Page 56 of Dr. Single Dad

Perhaps it was the heightened emotions of Guinevere’s illness. Perhaps tonight, after we’ve both had some time apart, things will have fizzled between us.

It’s unlikely. But it’s possible.

If things haven’t fizzled…then what?

I start sleeping with my boss? Until when?

Until he fires me.

I set about my day, unpacking from Norfolk, tidying, and doing three thousand loads of washing, in between checking on Guinevere and giving her milk, which she takes really well. All the while I try not to think about Dax, but it’s impossible. He lives here. I’m surrounded by him. I’m looking after his daughter.

I put Guinevere down after her third feed of the day, and head to the kitchen to start preparing dinner for Dax. He’ll be exhausted when he’s home and he’ll appreciate a proper home-cooked meal he doesn’t have to prepare himself. My phone interrupts me as I pull vegetables out of the fridge.

Immediately I assume it’s Dax, and I smile as I pull my phone from my pocket.

It’s Eddie.

“Hey!” It comes out like I’m having the time of my life in an open-topped jeep on my way to a Mexican resort for a week. Maybe I’m overcorrecting because it’s my sister and not Dax.

“What’s the matter with you?” she asks. “You sound really happy.”

“I always sound happy,” I reply, toning down my exuberance. “What’s the matter withyou?” It’s unusual for Eddie to call me when she knows I’m working. I glance at the clock. Dax will be home in less than an hour.

“You always sound happy? If you say so,” she singsongs. “But if you thought you were happy before, you’re going to be flying to the moon when I tell you my news.” She sounds excited and I pause, waiting to hear what she’s going to tell me.

“I won a scholarship.” It bursts out of her. “They just called to tell me ten minutes ago.”

“You did?” I ask. “I didn’t know you applied for one. What’s it for?”

“That’s the thing—I didn’t! Everyone in my year was automatically entered apparently. And I got it!”

“That sounds…weird.”

“Who cares how it sounds. It covers all my tuition for this year and for last year.”

I freeze. That can’t be right. “It pays you back what we already paid for tuition?”

“Whatyoualready paid for tuition,” she corrects me. “Yes. Can you believe it?”

Frankly, no, I can’t believe it. “Where did this scholarship come from? Who’s funding it?”

“The university, I guess,” she says. “They said it was a brand-new scholarship and a letter would follow giving all the details. This is good, Eira. It means you can do something else with all that money.”

It sounds way too good to be true. “Let’s wait until the money’s in your account, shall we?”

“What are you so suspicious of?” she asks.

“I don’t know, this kind of thing doesn’t happen to us, does it? If you had your inheritance and our uncle hadn’t stolen it, you wouldn’t need a scholarship.”

“You’re right, but we have to roll with the punches, not look a gift horse in the mouth. Look on the bright side!”

I laugh at her list of corny phrases. “Are you trying to do an impression of me?”

“Kinda. You’re always good at seeing the positive, so it’s weird that it’s me trying to make you see that this is a good thing.”

I’m not sure I always see the positive side of things. I’ve just tried to put a positive spin on things for the sake of Eddie and Dylan. If I fall apart, who would they rely on? I have to be the one to buoy their spirits, otherwise we’d all drown.

Deep down, I’ve always been able to see the truth of our situation. Partly because I’m older, but also because I’ve never had the option to ignore reality. If I dig for the truth, demand it and refuse to look away, I can fix whatever’s wrong. Being in denial doesn’t serve a purpose. All the same, I try not to consider what that means for me and Dax.

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