Page 55 of Take My Hand

“What’s happened? Has she got you into some sort of trouble? Is she pregnant?”

“How quick do you think it takes?” I shook my head in disbelief. “No wonder you dropped biology, you’re crap at it.”

“I do know about procreation, Dad. I’m just wondering why you’re looking so serious, that’s all.” She hugged a cushion to her stomach, putting her legs over the arm of the chair. I opened my mouth to tell her stop abusing the furniture but decided against it. I’d learned over the years when to fight my battles with my daughter.

“I just wanted to ask if you’d like to meet her.” I knew I sounded rushed and breathy, but I’d never wanted to introduceMaddy to someone before. I had, but it didn’t mean I always wanted to. “I met up with her today.”

“Not a supplier?”

I shook my head. “I met Maya. In Leeds.”

“So, Maya finally messaged you.” She raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Nice work, Dad.”

“Will you, then? Meet her.”

“Wow, you do like her.” Scratching her chin, she glared at me. “Why are you so nervous? Is she an ex teacher of mine?”

“No!”

“She’s not under twenty-five, is she?” Maddy’s face went white, and if I didn’t want to get the conversation over with, I would have let her think I’d found a woman closer to her age than mine.

“She’s thirty-two.”

“And she’s not married?”

“No,” I replied. “Never been married.”

“Children?”

“No.”

“Well, she’s getting on a bit, Dad if you do decide you want babies together.”

“Maddy,” I groaned. “We’ve had one date.”

“And yet you want her to meet me.” She shrugged. “Sounds pretty serious already if you ask me.”

I was slowly losing my patience. “Madeline, are you happy to meet her or not?”

She considered it for a minute. “Yes, I’d like to. If she’s special to you, then I’d love to meet her.”

“Seriously?”

She dropped her feet to the floor and stood up. “I am very serious. I’d love to meet her.” Throwing the cushion back onto the armchair, Maddy moved over to the sofa and sat down next to me, putting her hand on top of mine. “Dad, I’m glad you’vemet someone that you like enough that you want me to meet her. I’ve been telling you for ages.”

“I know, sweetheart, but it’s always just been us. Me and you. I wanted to be sure that were okay with it.” I ran a hand down my face, not sure why I was finding it so hard. I liked Maya and I wanted to see where it could go. I wanted her and Maddy to get along. To really like each other. It was just bloody difficult realising that things might be about to change in a life that I’d become so comfortable with. I wasn’t normally someone who stood still. I believed in moving forward and relishing change, but introducing a woman into the life that Maddy and I had forged together, well, it seemed like a huge leap.

“I’m more than okay with it. Honestly, Dad.” She leaned in close, hugging my arm. “At least if I go to uni, I’ll know that you’re being looked after. That someone is feeding you.”

“I can feed myself, you know.” I leaned back, taking Maddy with me, settling against the cushion. “You’re not a little girl anymore, and I’m struggling a little bit with that. There’s a boy you’retalkingto…” She slapped me playfully on the chest. “And then you might go off to university.”

“And I might not.”

“Maddy, sweetheart, we’ve talked about this. Going away will be better for you than studying online. You’ll have a better experience than if you stay here with me.”

“We’ll see,” she said with a sigh.

“It’s just bloody scary.”

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