Chapter 4

Once the food and beer ran out the neighbours started to drift off, until it was just the four of us. We retreated to the sofas on the patio, Naomi turned the main outdoor speakers off and switched the music to a small bluetooth speaker on the decking, Kelly went to the kitchen and came out with a bottle of champagne and four glasses.

“Where did you find that?” I asked, “I thought I only had beer.”

“I found it in my fridge, where it’s been waiting for an occasion worthy of a 2002 vintage Dom Perignon. I can’t think of a more worthy occasion.”

Naomi pestered Kelly to let her pop the cork, so she handed the bottle over, “don’t shake it, you’ve not won a Grand Prix.”

Naomi did a decent job of firing the cork across the garden without losing too much of the precious wine. With full glasses we toasted our future.

“Not only have I gained a dad, or at least I hope I’m gaining a dad, I’ve gained a fantastic auntie today.”

I looked at Helen, she was laughing.

“I’m more than happy to be your auntie, I’m assuming it’s my job to take you to unsuitable parties and get you drunk.”

“I don’t think you’re allowed to use Naomi as an excuse to relive your teens,” I laughed.

“Boring...”

Our champagne finished, we listened to Naomi’s playlist in silence, watching the flames in the firepit dancing along to some Saint Etienne. Kelly snuggled up close on the sofa, I put my arm around her as she rested her head on my shoulder.

It was a wonderful feeling, having someone I was so comfortable with.

I looked up and Naomi was snuggled up to Helen, her head resting on Helen’s chest, I mouthed “are you ok?” to Helen, she mouthed back, “it’s fine, I think she’s asleep.”

“She seems to like you,” Kelly said to Helen, “she’s found it increasingly difficult to make friends, so I guess you should be honoured.’

“I like Naomi, she’s fun, she’s smart, and she’s not afraid to speak her mind. Tom’s never been brave enough to say he hates my decorating, Naomi came straight out and demanded I help her redecorate her bedroom.”

“I love what you’ve done with Tom’s house, do you do it professionally?”

“Oh gosh no, I would hate to have the responsibility of decorating a stranger’s home. Tom asked me to decorate his new house because I have an eye for design and colour and neither he nor Anita had the patience or skill to do any decorating.”

“Ahh, Anita, I never met her...”

At this point I stood up, “I’ll make a coffee, please, chat about Anita, I have no secrets from Helen.”

I think I wimped out there if I’m honest, but I’m still in love with Anita, and talking about her to Kelly, who may well be sharing my bed tonight, would just hurt too much. Helen will be totally honest, that’s all she can be, so she can give Kelly the lowdown, I just hope it won’t put her off.

Then as I ground the beans to make coffee I thought back to last night, I’d taken Naomi to my marital bed, and used bedding I’d shared with Anita and it hadn’t felt wrong, it had felt good, will it feel like that with Kelly?

Will Kelly feel weird sharing a bed so recently vacated by her daughter.

Oh shit, why am I making this so complicated, treading on eggshells when there doesn’t seem to be any need.

Kelly’s here, she knows what happened last night, she approves of what happened last night, she seems to like me, we were very close just then.

The coffee was ready, I put the jug, milk and four mugs on a tray and took them outside.

Kelly was still there, she was still talking with Helen, Naomi still looked to be asleep, so nobody had raised their voices.

Panic over.

I poured the coffee, as soon as I sat down Kelly resumed her position snuggled up close.

All good I think.

We chatted a long time, Naomi woke before her coffee got cold, she shook her head, looked at Helen “err, sorry for using your boob as a pillow,” she picked the mug up in both hands and took a long swallow of her coffee and smiled, “Tom has the absolute best coffee mum, it’s just perfect as a pick me up in the mornings.”

“I guess I’ll find out in the morning won’t I.”

“Oh mum, you won’t be disappointed, about anything.”

Helen started to stand, “on that note, I think it’s time I went home.”

Naomi grabbed her hand to stop her, “don’t go, please.”

Helen looked at Kelly, who just shrugged, so she sat back down and Naomi snuggled up once more, “I’d like a girl cuddle tonight, if that’s ok, just a cuddle.”

Helen ran her fingers through Naomi’s hair, “it’s ok by me sweetie, as long as Kelly doesn’t mind.”

“Fine with me,” Kelly said, “keep your door shut and we’ll keep ours shut and we’ll all do what comes naturally.”

And that seemed to be the signal we were waiting for. Naomi shut off the music, we collected our mugs and moved into the house. I shut off the garden lights, locked the back door and we climbed the stairs together.

At the top of the stairs we separated, Kelly and I turned left, Naomi and Helen turned right.

“Goodnight mum, goodnight dad.”

“Goodnight honey,” we said together.

As Kelly closed my bedroom door she leant against it, “am I doing the right thing?”

“We don’t have to do anything.”

“Haha, not us, them. Letting Naomi spend the night with your sister.”

“They’ll be fine, Helen is like me in so many ways, she won’t do anything Naomi doesn’t want to do.”

Kelly sighed, “she’s growing up so fast, I just wish she’d accept something less than perfection, so she could make friends more easily.”

“Errr, does that mean Helen and I are ‘perfect’?”

“Ahh, that depends on your definition of perfection, you are Naomi’s definition of perfection, you’re smart, she thinks you’re funny...”

“She thinks I’m funny, does that mean you don’t” I laughed.

“I’ve not been exposed to enough of you to make a decision on that, she also appreciates how polite and tender you are, when she calls you daddy, it’s because you’re the closest thing she’s had to a father for so long, and you’ve acted more like a father than an uncle to her. Uncles, they’re free and easy, they let their nieces and nephews do what their parents won’t, but you, you’ve never been like that to her, you kept a fairly tight rein while she stayed here, and you taught her stuff, like books, music, films, cooking. Every time I came home she’d talk half the night about what you’d done together.”

“This morning, she said that us living two door apart was like having divorced parents, but we’d never even been married.’

“Hahaha, she always finds a way to say it best.”

Kelly moved away from the door and walked towards me, she pulled her sweater over her head and tossed it on the floor, she unbuttoned her jeans, they dropped to the floor and she stepped out of them and kicked them away.

Stood there in her bra and panties I was struck by how much Naomi looked like her mother, but also how they were beautiful in their own way. Naomi had youth and exuberance, Kelly has elegance and confidence.

“I’m going to hazard a guess that the dropped jaw means you’re pleased to see me like this.”

“In the interest of starting this relationship in an open and honest manner,” I said, “I will admit that I, err, researched your work.”

“Hahaha, that’s a nice way of putting it.”

“I looked at them when you first moved in, the village gossips said you’d been a topless model, so I looked you up in certain publications.”