Page 61 of Saved by the Single Dad

Jack dropped to his knees and followed Ellie. Inside the tent, a line of dolls greeted him, their faces impassive. And Cass, sitting cross-legged and a little nervous, as if she’d just been caught doing something she wasn’t strictly meant to.

‘Can I come in?’ Jack grinned at her.

‘Yes. Of course.’ She shifted a bit to give him room to get inside the tent and Ellie clambered past him to her own spot, next to the dolls. ‘Is dinner getting cold...? Ellie, we should go downstairs...’

‘We could eat up here.’

‘Yes!’ Ellie gave him an imploring look and Cass reddened.

‘Won’t we make a mess?’

‘Probably. That’s what they make kitchen towel for.’ He met her gaze. Today had changed things. When he’d seen Cass and Ellie together in the classroom window, he’d realised that trying to protect Ellie from Cass’s love was not only useless; it was counterproductive. When they’d worked together with Annabel, Jack had wondered just how much else they could achieve together, given the chance.

And Cass had changed too. She’d created a comforting world for Ellie, and it was one that all three of them could share. They hadn’t been together like this since he and Cass had slept with Ellie, on his bed, weeks ago.

‘I used to have a tent, when I was little.’ He smiled at Ellie. ‘Grandma used to make burgers and chips, and she’d bring them out to the tent for Grandad and Auntie Sarah and me.’

Two pairs of round eyes gazed at him, Ellie’s filled with interest and Cass’s with astonishment.

‘Auntie Sarah says that my grandad is the same as Ethan’s grandad.’ Jack realised that Sarah must have talked to Ellie about their father but that he never had, and she was struggling with the concept. It was an omission that he should have rectified by now.

‘Yes, that’s right. Do you want to see a picture of him? With me and Auntie Sarah when we were little.’

Ellie nodded vigorously.

‘Okay. We’ll have supper first, though.’

‘I’ll come and give you a hand.’ Cass moved in the cramped space, trying not to knock any of the dolls over.

‘It’s okay. Stay here.’ They didn’t need to talk about this. Tonight might be as terrifying in its own way as today had been, but it was long overdue.

* * *

They were having fun. The tent that Cass had intended as something to cheer Ellie up with, and would fit only two people and a line of dolls, had turned into a tent for three. Just like a proper family.

Jack had gone to fetch the photograph, disappearing for some time, and Cass supposed it was hidden away somewhere and he’d had to look for it. Ellie had drawn her own version, and Jack had watched thoughtfully.

‘He looks like you, Daddy.’

‘Yeah. He does, doesn’t he?’ There was no trace of the anger that surfaced whenever Jack talked about his father. He ran his fingers lightly over the photograph, as if he too were re-drawing it.

‘Okay?’ Ellie was busy with another picture and Cass ventured the question.

‘Yeah. I think so.’ Jack still seemed unsure about this, but he’d hidden the tremor in his hands from Ellie. ‘You?’

It was nothing to do with her. It was Jack’s father, his child, and his conflict...

But when she’d passed Ellie out of the window and seen Jack waiting at the bottom of the ladder, it had felt for a moment as if Ellie was her own child. As if all the pressure and fear were gone, swamped by their shared instincts to keep the little girl safe. Maybe...just maybe...there was some way forward for her and Jack.

‘You?’ He repeated the question, more pointedly this time.

‘Yes. Fine.’ Cass turned to the picture that Ellie was drawing, trying to avoid his gaze. ‘That’s beautiful...’

She’d spoken before she had even looked at the picture. And when she did look, it was beautiful. A house. A red crayoned figure who she’d come to recognise as herself, along with a tall figure who could only be Jack. Between them stood four small figures.

‘That’s me.’ Ellie planted her finger on one of the smaller images. ‘And Daddy and Cassandra, and my brothers. And that’s my sister.’

‘Sweetheart...’ Jack’s voice was strained and Cass couldn’t look at him. Didn’t dare let him see the tears as her own picture of her perfect family suddenly imploded, smashing itself into pieces.

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