‘What, an old man like me, you mean?’ He cocked his head to the side. ‘You know damn well from our chat the other day, I’ve loved and lost along with the best of them. Age is a number, Vic, and never forget that. And with age, comes sage – well, sometimes.’ Jake smiled.
‘I think I may have found my “diamond love”,’ Vic whispered.
‘Really?’ Jake took an intake of breath and sat down on the other armchair.
‘Exactly.’ Vic sniffed. ‘I’ve known him literally five minutes, but he makes me feel alive and attractive and cared for all at the same time. But there’s no way I can be with him.’
‘Why?’ Norman came running in and plonked himself down at their feet.
‘If I tell you something – and I know this is a big ask – will you promise not to tell my mum?’ Victoria realised she sounded like she was eight years old again and had just run inside the galley kitchen to sneak a glass of cold orange squash.
Jake nodded and put his hand on top of hers. ‘I promise.’
‘I’ve just been diagnosed as HIV-positive.’
Saying nothing, he squeezed her hand. After a moment he said, ‘I’m grateful you feel you know you can trust me enough to tell me.’
‘You don’t seem shocked.’ Vic screwed up her face. ‘It’s like you knew already.’
Jake got up and went to the kitchen, so she couldn’t read his face. ‘Nothing shocks me, Victoria. Not anymore. How are you feeling?’
‘I’m fine physically, just struggling with it mentally.’
Jake came back to face her. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’
His face was open and kind. Vic felt a warmth emanate from him that gave her the urge to hug him. Instead: ‘No, no,I’m all talked out. I’m more bothered as to why would Jerico… that’s his name, by the way.’
‘And a mighty fine name, at that!’ Jake enthused. ‘And the phantom weekday kisser, I take it?’
‘Yeah.’ Vic smiled. ‘Why would he want me once he knows I’ve got this?’
‘Because, like everybody else who knows you, he may just see the amazing person that you are. Kind, capable, loving, creative, fun… Need I go on? Or, on the other hand, he might not.’
‘Oh. Thanks for that.’ Vic shook her head.
‘See what you did there? You homed directly in on the negative. We don’t know what other people are thinking, Victoria. We can make up all sorts of things in our head about what they might be, but until we communicate with someone, it’s all our own fabrication. You will do what you will do, whatever anyone else says. But all I can say is, if it is a “diamond love”, then maybe, just maybe, it is worth taking that chance on.’
At that moment, Vic’s phone rang. ‘Who’s that?’ she groaned. Then, on seeing it was Nate, groaned again. ‘Oh, God, I’m so not in the mood for a Nate chat.’ She took a drink of tea. ‘Whilst we are on difficult subjects, I need to talk to you about something else. Something really serious.’
Jake sat down again. ‘That sounds ominous, but before that, do you want to talk more about what’s going on with you?’
‘No. No, I don’t.’ Vic ran her hands through her hair. ‘This is so hard to tell you. And I’m not sure if it is even the right thing to be doing.’
‘Harder than telling me what you just did? Surely not. Come on, Vic. Like I say, nothing shocks me.’
‘Malini received your letter.’
Jake’s hand began to shake. He sat down and put his hand to his head. ‘How on earth do you know this?’
‘She was driving to the airport to fly to England to findyou, with her two-year-old little girl in the car, and was killed instantly in a car crash.’ A look of complete horror swept over his face. ‘She never stopped loving you, Jake.’ Vic had tears pouring down her face now.
‘And her daughter?’ Jake whispered.
‘She survived… And this is the hardest bit to tell you,’ Vic stuttered. ‘The woman I was walking along here with the other day – I think she’s the little girl who was in the car. I think she could be your daughter, Jake.’
Jake took a huge intake of breath. ‘How do you know her?’
‘Her name is Joti. She’s Mum’s neighbour. She showed me a letter from the man she had always thought was her real dad. After his death he wanted her to find you so she was not alone in this world. He selfishly didn’t tell her before he passed, as he lived in Australia and was scared he would lose her, because she used to go home and visit him and his new wife every year, without fail.
