‘Shall I get Dad?’
Natalie felt herself weaken at hearing Rachel call that man, Dad. ‘Rachel, please don’t and don’t be scared. I would never hurt you, ever. That’s not why I’ve come.’
Sorrow filled Natalie’s heart. All they ever wanted was a child and Alan had fathered one all along. She should feel resentment at Rachel but all she wanted to do was hug the girl. Everything she had she would have given away to have what Mary had in Rachel.
‘What’s going on, Mum?’ Rachel said again.
Mary stepped forward and pushed Natalie hard. ‘You have to leave. We can talk about this later. You can’t be here right now.’
Natalie opened her mouth but the words weren’t coming out. She glanced back at Rachel, then at Mary, then at the tiny baby in Rachel’s arms – Alan’s grandchild. ‘Your mum has been lying to you all these years.’ Her voice crackled so much, she wondered if the young woman had heard her properly.
‘Mum, why is she here?’
A tear drizzled down Mary’s pink cheek, drawing a wet line through her powdery make-up. ‘Nat, please don’t do this. It’ll ruin us.’
‘She’s…’ It was no good. The moment she said what she came to say, there was no taking it back. Did she really want to ruin everyone around her? Kyle had slipped up with Laura but that didn’t make him a bad father. He loved that girl with all he had and Mary had cheated on him too. That man was going to suffer.
Natalie didn’t recognise herself in the mantelpiece mirror. It was as if she wasn’t present, like she didn’t really exist. What had Mary taken from her? She’d stripped her of her self-worth. Natalie had nothing left to lose, but she couldn’t go through with it.
‘I shouldn’t have come.’ As she went to turn, she knocked the mop out of the bucket spraying soapy water up the wall. ‘Damn, I’m sorry about the mess.’
‘Wait.’ Rachel passed the baby to Mary and caught up with her before she could escape out of the door. ‘What do I need to know?’
‘Rachel, stop it. Let Natalie leave.’
Rachel blocked the exit. ‘Don’t think I don’t know what you and Alan have been up to behind Dad’s back all these years, Mum. Half the town knows. Bethany knows. Daisy knows. All my friends at school knew as it’s been going on forever. This is what it’s all about, isn’t it?’
The baby began to cry and Mary bobbed the restless infant up and down on her hip.
Natalie rested her bottom on a chair. ‘You knew all along.’
Rachel nodded. ‘It’s nothing. What Alan and my mum were up to, it didn’t mean anything, did it, Mum? Please tell me you’re not leaving Dad?’
‘I’m not, love. It was all nothing. Please leave, Nat. You’ve done enough damage.’
She wanted to escape this situation so badly but her legs wobbled with nerves. They were numb to the idea of escaping what needed to be said. If she walked out now, Mary’s life wouldn’t change. There would be nothing to set in motion the release of all the lies that needed to come out.
‘Wait. I’m not stupid. There’s more to this, isn’t there?’ Rachel asked.
‘Are you going to tell her?’ Natalie bowed her head.
‘Tell me what? I need to know what you’re both hiding.’
‘There’s nothing to tell.’ Mary shook her head, a panic-stricken look spread across her face.
Her voice filled the room. ‘Alan is… was your father.’
A tear ran down Mary’s cheek and the baby screamed louder, its little hands reaching for her hair. ‘No, Nat is fixated. She thinks that you might be his but you’re not, love. Kyle is your dad.’
‘But the dates—’ Natalie tilted her head.
‘Kyle is her dad. I did a test and that proved it. You have to go now.’
After everything, Mary still couldn’t utter a true word.
‘Oh yes, the test that you failed to show me the results of. There’s more too. Your mother is hiding loads more secrets. Lies, lies and more lies. Do you remember hearing about the baby that went missing all those years ago? Jessica? She was just a little older than your little one is now, Rachel.’
‘That seriously has nothing to do with Mum, now please leave.’ Rachel moved out of the way and took her crying baby from her mother.
