“Exactly. The buyer’s rushing us, really. If it was up to me, I’d tell him to go screw himself but it’s probably better it being done quickly.” He pushed up his shirt sleeves, tanned even though they hadn’t spent long on holiday. “Are you ready to leave?”
I stretched, tipping my head to try and rid a knot that was building there. “Just about. Are you after me for any reason in particular?”
“I need to go through our wills – they’ll need updating because we don’t have the house any more, but we will have a chunk of change which I think we’re going to put in trust for the grandkids. We were wondering about doing somethingaltogether at Christmas too and Marie wanted to talk to you and Vic about that.”
I nodded, switching off my desktop. I would be doing some work this weekend, but I didn’t need to take the files and I was all set up to work from home. “Sounds good. What were you thinking?”
“Potentially Lapland to see Santa, coming home Christmas Eve and having it in Oxford. I don’t think any of you have any plans yet so we wanted to get in early. I know Rose and Eliza don’t believe in Santa anymore but they’re still young enough to enjoy it.” He smiled, clearly enamoured with the idea himself.
“They’ll believe in Santa if you tell them if they don’t, they won’t get any presents.” Which was what I’d done with Eliza last year when she’d wanted to tell Lucy that Father Christmas didn’t exist. Eliza was not unlike her mother at the same age, which was unfortunate for her, because I’d known exactly how to manage Claire.
Although she probably would’ve disagreed.
“I’ll keep that one up my sleeve. I’ll just call Marie and tell her we’re on our way to yours. Vic wants to order a Chinese.” He picked his phone out of his pocket and stepped outside of my office, which once upon a time had been his.
I finished clearing up, liking my desk to be straight when I left it every night. I double checked there was nothing I really did need for the weekend, although I could always come into the office if there was. It wasn’t the end of the world.
Before I left, I dropped Jackson a quick message.
Me: Mum and Dad are back, round at ours for a take-out and discussing trust funds for the kids and a holiday in Lapland before Xmas. Want to make an appearance?
Jackson: Can do. Shall I bring the kids for a sleepover?
Me: May as well. Bring your cricket pads too. Do you and Van want to stay?
Jackson: Will ask the boss.
Which meant yes. We’d figured out a while ago that having cousins together overnight meant they occupied themselves in the morning. It was almost collective parenting, a big family on speed, and it worked for us. Childcare when you both worked was hard, so we’d created a village between us.
I locked my office door, aware that a couple of junior solicitors were still in the building even though they definitely should be out partying. More than likely they were getting changed to go out. London was a perfect place to be on a Friday night when you were young and single and looking for fun.
I remembered it well but I didn’t miss it.
That thought spurred me on to speed up, signing out of the building and meeting my dad outside who was just finishing his call.
“Marie’s just said Jackson’s coming over too.” He looked at me curiously. “Any reason why?”
I nodded. “Because it needs to be not just me who you discuss this with. I get why you don’t want all of us there, buthaving Jacks around too makes it easier for me.” Dad had form for this, using me as a sounding board, but that could cause resentment with some of my siblings who felt excluded or not heard. In this case, though, they weren’t likely to argue if their kids were getting a trust fund set aside for them, and a Christmas holiday together, but having Jacks around would give another perspective into the logistics of the holiday, likewise Vic and Vanessa.
“Understood,” Dad said and didn’t probe, although I wasn’t sure he did understand.
“How’s Marie? Has she relaxed at all on holiday?” I changed the subject onto the one he liked best.
“Some. She wants the apartment renovated now, or to move to a slightly bigger one, which I think will be the answer. Selling the house is the right thing to do – it’s too big now and underused, but the apartment is a bit small for what we’ll need when we have people staying with us, so we’re going to view some this week.” He inhaled deeply. “You know what she’s like when she gets an idea in her head.”
“Which is why she agreed to marry you less than two weeks after you met.” I had no idea what spell Dad had cast while he was in New York, but it must’ve been pretty potent to rope Marie into taking on the four of us, as well as him.
He nodded. “I’ve never understood why she said yes.”
“We found the photo of when you proposed at the top of the Empire State Building.” I hadn’t looked through them all yet, not sure how I felt about them. When Dad had been in New York, I’d been dealing with being kicked out of school, Jackson and Claire both scared of going in without me and two nannies who didn’t want to be there because we were hell on wheels. He’d obviously had a great time in New York and I’d wished he’d taken us with him. I only knew of the city from films and photos in magazines,but it’d been the place I’d really wanted to visit and our dad was there.
That was a long time ago and I’d almost healed, understanding what’d motivated him more than I ever thought I would. His own father hadn’t been hands on, so Grant Callaghan had no idea how to parent. At least he hadn’t sent us to boarding school and we’d all stayed together.
“That was the second time I proposed.” He stopped outside one of the pubs near the office. “Fancy a quick pint?”
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gone for a pint with just me and him. “I won’t say no.”
We sat near the bar, my father ordering two pints of the guest IPA, which went down easily with the first mouthful.
