Frisky Business (61 page)

The door of the bedroom was open, and Ethan was kneeling on the floor, rooting through one of the packing boxes.

‘Sorry,’ she said, leaning against the door jamb. ‘That was a bit heavy for Sunday dinner.’

He glanced up and smiled at her absently, almost not seeing her.

‘I’ll learn some jokes for next time.’

He stood and came over to her. ‘Sorry I sort of zoned out back there,’ he said, pulling her into his arms. There was something strange, almost quizzical, in his eyes as he looked at her – as if he was seeing her for the first time, trying to figure her out. ‘Come here,’ he said, pulling away and taking her hand. ‘I want to show you something.’

She let him lead her to the bed. ‘Wait here,’ he said, pushing her down onto it. ‘I have to find it first.’ He planted a soft kiss on her forehead before returning to the boxes.

The room was even more of a mess than before. A couple of boxes were already open, their contents spilling onto the floor, and now he was on his knees again, rummaging through a third, flinging random bits of jumble in every direction
– PlayStation games, scarves and belts, shoes that flew through the air and landed with a thud on the carpet.

‘Damn,’ he mumbled to himself, ‘it must be in here somewhere. Unless Mom …’

Romy sat on the edge of the bed, hugging her knees, and wondered what the hell was going on. ‘Can I help?’she asked. ‘If I knew what we were looking for …’ She trailed off as a long black leather glove landed at her feet.

Then Ethan’s frantic movements stopped suddenly. He unfolded himself from the floor and turned to her with something in his hand. Romy stood as he came towards her, not meeting her eyes, looking down instead at what he was holding. She noticed his hand was trembling slightly as he held it out to her.

‘Is this yours?’ he asked softly.

Romy saw her own hand shaking as she reached out to touch it. She didn’t need to inspect it, she already knew what it was – the mask she had worn to David’s Hallowe’en party. She gasped, and cupped a hand to her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears as she sank back down on the bed. She looked at Ethan and nodded. ‘It was you,’ she whispered.

‘When you were talking about what happened the night your father died … I’d heard that story before.’

‘You were at David’s party? You’re—’

‘Darth Vader.’

‘I didn’t think you knew David.’ Then she gasped. ‘You and Katie—’

‘Oh, yeah.’ He rubbed the back of his neck, squirming uncomfortably. ‘I met her at an MSF fundraiser. She did a lot of charity work.’

They were talking in breathless murmurs, skirting around
the main issue because it was too overwhelming to take it all in at once.

‘I thought I’d never find you.’

‘You wanted to find me?’

Romy nodded. ‘So much.’

Because now that she had, she knew it was true. Even when she didn’t know who he was, she had always wanted to find
him.
‘I’m so glad it’s you,’ she said, looking up at him, her eyes shining with tears.

‘I’m glad it’s me too,’ Ethan said hoarsely, his own eyes filling with moisture.

He pulled her up into his arms and drew a ragged breath. ‘You called your baby Luke,’ he began, a catch in his voice.

‘It seemed appropriate.’

‘Romy, does this mean what I think it means? Luke—’

She nodded. ‘He’s yours,’ she sniffed.

‘We used protection.’

She shrugged. ‘It doesn’t always work.’

‘I’m so sorry. If I’d known … He’s really mine?’

Romy nodded. ‘You’re a dad.’

Ethan swiped away his tears with the heels of his hands. But if she’d been in any doubt about how he felt, the big goofy grin that split his face in two put her mind at rest.

She grinned back at him through her tears. ‘This is good news, then?’

‘The best. You know how much I love you both. I wanted to be a father to Luke anyway. But this—’ He broke off, shaking his head wonderingly. ‘I just wish …’

‘What?’

‘I wish I could have been there from the start. I wish I could have been with you when you were pregnant,’ he said, reaching
out and lightly touching her belly. ‘I wish I could have seen him the day he was born.’

‘I know. But you can be there all the days from now on.’

‘What if we’d never—’ Ethan gulped. He didn’t finish the thought, but she knew what he was thinking.

‘But we did,’ she said soothingly. ‘Come on, ’ she touched his hand. ‘Let’s go and tell him.’

They tiptoed down the corridor to the room where Luke was sleeping and stood on either side of the cot, gazing adoringly at him –
their son –
as he snuffled in his sleep, oblivious to the momentous goings-on around him.

‘Say it,’ Romy whispered, smiling across at Ethan as he leaned on the cot, resting his chin on his hands.

He smiled back at her. ‘Should I do the voice?’

‘No!’ she hissed. ‘Don’t do the voice.’

‘Why not?’

‘It’ll freak him out.’

‘But he’s asleep.’

Oh, all right then. Do the voice if you want.’

Ethan took an unsteady breath, but when his voice came out it was shaky and nothing like an intergalactic warlord’s.

‘Luke,’ he said, ‘I am
your father.’