‘I don’t believe it,’ Daisy whispered. ‘My head won’t let me think it’s true.’
‘It’s true.’ He felt the emotion of the moment, delighted still at the choices he and Lisa had made to provide for their kids in this way.
‘Thank you.’ Daisy looked a little overwhelmed. ‘Just, thank you!’ She ran over and hugged first him then her mother. ‘I can’t believe it!’ she repeated.
‘This changes so much for me, my whole future.’ Jake shook his head. ‘I don’t know what to say.’ His voice faltered, overcome with emotion as he placed his hand over the lower half of his face.
It was the reaction Marty had dreamed of – his kids’ appreciation of this act that would give them so much freedom. It felt as good as he had always imagined it might.
‘You could have spent the money on this house.’ Daisy blinked.
‘We could, but we’re safe, warm and happy, and besides, if we tarted this house up, what would all the neighbours have to talk and complain about?’ He winked.
‘I own a flat!’ Daisy swiped at the tears that trickled down her face.
‘You do, love,’ Lisa confirmed. ‘We should do some work here though.’ She looked around the kitchen like she was seeing it for the first time. ‘A lick of paint.’
‘I’d love to make the garden nice!’ Daisy spoke up.
‘That would be great.’ Lisa smiled at her. ‘Maybe later we can go into the garden and pull up some of those weeds. Maybe we could plant some of the flowers you talk about?’
‘We can.’ Daisy looked like she might burst. ‘I’d love that, Mum. I’d love it so much! And maybe we could write that letter to the council about the tree.’
It didn’t surprise him that their daughter might want to adopt this cause.
‘We could.’ Lisa held her daughter’s gaze and there was promise in the exchange; he just hoped it was made in earnest.
‘We can certainly get started.’ Marty felt motivated by the momentum. ‘I’ve let things slide over the last three years, given up a little on the house, but we owe it more than to let it decline like this. So I promise to get going, watch less telly of a weekend, drink less cider of an evening, and I’ll dust off my paintbrushes.’
‘I can help you,’ Jake piped up, his eagerness confirming that it was a good idea.
‘I own a flat!’ Daisy shouted suddenly, the air around her crackling. ‘I own a flat!’
‘I own a flat!’ Jake matched her, rising from his chair and he lifted his sister up and the two danced on the spot, spinning and twirling with infectious joy.
Marty knew he would never forget the moment, the look on their faces or the feeling that he and Lisa had done something incredible for their children. It made it all worth it: the early starts, the extra shifts, the cold mornings, the tiredness ... it was all worth it.
‘I love you,’ his wife whispered.
The words hovered below the din and landed in his chest. ‘And I love you, always have, always will.’
‘I guess’ – Jake put his sister down and leaned next to her by the sink – ‘I guess that as we’re having this heart to heart, it’s as good a time as any to share something with you guys.’
Marty stared at his son, who had gone a little pale.
‘What is it, mate? You know there’s nothing you can’t say to us. We love you.’
Jake nodded. ‘And I ...’ He looked at his feet and exhaled, as if the words were hard to sound. ‘I love you guys.’
Daisy looked quizzically at him and pulled a face, as if to let him know that she was clueless as to the big news.
‘I’m gay.’ Jake bit his bottom lip, his voice quavering. ‘I’m gay! That’s it.’
Marty stared at his son, his heart fit to burst. ‘Is that your news?’
‘Yep.’ Jake nodded, his chest rose and fell in an exaggerated fashion, as if he might be close to panic.
‘Oh, love, we’ve known that for a long time. I mean, I don’t want to burst your bubble or spoil your moment, but we just thought you assumed we knew, and we assumed you knew we knew.’ He spoke the truth; having thought how he might respond if ever Jake decided to clarify what to him and Lisa was a given.
