Page 9 of An Unholy Affair
He opened his arms and drew the three of them in for a hug. ‘Thank fuck you’re here,’ he muttered.
His sister pulled away first. ‘Jesus, Jack, what have you been doing? You bloody reek.’
‘It can’t bethatbad?’ He glanced at Steph for reassurance.
She pulled a face. ‘Mate, you honk.’
‘Betsy-Boo?’
His niece waved her hand in front of her nose. ‘Poo-ee, Dack-Dack.’
Steph snorted.
‘Is it Simon?’ his mother called through from inside.
They all froze.
‘Hang on,’ he called back.
‘How is she?’ his sister whispered.
‘Not great. Does she know about…’ He gestured towards his sister’s enormous pregnant belly.
She scrunched up her face and shook her head.
‘Dack-Dack,’ said Betsy, pulling his cheek. ‘Baby.’
Steph put her arm around Emily. ‘Em, love, no matter what she says, I’m not going anywhere. Okay?’
His sister nodded. ‘At least it’s just her now.’ She looked at Jack. ‘Let’s do this.’
Jack entered the living room first.
‘Is it Simon?’
‘No, Mum, it’s Emily, Steph and Betsy.’
‘But… But I only wanted—’
‘Hi, Mum,’ said Emily as she followed Jack in. Her voice was brittle, and he could hear the emotion behind it. ‘I’m sorry—’
‘You’repregnant? And you didn’ttellme?’
His mother started crying again. ‘This is allherfault. Leading you—’
‘Mum!’ Emily shouted. ‘Stop it now, or I’ll walk straight back out and never come back, so help me god.’
‘Don’t you take the Lord’s—’
‘Mum!’ Jack yelled.
Betsy let out a wail and his mum shut up.
Steph bounced her daughter up and down, and Jack went to them.
‘Sorry, Betsy-Boo, Dack-Dack didn’t mean to shout.’
She stopped crying and reached her chubby arms towards him. ‘Dack-Dack.’
