‘You saved our lives, Johnny. If you hadn’t insisted on getting us all out of that beach hut, we would have been covered by the wall collapsing. We got out in the nick of time. I’ll never be able to thank you enough. It’s not just Jamie I owe a huge debt to.’
‘Calliope?’
‘Yes?’
The voice from the corridor got louder. ‘Nurse, if you won’t allow us all in, then kindly show me, as hismother,which bed my son is in.’
‘Nothing.’ He grimaced in frustration.
Callie stared longingly into his eyes, wondering if she’d ever see him again. ‘Thank you, Johnny. For everything.’ She slipped out, sneaking past the Starling clan who were so busy haranguing at the nurses’ station that they did not see her.
Turning into the main corridor, she went in search of Frida and Sunil.
Sunil drove them all back to Sea Haven House, with Frida stretching her injured leg out along the back seat. He helped Callie get her up the cottage’s steep stairs to bed and then Callie undressed her daughter and cleaned her up as best she could with a flannel. Stripping off her own, still damp clothes, she pulled on a warm, comforting tracksuit. The beautiful red dress with the sequinned embroidery and her silk vest and jeans would never be the same. That they’d been the only casualties, Callie was immensely grateful. Tucking Frida in tenderly and leaving her to sleep, she returned downstairs.
She took a deep breath and addressed Sunil. He was standing at the French windows staring at the garden. Apart from a few branches down and raindrops jewelling the leaves in the sunshine, it was as if last night’s storm had never happened. ‘Sunil, I’m sorry.’
He turned and came to her reaching out for her hands. ‘You have nothing to be sorry for. We were children, Callie. You were trying to escape a difficult upbringing. I wanted to please my parents more than be there for you and my…’ he paused and swallowed painfully, ‘…baby.’
‘I’m so sorry that you think I lied to you. I didn’t. At that time. I was certain I’d go through with the termination. It was only later, when you’d disappeared, I don’t know, something inside me felt as if my baby was all I had left in the world. I suspected Mum and Dad wouldn’t go as far as throw me out and they didn’t – but as I began to get bigger and they couldn’t ignore it any longer I think the reality of the situation dawned on them. How could they ever face the neighbours with an illegitimategrandchild?’ Callie said sarcastically. ‘And even worse in their eyes, a mixed heritage child.’
Sunil led her to the sofa and they sat down. ‘What did they do?’
Callie pulled a face and then went on, matter-of-factly. ‘They gave me a sum of money. Made it clear it was my share of the inheritance and I should expect nothing more. I put a deposit down on a house. In St John’s. You probably remember it? Nice part of Worcester. Bit studenty but okay. Donna’s dad guaranteed the mortgage, for which I’ll be forever grateful.’
He nodded.
‘My parents said if I took the money and kept the baby instead of letting her go for adoption, it was the end of any relationship we had. It was too late by then for any other choice; I couldn’t go through with it anyway, and I knew I could never give Frida up for adoption so I chose to go it alone.’
‘It must have been hard.’
Callie nodded. ‘It was at first. But I had good friends. I kept in touch with Donna and she’s been amazing.’
Sunil smiled. ‘Vivek always said she was too bossy. And he was too bossy too.’ He chuckled. ‘It would never have worked out between them.’
‘Possibly.’ Callie gave him a searching look. ‘What about you and me? If life had taken us another path, do you think we could have made a go of it?’
‘I think part of me will always love you, Callie. As, indeed, I love Frida.’
‘I think that too.’ She paused, too overcome by emotion to speak. ‘Thank you for loving her.’ Clearing her throat, she continued. ‘And I’m so sorry about being such a mardy cow to you last night. I was,’ she screwed up her face, ‘a bit stressed.’
He shook his head, dismissing her apology. ‘It’s nothing. Don’t worry. I fully deserved everything you said to me. Vivekalways says I’m like a headless chicken in a crisis. You should have seen me when my children were born. Didn’t know what to do. There was Lina lying on the couch doing her breathing exercises and I went into complete panic mode. All three times!’
‘Your family!’ Callie exclaimed, putting a hand to her mouth. ‘You’d better get back to them. They’ll be wondering where you are.’
‘I rang Lina. She understands. She’s a good woman. I’ve been lucky. I hope, when you feel the time is right, that you’ll meet her. She wants to get to know Frida, as do the children. But we’ll take it slowly. Feel our way. It’s uncharted territory for all of us.’
‘It is. But I’d like that.’
‘Then we’ll do it. When the time is right.’ He paused, and then went on, choosing his words carefully. ‘And, Callie, I’d like to help Frida out. With university fees. She mentioned a course she’s interested in.’
‘Sunil, I–’
‘Please let me. Vivek is the one who’s made the millions, but I’ve not done too badly myself. I can afford it and Lina agrees. It’s right that I help my daughter.Ourdaughter. I plan to put the other children through university. And if they don’t want to go, I’ll have strict words with them as to why not.’ He laughed. ‘So, what I do for them, I do forallof them.’
Guilt warred with gratitude. It was hard, when you’d been the only one who had had responsibility for so long, to relinquish that role. But the freedom that beckoned was dizzying. Selfishly the thought occurred that, if Frida’s fees were paid, maybe she could drop some teaching hours, or even do something else? ‘Sunil, are you sure?’
He leaned back. ‘I’m absolutely sure. I wouldn’t offer otherwise.’
