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He hesitates. He’s as tall as me, strong and imposing, but he doesn’t look quite himself either today. “Yeah, well,” he says, “you’re not a boy anymore. You have the right to call yourself whatever you want.”
He moves back. Not sure what to say, I take Heidi’s hand and bring her forward. “Dad, this is Heidi.”
I’m not sure how he’s going to greet her. The last time we spoke, he accused me of throwing away my career for a woman, and I hope he’s not about to accuse her of leading me astray.
But he takes her hand in his, and shakes it warmly. “Heidi, it’s lovely to meet you. You seem to have won my boy’s heart.”
“Oh.” She flushes. “That’s a nice thing to say.”
“I hear you’re a schoolteacher in the UK,” he says, leading her toward the sofas. “I’ve always thought it must be such a rewarding job, teaching.”
“Oh definitely,” she says, “especially with the young children who aren’t used to being away from their mothers. It’s great to see them gain their independence.”
He asks her about the curriculum over there and, seeing she’s comfortable with him, I leave her to it and go out into the kitchen.
Mum is leaning against the worktop, waiting for the coffee machine to fill one of the cups. She smiles as I walk up. “Hello, my darling,” she says. I hug her again, and she slides her arms around my waist. “I’ve missed you,” she murmurs.
“Is everything all right?” I ask. “You and Dad seem… different.”
She rests her cheek on my shoulder. “Ah, it’s been a bit of a difficult week.”
“Why? What happened?”
She sighs. “I wasn’t going to tell you.”
“Mum, come on. It’s clear something’s bothering the two of you.”
After a moment, she lifts her head. She studies my shirt, brushing out an imaginary crease. “He admitted he’s been having an affair with his secretary.”
Shocked, I can only stare at her as she moves back.
“I know you knew about it,” she says quietly.
“I didn’t know,” I say, just as softly. “I guessed. It’s over?”
She nods. “She’s left the company.” She presses her lips together, obviously fighting against showing her emotion.
I hug her again. “I’m so sorry. You should have called me.”
“Ah, it’s something a man and woman have to sort out between themselves. He wants us to stay together. He says he’s determined to make it work.” She moves away and changes the cups in the machine.
“How do you feel about it?” I ask, still reeling.
“He’s been very different. Mainly since he spoke to Peter Huxley after Heidi returned.”
My eyebrows rise. “Seriously?”
“Yes. Peter admitted what he’d done… striking Heidi.” She gets some milk from the fridge. “Peter admitted he thought he’d lost her, and Oliver, too. He cried on the phone. Julian was so shocked.”
“Jesus. I didn’t know that.”
“He told me that evening. It all came spilling out. About his affair with Sarah. And your argument on the phone when you were in England. I don’t think it ever occurred to Julian that a father could lose his kids. That they might not want to see him anymore. He’s so proud of you. But he knows he’s been hard on you. We both have. We wanted so much for you, so we pushed you and pushed you… And you’ve exceeded our expectations a hundredfold. You’ve done so well. But at what cost? We know we’ve alienated you.” She presses her fingers to her mouth.
“Aw, Mum, come on, you’ve not alienated me. I’m so grateful for all the encouragement you’ve both given me, and all the opportunities I’ve had. I wouldn’t have gotten where I am if it wasn’t for both of you.”
She rubs her nose. Then she gives me a bright smile. “Heidi is a lovely girl.”
“She is. Mum, I’m going to move to England to be with her, for a couple of years to start with.”
