wasn’t sure how much the girls had understood about it, or whether they were upset at all. Having them actually meet him was a big step.
‘You know I told you that Daddy had come back after being away for a long time?’ said Lauren.
‘Ye-es,’ the girls chorused a bit doubtfully.
‘Daddy’s coming to see you today, isn’t that lovely?’
‘Oh,’ the girls looked blankly at her.
‘Where has he been?’ Izzie wanted to know.
‘I thought we might be getting a treat,’ said Immie looking disappointed.
This wasn’t going exactly to plan, but Lauren persevered.
‘Daddy had to work a long way away from here,’ she lied. She didn’t like lying to the girls, but how did you tell two four-year-olds their dad hadn’t wanted to know? ‘So he couldn’t come and see you before. But now he’s back and he really wants to meet you.’
‘I don’t want to meet him,’ said Izzie. ‘Silly Daddy.’
‘Yes, silly Daddy,’ agreed Immie.
Very silly, Lauren silently concurred, looking at her daughters and wondering how anyone in their right mind could have ever abandoned them.
‘That’s a shame,’ said Lauren, ‘because I’m sure you’d like him.’
‘Will he like us?’ Izzie looked at Lauren so anxiously her heart melted.
‘Of course he will,’ she said feeling her throat constricting. This was so bloody hard. ‘Come on, I’ll give him a ring now and ask him to come round. And if you don’t like him, we’ll send him away again. What do you think?’
The girls mulled it over for a few minutes, before tentatively smiling at each other and saying, ‘OK. Can we watch CBeebies now?’
‘Off you go,’ said Lauren, with relief. She picked up her phone and rang Troy.
Half an hour later she was ushering Troy into the lounge. His slightly scruffy appearance looked out of place in her calm and tidy lounge, with its comfy sofa, plumped up cushions and bright, breezy curtains with tie backs. Troy stood there, slightly uneasily, as if he were finding it difficult. He couldn’t have looked more awkward if he’d tried. The twins looked up at him, startled, as Lauren said, ‘Izzie, Immie, I want you to meet someone very special.’
‘Who’s that man?’ asked Izzie, pointing at Troy. It took all Lauren’s resolve not to clap her daughter instead of scolding her. She could see it all too clearly from Izzie’s point of view.
‘Don’t be rude, darling,’ said Lauren, very carefully. ‘This is your daddy.’
‘He’s not our daddy!’ said Izzie.
‘We don’t have a daddy!’ said Immie.
No you don’t, thought Lauren, your daddy wasn’t there to see you born, hasn’t acknowledged a single birthday, and has only seen you once. What kind of a daddy is that?
‘No girls, you do have a daddy,’ said Lauren. ‘Remember I explained it to you, Daddy was a bit busy and had to go away, and couldn’t see you. But now he’s back and he’ll be able to spend lots of time with you. Won’t you, Daddy?’
She shot Troy a warning look.
‘Yes, that’s right, girls,’ said Troy, his voice thick with emotion. ‘I’m going to stay around here and we can all get to know each other. Now which one of you is Izzie, and which one is Immie?’
Lauren winced. He couldn’t even tell them apart. This was never going to work.
‘We’re Izzie and Immie,’ the girls said defiantly.
‘Right, so let me guess – you’re Immie?’
‘No, I’m Izzie,’ Immie said, ‘that’s Immie.’
‘Girls,’ said Lauren warningly. ‘They’re teasing you. It’s their favourite party trick. That’s Izzie and that’s Immie. You can tell the difference by their partings.’
‘OK,’ said Troy, looking a bit shell-shocked, ‘so you’re Immie and you’re Izzie?’
‘Yes,’ they said in unison.
‘And what do you like doing best?’ said Troy.
‘Park,’ said Immie.
‘Picnic,’ said Izzie.
‘That sounds a great idea,’ said Troy. ‘Why don’t we all go out for lunch?’
‘Don’t want to,’ said Immie.
‘Not with you,’ said Izzie.
‘Izzie,’ said Lauren, in a warning tone. She could only cut them so much slack. ‘Maybe that’s a bit ambitious for today,’ she said. ‘But we could go to the park if you like.’
The girls grudgingly capitulated, and she sent them to get their coats.
Troy said, ‘That was hard work. Do you think they’ll always be this hostile?’
‘What the bloody hell did you expect?’ Lauren stared at him in disbelief. ‘Actually that went quite well. They have been known to blank people they don’t like completely.’
‘Oh,’ said Troy. ‘Seems I’ve got a lot to learn.’
‘Yes,’ said Lauren, ‘you do. Let’s just take things one day at a time, shall we? You’ve got a lot of making up to do.’
Kezzie got off the train in Heartsease, and walked up the hill with a renewed sense of purpose. She took lungfuls of deep, fresh air, breathing in the country air gratefully. It felt great to be back, away from the fetid smells of London. While it had done her a power of good to see Flick and the others again, she’d forgotten the sheer madness and filth of the place. And although she’d had a fun evening, her sore head was a reminder that sometimes you could have too much of a good thing.
Kezzie turned out of the station and walked up the High Street, noting with pleasure the pretty redbrick cottages that lined the road leading up to the shops, and noticing anew the interesting variety of little shops, from the little black and white house from which Agnes Mayhew sold her crystals and witchy artefacts, to the sparkling, bright butcher’s shop where she’d taken to buying her bacon. There was Keef’s Café, where she regularly enjoyed a caffè latte, and the vintage dress shop, which sold all manner of gorgeous clothes, and the bakery, which was a daily temptation. She sighed with pleasure. It had been a good move coming here, and after Christmas Flick had promised her that she and Gavin would come over one weekend and help out with the Memorial Gardens.
As she was walking up the hill, Kezzie met Lauren and the girls walking down the hill with a rather attractive-looking man. The girls were holding tightly on to Lauren’s hands, and Lauren looked distinctly ill at ease.
‘Hi,’ said
