“It was quite a large argument. I am not sure that love will be enough to fix things between us.” Adrian swallowed.I should never have given into this in the first place.“Perhaps it would have been better if we were not in love. Love seems rather more trouble than it is worth.”
“What a silly thing to say! You love me – is that too much trouble?” Melody put her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowed.
Adrian massaged his neck, the knot in it seeming to solidify rather than abate as he did it.I am too old to be sleeping in chairs.“Of course not, but you are my daughter. And my love for Natalie, well… It is a different kind of love.”
“I know that, but it is still love. And love is what brings colour to the world.” Melody shrugged.
He canted his head towards his daughter. “Is that what Nanny Green told you?”
“That is what Daphne says. And I think she is right.” Melody gave him a surveying look, so like his own that it was easy to forget that she was not his child by blood. “You are more colourful with Mother around and I like it.”
“I can still wear bright colours if you Mother is not here.” Adrian pointed out.
His daughter looked at him as though he had suggested that the sky was purple rather than blue. “It is not about what you wear, silly! It is about what you are like! You are brighter and smiley and altogether more colourful.”
Adrian said nothing. He had not realised just how much attention his daughter paid to his mood. In truth, he had not realised just how right she was.I have been a complete and utter fool.
“Natalie does make things rather more colourful. But I managed before, I will just have to manage again.” Adrian rolled out his shoulders. “Grey is a rather inoffensive colour.”
“Grey is a boring colour. No one likes grey.” Melody shook her head. “Do you really want to go back to grey?”
“No.” Adrian whispered.
Something inside him broke, and he felt a wave of despair wash over him. The colour had vanished, and he had no idea how to get it back.
“But it does not matter what I want. She is gone, and there is nothing I can do about it.” His voice broke.
“I think this is why Nanny says men are not very clever with emotions.” Melody gave him a look full of sympathy and then brightened. “But that is quite all right because I am here to help you Father!”
Adrian smiled wryly. “I am not sure you can help me.”
“We shall see about that.” Melody clambered up onto the bed beside him, studying his face intently. “You do want mother to come back, do you not?”
“Yes.” He wanted to explain that it did not matter what he wanted, because she did not want to come back, but the words only sounded like Natalie’s voice in his head and he could not get them past his lips.
“Good, because I do too. You are much more fun when she is here. And I like having a mother. She smells nice and makes me laugh.” Melody wriggled on the bed, clearly trying to get more comfortable as she looked back up at him.
Adrian did not trust himself to speak, so instead he listened nodded his agreement.
“Let me look in my mind library. Like you taught me. I am sure there is something that can help. ” Melody furrowed her brow, tapping her fingers against her temples and mouthing to herself as she did.
His heart swelled as his daughter looked at him full of pride, or at least the pieces of it did. She beamed at him and put her little hand over his, her fingers only just managing to clasp onto two of his.
“When we argue with people we love, it is important we apologise. Have you tried apologising?” Melody canted her head towards him.
“I am not sure she would believe me, even if I did.” Adrian could remember the look of betrayal on her face.I broke her trust.
Melody threw up her hands in exasperation, as though she were dealing with a particularly slow-witted student. “That is why you have to make her believe you! Apologies are more than just words. They are your actions. Anyone can say ‘I am sorry’. You have toshowher that you are, that is what Nanny always tells me.”
Adrian gaped at his daughter. Her words hit him like a slap in the face.Show her.Natalie had said she did not trust him. She had said he could say anything he liked, but his actions told a different story.How does my eight year old know more about the ways of the world than I do?
“It is okay that you do not know how to apologise Father, Nanny says men are taught as boys but they forget when they grow old.” Melody gave his forearm a reassuring pat. “It is lucky you have me really.”
“It truly is.” Adrian ran a hand through his hair.
“The other thing with apologies, is that you are not trying to convince someone to do what you want. You are trying to earn their forgiveness.” Melody explained. “That is also how you show that you mean it. Because if you are apologising just because you want them to do something, people tend to see through it. Like when Arthur apologised to Daphne because he wanted to sit in the best seat and Daphne refused to accept it because she knew he just wanted to get his way.”
Melody tapped a finger on her lips. “People do not like to be controlled and the more you control them, the angrier they get.”
