‘Willow says you need more sticks,’ Everly explains.
‘Um. . .’
‘No more sticks or blusher,’ says Holly in a calm, authoritative voice. ‘Why don’t you guys get your stuff together, it’s nearly time to go.’ The girls race off to collect a frisbee and a pile of berries from all corners of the park while my heart sinks. I don’t want this moment to end.
‘Thank you so much for coming,’ Holly says.
I shake my head. ‘Thank you for inviting me. Those girls are. . . They’re awesome. I’d love to see them again. And you.’
Well blow me down, Brenda. Holly looks as surprised as I feel but her whole face is radiating happiness as she pulls me in for a hug.
‘It’s been so good to see you again. Listen, I didn’t want to say in front of the girls but Paul’s coming to meet us here soon. I wanted to warn you, I figured you might not want to see him or. . .’ She trails off awkwardly, her face bunched up in concern.
I whistle air out through my teeth. Paul. The dad I haven’t seen since I was eighteen.
‘It’s okay,’ I say with a nod. ‘We’ve actually been in touch. I messaged him while I was working in Dublin and suggested that we meet up when I got back. I guess now’s as good a time as any?’
‘He would love that, if you’re sure?’
Am I sure?
Willowwaddles back over and stuffs something worryingly wet into my hand. ‘BE-WEE. SIS-AH.’
‘A berry for my sister,’ Holly translates.
I look down at the little one. She’s already the best thing in my life and I’ve only known her for forty-six minutes.
‘I’m sure.’
There was a picture up at home. . . A black frame with white boarding. Inside, a photo of me and Dad when I was just weeks old. He’d taken me to an exhibition of his work and in the photo he’s standing next to his favourite piece from that collection, a glass of wine in one hand and tiny baby me in another. I’m wrapped up in a blanket and snoozing on his shoulder while people milled around in the background. Dad was my best friend and my source of inspiration from the minute I was born. It was because of him that I wanted to get into art. He bought me my first camera and he had unparalleled belief in me. I couldn’t look at that photo after Dad left so Mum took it down.
I’m wondering if she’s still got it when Willow starts to clap.
‘DA-DEEE.’
And there he is.Mydaddy, too.
My face crumples and I let out a sob. He’s seen me and he’s rushing over, his own face doing the exact same crumply thing as mine because he always was a big softie. I’m engulfed in a hug and I nestle my ear to his chest, listening to his heartbeat and smelling that familiar dad smell I’ve missed for so long.
I don’t know how long we’re standing like that but after a while Willow squeezes herself into the gap between us. Then Everly wraps her arms around Dad’s waist and Hollydoes the same behind me. I look up past Dad’s face, to the blue skies above, and I swear I can see a ball of Jasmine-shaped anger floating up, up and away until POP, it bursts.
‘You are shitting me.’
‘I am not.’
‘And your dad, did he apologise?’
‘Yes, once we both remembered how to speak. After that he couldn’t stop apologising.’ The tears are close again but I blink them back. ‘The funny thing was, I didn’t even feel like I needed to hear it. All that anger, all that hate, and for what? It was good to see him again.’
Mila hands me a small card with a name written on it in her beautiful handwriting. ‘How many more to go?’
‘Another thirty should do it.’
‘If you weren’t my best friend I’d be charging you for this,’ she says.
‘I am eternally grateful for your help. This is the first magazine commission I’ve had and I thinkThe Wedding Editis a pretty fancy mag?’
Mila looks at me like I’m stupid. ‘Haven’t you read it?’
