He raised a brow. “She wasn’t always in my good books, you know that. The main thing is she realised she was wrong and that Elijah loved her, and I’m sure Maisie will too.”
“Love,” I scoffed. “I’m not sure she’d say that.”
“Why not, you love her don’t you?”
My heart beat thundered in my ears as I thought about what he’d said. Love was a strong word and a powerful feeling and I wasn’t sure I’d ever truly felt it. Looking back Ali had actually been an infatuation. I loved my family and Frankie, but was I in love with Maisie – I wasn’t sure I was worthy of feeling such an emotion about her.
“I…um…I don’t know about that.”
He waved a dismissive hand at me. “Of course you do you big idiot. Your head just needs time to catch up with your heart.”
“Shit, Dad, when did you get so profound?” I asked around a nervous laugh.
“When I became a father. The same will happen to you too.”
I looked at him carefully, noticing the wrinkles at his eyes and the greying hair at his temples and it struck me how I barely ever told him I loved him. He was a quiet man who stood by my mum whatever crusade she was on. He’d provided for us all our lives, never once complaining that he was tired or that we were a burden to him and when we’d grown into men he’d always shown us respect, and I had never known him to ask for anything from any of us in return.
“I love you Dad.” I got up out of my chair and went to him, leaned down and kissed the top of his head. “Thank you for everything and if I’m half the father you are, I’ll be doing a great job.”
He looked up at me with emotion swimming in his eyes and smiled. “I think you’re already doing that son. That boy already adores you and that’s not because you’re his dad, but because you’re a great man.”
Dad stood, kissed my forehead and then left me to my own thoughts and because of him, I was more determined than ever that I was going to do everything I could to make a family as great as the one that James Cooper had.
Maisie
the present
“Do your parents know about Sam?” Yvetta, Sam’s mum asked as we sat at the dining room table with Amy, the three of us drinking wine.
“Yes, they do. They were a little cautious about him at first, but the fact that Frankie never stops talking about him has gone a long way to making them feel better about it.”
“Have they met him yet?” Amy paused from topping my wine up, waiting for my answer.
“They have, but not exactly in a nice relaxed situation. It was kind of a fraught situation with my ex.”
Yvetta frowned at me, but I waved her away as Sam and I had agreed today wasn’t the right time to mention Josh taking Frankie. That could wait for another day.
“It was nothing, but Sam still has to meet my sister and I think Dad and Mum would like a chance to talk to him properly, so I’m sure we’ll be going to their house in the near future.”
“So he still has to enter the Lion’s den, so to speak.”
Yvetta joked, but I could see the worry lines etching her face. Sam was her son, so I totally understood her concern.
“They’ll be fine,” I replied.
“I wouldn’t blame them if they weren’t. He’s my son and I love him, but he was wrong in what he did to you and Frankie. They’ve every right to be angry with him.”
“He’s changed, Yvetta,” Amy said, moving to fill up her mother-in-law’s glass. “It’s taken a while admittedly, but he’s realised he did wrong.”
“It’s just not like him, Amy. He’s normally so responsible.” Yvetta sighed.
“The main thing is, he’s in Frankie’s life now, isn’t that right Maisie?”
Amy gave me a sideways glance and I wondered if she knew about Sam’s swimming coach and what had happened.
“Yes,” I replied. “As long as he does right by Frankie that’s all I can ask of him. He never lied to me when we were younger, I knew he didn’t want to be a dad, but he always provided for him.”
“He did?”
