“I can’t believe they’re back together,” Maisie said. “After everything that happened. I mean I didn’t really know them that well, but it was all anyone in that social circle we were in could talk about.”
“Yeah it was a pretty shit time,” I sighed. “It impacted on us all.”
Maisie’s face coloured slightly and I knew she was thinking about why I’d called things off with her.
“They’re good now though,” I replied, moving the conversation on. “Brilliant in fact.”
“I know it’s nothing to do with me, but did he cheat? I mean I can’t imagine it, but for Amy to just leave like that.”
I shook my head. “Nope, he never would’ve done that to her. Lauren Procter set it all up at that party we were all at, plus she’d fucked with Amy’s head for years, trying to take Elijah from her and coming on to him all the time.”
“What a bitch.” Maisie said, her eyes wide in shock. “How did they find out she set them up?”
“Yeah she was and they don’t actually know.”
“What?” She put her knife and fork down and settled back in her chair.
“I bumped into Lauren a few years back, not long after they’d had Bella. She told me everything.” I carried on eating, watching the look of shock develop on Maisie’s face.
“You’ve never told them?”
“Don’t see the point in raking it all up. They’d sorted themselves out and were happy. Knowing she cost them five years of a life together won’t change anything, it might just make them feel like shit again. Amy knows now she was wrong to run and should have listened to him, but like I said, Lauren had pecked at her head for years and Amy was grieving, so I guess her actions were understandable to a point.”
“She was grieving?” Maisie’s eyes were bright with emotion as she placed a hand over her heart.
“They lost a baby a few months earlier.”
“Oh my god, that’s awful, I didn’t know that. Poor Amy and Elijah.” She leaned forward and placed a hand on my forearm. “No wonder he was in such a state and then I come along and lay my news on you. Shit, Sam, your head must have been battered by it all.”
I shrugged, realising that there was some truth in what she was saying, but my actions toward Maisie were purely based on what had happened to me when I was eighteen; but that was something I couldn’t talk about to her.
“It was hard like I said, but honestly Maisie, how I was with you was all on me – I was a selfish prick.”
“Was a selfish prick,” she said, grinning and removing her hand from my arm. “Does that mean you’re not now?”
I considered her question and really wanted to give her an answer that wouldn’t disappoint, but wasn’t sure I could. Spending one night listening to music with Frankie and sleeping next to him to make him feel safe didn’t really make me unselfish or father of the year.
“I’m trying not to be,” I replied and put the final forkful of breakfast into my mouth.
“I suppose that’s something,” Maisie muttered as she stood up. “Would you like a coffee or a tea?”
“Tea would be great.”
As Maisie picked up my plate, I sat back and rubbed at my full belly.
“Hey,” a voice called from the doorway. “You didn’t wake me.”
I turned in my seat as Maisie looked over her shoulder to see Frankie standing there rubbing at his sleepy eyes. His hair was sticking up in about seven different directions and one pyjama leg was pulled up over his knee.
“Sorry buddy,” I said. “You were well away and I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“It’s really early Frankie.” Maisie walked to him and pulled him into a hug. “How come you’re awake?”
Frankie pulled away from her and came and sat at the table. “I’m hungry and when you’re keeping watch you only sleep for a little while. You’ve always got to be alert.” He tapped his temple close to his eye and nodded sagely. “And I needed a wee.”
Maisie and I both snorted out a laugh.
“Can I have porridge and toast please, Mum?” Frankie asked, seemingly unaware that we found him amusing.
