The guy was hard work. Noah pushed on. ‘Are you still working offshore?’
His head snapped up. ‘Not today.’
‘But usually?’ Noah had never been one to be thrown by a person’s obvious deflection in a conversation and when it came to Eva’s wellbeing, her safety, her future, he wasn’t about to be steered away from the important facts. ‘Aren’t you some kind of mechanic?’
‘Usually, yes.’ He still didn’t really look at Eva. Perhaps she reminded him too much of Cassie. ‘Sorry, this is all a lot to take in.’ His top lip was sweating; suddenly, he looked more uneasy.
Noah softened, but not too much. ‘I’m sure it’s all been a big shock for you.’
‘Yes… I mean, I never knew about Cassie…’
‘I had no way of contacting you.’ And to be honest, an absent father hadn’t been on his list of priorities when it came to saying goodbye to his sister either.
Eva had stopped fussing but when she dropped her teething ring and Paul made no move to pick it up, it was Noah who grabbed it, rinsed it off in the kitchen and brought it back to her. By which time she was getting fractious again.
‘I’m sorry, I’m new to fatherhood,’ Paul apologised.
For once, Noah felt like the professional parent in comparison.
‘So you’re still working?’ Noah asked.
‘Yup.’
It was painful trying to get information out of this guy. He’d seen the green sports car out front and his first thought – other than that it must have cost a packet, so the man was obviously doing all right for himself – was that it was totally impractical for a baby seat. Was there even any room in the back where Eva would need to go?
Noah smiled back at Eva when she grinned at him, waving her teething ring in the air. ‘When do you go back offshore?’ he asked Paul, suspecting Eva’s teeth weren’t hurting at all but rather she was protesting at this man who had no clue about anyone her age.
‘Dunno yet.’
‘Tell me a bit about yourself and your family.’ A bit of background would be good given he’d never heard much about the guy from Cassie. It might even put his mind at rest.
‘Not much to say, really.’ He handed Eva over as though she was a ball in a game and it was Noah’s turn. And then he asked, ‘How come Cassie gave her to you?’
‘It was what my sister wanted.’
‘So, the father has no rights?’
Now Noah found it hard to keep his cool. ‘Hard to give him any when he buggered off.’
Paul looked about to argue back but reconsidered. ‘I apologise. I’ve made some mistakes along the way.’
Noah took a moment to digest it. ‘And Eva… was she a mistake?’ With this little being in his arms, he felt protective.
‘I didn’t say that.’
‘Good.’ Noah paced across the room with Eva, more for himself than her. ‘Didn’t you feel guilty?’
Mouth full of digestive, Paul pulled a peculiar face, presumably to get the biscuit remnants out from his gums. ‘About leaving the baby?’
‘And Cassie.’
‘Like I said, I had things going on. Life. I didn’t plan to be a dad.’
‘But you’re stepping up now?’ It was a question rather than a statement.
He brushed crumbs from his shirt, showing no regard that they were going all over the furniture. ‘I’d like to get to know my daughter.’
‘You’re welcome to come back again tomorrow perhaps, see her again, maybe in the morning when she’s less tired? I should put her down for a nap soon.’ He had no intention of doing that. All he wanted was to watch her play in the corner on the mat with the sensory pads, the little mirror, watch her bum shuffle her way over to the coffee table and grizzle when she couldn’t get under or over it. He’d lost count of how many times he’d had to rescue her from that situation. He found it frustrating usuallybut right now, he wanted to see it happen so he could help her and embrace her world of discovery.
