gently. ‘I’m your grandma. Do you remember meeting me last night? And this is Molly,’ she added as Molly made her presence felt.
Verity nodded.
‘Would you like me to make you some breakfast?’
The little girl nodded again.
‘I have two other granddaughters close to your age. They like my banana pancakes when they have a sleepover. Would you like me to make some for you?’
Verity nodded again.
‘Good.’
‘I’ll have some too, Mum,’ Alexander said, as Rachel rose to go into the kitchen, Molly following in the hope of food.
Once in the kitchen, Rachel couldn’t stop thinking of Verity and what she’d been through. It was difficult enough to lose your mother at any age, but at three, when she was all you’d ever known. Then to be thrust into the care of a father you barely knew, to meet a grandmother you didn’t know existed, in a foreign country, at Christmas… She found herself beating the pancake mix more thoroughly than necessary as her eyes filled with tears.
She was proud of Alexander for stepping up. Some men would have run a mile. But it was the way she and Kirk had brought him up. He’d never been one to shirk his responsibilities, though no one could have predicted this situation. Rachel wondered how he’d cope when they returned to London. Perhaps he’d go freelance, as he said Verity’s mother had. Surely game design lent itself to that? A lot of technology workers seemed to work from home these days, or so she’d read.
By the time the pancakes were ready, Alexander and Verity were already seated at the table. Molly had taken up position below the little girl’s chair, and Alexander had poured Verity a glass of milk and himself another mug of coffee.
When Rachel joined them, Verity observed her warily over the top of the glass of milk. When Rachel placed a pancake on her plate, and Alexander topped it with strawberries and maple syrup, she picked up her fork and began to eat, gazing at Rachel from time to time.
When Verity finished eating, she slipped down from her chair and out of the kitchen, Molly following her like her shadow.
‘She’s sweet,’ Rachel said, ‘but I worry she doesn’t speak.’
‘She will. It’s all very strange to her.’
‘Of course.’ Rachel remembered about the gifts she needed to buy. ‘What do you plan to do today? Since I wasn’t expecting Verity, I don’t have any presents for her, so I need to go shopping. I hate to leave you both when you’ve only just arrived, but she’s lost her mother. She needs to experience a proper Christmas.’
‘Sure, Mum. Do what you have to. I should have thought.’ He paused and shrugged. ‘We can maybe go to the beach or catch up with Jess.’
‘Right. Better forewarn your sister if you plan to drop in.’
‘Will do.’
Rachel stared at her son. He appeared very laid back about his situation, but he could no longer only think about himself as he had done for years. As the only boy in the family, he’d got away with a lot all of his life. Now, there was a little girl to consider. And she did wonder if he’d cared more for Anthea than he was willing to admit.
*
It was almost a relief to Rachel to get out of the house. She’d forgotten how busy the stores would be on Christmas Eve – she had always made sure she shopped well in advance so as to be able to relax as the big day drew near. Luckily, she was able to find toys similar to those she’d already bought for Gemma and Indie, plus a few extra for all three. Then, not quite ready to return home and feeling the need for a pick me up, she popped into Books and Coffee .
‘I’m surprised to see you here today,’ Lou said, when Rachel made her way through the bookshop which was teeming with customers seeking last-minute gifts. ‘Alexander arrive with his surprise?’ She grinned.
‘Quite a surprise,’ Rachel said, then added, ‘Tell you later,’ as another customer appeared to demand Lou’s attention. Why had Rachel thought her friend would have time to listen to her on this, her busiest day of the year?
She purchased a few more books for the girls, then passed through to the coffee shop. It was busy too, but to her delight, Rachel spotted Poppy sitting at a table almost hidden behind the door. She ordered coffee and a strawberry and white chocolate muffin from Ron, who, despite the crowd, kept up his normal bright repartee, then joined her friend.
‘I didn’t expect to see you here today,’ she said, almost repeating Lou’s comment to her. ‘Thought you’d be too busy at the restaurant.’ She knew Poppy liked to be at the restaurant for special occasions.
‘I had a few last-minute gifts to buy,’ Poppy said, ‘but what about you? I thought you’d be busy with Alexander and his new lady.’
‘About that… Thanks, Denny,’ she said, as her coffee and muffin arrived. ‘Alexander’s surprise is a three-year-old daughter called Verity.’ She was glad to be able to share the news with someone, and Poppy would understand her shock.
Poppy’s eyes widened. ‘Wow! And her mother?’
Rachel took a much-needed sip of coffee before repeating much of what Alexander had told her. ‘She’d a dear little thing,’ she said, ‘red hair, just like mine was. I had to come out to buy gifts for her.’
‘Of course you did. How thoughtless of Alexander not to warn you.’
‘Yes. But it is what it is. The poor mite hasn’t said a word since they arrived. I think she’s in shock.’
‘It must seem very strange to her, but she couldn’t be with a better person. Out of all of us, you have the most experience at being a grandmother.’
‘Maybe,’ Rachel sighed, ‘but nothing prepared me for this.’
‘How long does he intend to stay?’
‘I haven’t asked him. It was enough to have to digest the news about Verity. I guess it was a shock to him too, but you know Alexander – he has always been able to come out smelling of roses.’
‘Maybe not this time. A child is quite a responsibility.’
‘I’ve already thought of that. I’m pleased he’s taken it on, but I do wonder what sort of father he’ll make. Having Verity will certainly curtail his social life.’
‘You don’t think…? No, forget it. Will we see you all at the carols tonight?’
‘I hope so. I’m hoping Verity will come out of herself once she’s become used to being here, and when she’s met the twins. I don’t think anyone could remain shy in their presence.’ She chuckled at the thought of the two terrors, wondering if Alexander had dropped in to see Jess, and how it had gone if he had. She hoped Gemma and Indie’s exuberance would evoke some reaction from Verity and wouldn’t send her further into her shell.
‘You’re probably right. I hope so, for your sake, and hers… and Alexander’s. What an interesting Christmas you’re going to have. I’m sorry, Rach. I need to go now. See you tonight.’
‘Sure. And, Poppy, I’m so glad I bumped into you. I needed to tell someone, to get it off my chest. Sharing with you has helped.’
‘No problem.’ Poppy hugged Rachel before leaving.
Apart from Liz, Poppy was the friend most likely to understand how it felt to suddenly have another grandchild – the shock and delight – though each of hers had been expected and eagerly awaited, as had Rachel’s other three granddaughters. She finished her coffee, had the last bite of muffin and picked up her bag. Despite Alexander’s arrival, and the surprise of Verity, she still had a lot to do to prepare for tonight’s dinner and for lunch tomorrow.