Love: Classified (18 page)

     “Sweetheart!” I exclaimed, holding her close. Her tears and mascara soaked into my shoulder as she wept. “What happened?”

     “I had a row with Mum and I’ve left home for good. I can’t live with her Ginny, she’s such a…”

     “Okay, okay, come in and we’ll talk about it calmly,” I said
, knowing there was no way I would leave now with Daisy. Bree was too unstable to risk it.

     My arm around her shoulders, I steered her
into the family room and sat beside her on the sofa. Daisy had got up and was discreetly standing a distance away.

     “I’ll go,” Daisy mouthed, above Bree’s bent head. “I’ll keep in touch.”

     Daisy let herself out quietly and I turned to my God-daughter.

     “Listen, I’m going to run you a lovely bubbly bath and cook you something good to eat and then we’re going to have a proper talk, okay?” I said to Bree.

    She nodded.

While she was in the bath, with Barney purring on the bath-mat nearby, I quietly rang Peta to assure her that Bree was safe.

     “She stormed out because I won’t let her go on the Pill,” Peta said, crying herself.

     “Don’t worry, I’ll try to talk to her,” I said.

     “Oh my god, and I haven’t even asked you how you are, and your lover boy!” Peta exclaimed. I could see her, snuggling in for a girlie chat, her legs tucked under her in her favourite armchair.

     “Oh don’t ask. I’m so confused. Is love always this hard?”

     Peta clucked sympathetically. “Don’t ask me. I’m no expert. You should be asking Jake and Josie. They’re still happy together after all this time. But I bet they have their moments. Even lovers are individuals, with their own opinions and beliefs.”

    “So how’s work?” I asked, keen to change the subject. I yearned for Magnus so much it ached to talk about him.

     “We all miss you,” Peta said. “It was Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea
last week. You know, the event that raises money for medical research. The standard of food was definitely poorer without your fabulous contributions. And the whole thing wasn’t nearly as much fun. Having said that though my friend, if your love affair turns out to be more serious than you expect, don’t for goodness sake think you owe it to the bosses to come back, okay? You still have tons of leave up your sleeve and you deserve to be happy.”

     “I’ll keep it in mind,” I said, knowing there was no way I’d ever be happy in the way I wanted – with Magnus to cook for three times a day and his gorgeous body all mine. “What about you, and your happiness?” I asked.

     Peta didn’t reply immediately, then said in a quiet voice: “I s’pose what I want more than anything is to be friends with my daughter again and…”

    “And?” I prompted.

     “And,” she said slowly, “I must confess, I’ve been thinking about Josh a lot lately. He rang me out of the blue the other day. He’s in Perth again and I spoke to him just before you called me to ask if Bree’d turned up at his place. I didn’t know she was heading for you. I didn’t even know if you were home, and I guess she just took pot luck. I hate to think what she might’ve done if you weren’t there. Gone to Jake and Josie, I guess. I’d like to see Josh again, although he’s probably plump, balding and wearing glasses after all this time.”

     “You’d see past that
. You’re good at concentrating on what’s on the inside.”

     “If that’s your way of getting a back-handed complement, I’m not jumping at it,” Peta said. “There’s nothing wrong with your outside.”

     “Sssh! I can hear Bree bustling about now,” I said, ignoring Peta’s remark. “She’s had her bath and is probably hungry. I’ll try to put your point of view across so she can at least begin to understand how difficult it must be to be the mother of a teenager.”

     “Thanks Ginny! You’re a gem,” Peta said.

     Bree sprawled on the sofa checking her Facebook page, Barney lying next to her, as I made the finishing touches to her
French toast with whipped cream, maple syrup and berries. Bree wolfed it down, even trailing her fingers across the plate to collect every last morsel. I took advantage of her taking her eyes off Facebook to do this to ask, “So, what’s up?”

     “Mum’s impossible!” she raged, her face twisted in anger.

     “What’s she done?”

    “She
’s just so unreasonable!” she burst out. “She doesn’t understand. She lives in the Dark Ages. I can’t talk to her. I hate her.” Then, with a childish whine and a flash of her blue, long-lashed eyes she added, “Can I live here all the time Ginny? I love it here with you and Barney and the girls.”

     “You can stay as long as you like, but only if you try to meet your Mum half way,” I told her determinedly.

     “What d’you mean?”

     “You have to try to understand her a little bit. Just as she has to try to understand you. You’re her only child and she adores you, Bree. And because she’s had to bring you up on her own, you’re extra special to her. For nearly fifteen years there’s been just the two of you and her bond with you is very strong.”

     “But I’m grown up now and she has to let me do my own thing.”

    “It’s just that she knows there are dangers out there facing teenage girls, specially ones as pretty and enchanting as you. She doesn’t want you to get hurt, that’s all.”

     “That’s exactly why I’m so wild at her. I know there are dangers. I’m not as stupid as she obviously thinks I am. I don’t want to end up like her, with a brat hanging off me.”

     “Bree, that’s not fair. She chose to have you. She was in a relationship and it failed. It wasn’t her fault.”

     Bree seemed to consider this, then turned her attention back to Facebook. Meanwhile, there was another knock on the door, this one sounding tentative, unsure.

     I got up to open it to a middle-aged man I’d never seen before.

     “Hi,” he said sheepishly, “I’m Bree’s Dad.”

     “Josh?” I asked, noticing he was far from plump, balding and bespectacled.

     “Yeah,” he said, shaking the hand I’d extended to him. “And I know you’re Virginia. Peta told me Bree was here. She was frantic when she realised our girl was missing and the first thing she did was call me to find out if she was with me. You probably don’t know, but I contacted Peta a week or so ago, having got back from living overseas. I was overcome with guilt, I must admit.”

     “Why don’t you come in and see her?”

     “Sure, thanks.”

     Josh followed me inside.

     “Bree, there’s someone here for you,” I said to her, hoping she’d turn away from her computer for a minute.

     “Bree?” Josh said nervously.

     “Yeah. Who are you?”

     “Your Dad. I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately and very much wanted to meet you. I’m sorry it’s taken so long, but I’ll make up for it. I promise.”

     “You’re my father?” Bree asked, getting to her feet and walking towards him. “But you’re cool. I didn’t think you’d be cool”

     Josh laughed. It was a deep, delighted laugh. “And you’re a stunner. I never thought I’d have a daughter as stunning as you.”

     Bree hesitated. “Does… does Mum know you’re here?”

    Josh nodded. “She’s happy about you and me getting to know each other. And who knows, Peta and I might reconnect somewhere along the line too.”

     “I’d like that,” Bree said.

     “Why don’t you two go and make yourselves comfortable on the sofa?” I suggested. “You’ve got a lifetime of catching up to do and you don’t want to do it here in the doorway.”

     “Come on,” Bree agreed, leading the way. “Let’s begin.”

     I discreetly left the room to give them some privacy. I needed time alone too. I had to absorb the shock of meeting Josh again, who was every bit as good-looking as he’d been when he swept Peta off her feet more than fifteen years ago. He had an Australian accent overlaid with a pleasant American drawl and he wore his faded levis and red shirt with confidence.

     Most of all I needed time to digest the amazing, earth-shattering things Daisy’d told me about Magnus. About him needing me. Lying back in one of the patio chairs with Barney purring on my lap and the girls safely locked in for the night I felt as if my whole life had been crystallised by Daisy’s words. The only things marring the near perfection of my existence were Bree’s unhappiness and, more than that, Magnus’ depression. Although I thought I might be able to do something about that.

     I let myself rewind the film in my mind – the one that starred Magnus and me in the river at York. But I hadn’t got very far – although I was already wet, just thinking of him – when my reverie was interrupted by Bree and Josh. I raised my eyebrows questioningly to Bree who already seemed calmer in her father’s presence.

     “It’s okay, Ginny,” Bree said, sinking into a chair. Barney immediately transferred himself to her. “After telling me about the last fifteen years, Dad’s been giving the inside knowledge on how teenage boys think. I s’pose Mum was right after all.”

     I laughed. “I know nothing about teenage boys,” I said. “What on Earth did you tell her, Josh?”

     “I can’t believe your memory is that short, Ginny,” Josh smiled. “Surely, not so many years ago, you were beating off hordes of pimple-faced, hormone-crazed youths?”
     “Me?” I said. “They went after the other girls. Nobody of the opposite sex was interested in me.”

     “They must’ve had their eyes closed,” Josh said. “I certainly had the hots for you.” He grinned and added, “Still do, but don’t tell Peta!”

     “Knock it off, you two!” Bree said, squirming. “You’re too old for that nonsense! But you do look good, Ginny. It’s your new clothes. Bright colours suit you. And there’s something else. It’s as if someone’s lit a candle inside you. Your skin’s all peachy and warm-looking.”

     “Thank you, Bree,” I chuckled, blushing from the effect of the unexpected compliment from my God-daughter. “On that note, I think I’ll escape into the kitchen and make us all some dinner. You could handle something on top of the French toast, couldn’t you Bree?”

     “Yeah. I’d love to have a sample of what you and Dad are eating.”

     “You can have as much of it as you like,” I said indulgently. “You’ve grown so tall in the last few months you’re like a string bean.”

     I rustled up a spinach and feta cannelloni, merely going through the motions of putting all the ingredients together, not stopping to savour the perfumes of tomatoes and basil as I did when I was with Magnus. Everything seemed to be happening at once. I couldn’t believe that only a little while ago I’d considered my life too quiet and dull.

     “So, what did you tell Bree about teenage boys?” I asked Josh after
we’d eaten and Bree had fallen asleep in the room she always had at my place. She’d slept there on and off since she was a baby.

     “I told her they were more interested in lust than love and that she shouldn’t undervalue herself by making herself too readily available,” he said.

     “I s’pose, coming from the horse’s mouth, your words really hit home,” I said. I wondered if I’d made myself too readily available to Magnus. Perhaps that was why he didn’t want me round. Hadn’t Daisy said he was old fashioned? He probably thought I was a slut, having abandoned myself to him the way I did.

     Luckily Josh was lost in his own thoughts and didn’t seem to notice how distracted I’d become. “I hope Bree will think about what I said and give up her idea of the Pill,” he said after a while.

     “I hope so too.”

     “I’d hate her to get hurt by some other guy, or guys. I’ve done enough of that to her already,” he said.

     “What brought you back Josh?” I asked, deciding there wasn’t any point in mulling over Magnus Winchester now when Bree needed her God-mother. I’d have to trust that Fate would treat us all well.

     “A mate’s daughter got married back in the States where I’ve been living since
Bree was a few months old. That’s what made me realise that my little girl would soon be a woman, too, and I didn’t even know her. I wanted to prove to her that I hadn’t forgotten her completely, that despite appearances, I do love her. So I contacted Peta and she seemed relieved to hear from me. She asked if I’d help with Bree. So here I am, at least for a while.”

     “And you haven’t actually seen Peta yet?”

     He shook his head. “I’m actually pretty nervous about meeting her in the flesh. She’s probably got enough men in her life, without me turning up like a bad smell.”

     “If you mean men as in boyfriends,” I began, “she hasn’t. Nobody serious, anyway. After you left, I think she didn’t dare get involved with anyone again in case she got hurt. She just concentrated on Bree, and me.”

     “God, that makes me feel guilty,” Josh admitted.

     “Good
. It was meant to. I’m sorry, Josh, but it’s been tough on her and you mustn’t think otherwise. How about you? You must’ve had lots of girlfriends.”

     “Not lots. One or two.”
He took a sip of coffee before continuing: “Do you remember that old song called ‘Desperado’? The lyrics go something like this: ‘you’d better let somebody love you before it’s too late’. Well, I’ve got a bit of a reputation among my mates for being a desperado. Scared of commitment. Scared of getting involved. Scared of losing. But I’m not getting any younger and I guess I’ve decided that I don’t want to be a desperado any more. I want to find out what it’s like to love and to be loved, whatever the consequences.”