Page 139 of The Sunrise Sisterhood

‘He’s not staying, apparently,’ Clare answered for him before he could get a word in.

‘I didn’t realise you were throwing a party for her.’ He looked wounded.

‘Why would you?’ she said lightly. ‘You never take any interest in her life.’

He hung his head. ‘Ouch.’

A dart of guilt pierced through her. She was better than this. Whatever he’d done, whatever water had flowed under the bridge, he was here now, he’d remembered Ivy’s birthday, and he was family.

‘Sorry, Dad, that was rude.’ Clare sighed, pushing her hair out of her eyes. ‘Would you like a drink?’

He gave her a half-smile. ‘Love one. Have you got a kombucha?’

She gave him a ‘What do you think?’ look and he laughed sheepishly.

Liz put a glass of pressé into his hand, touched his arm and left them to it, wandering over to check on Patrick’s mum and aunt, who were eyeing up Mike speculatively.

‘Clare, I’ve done a lot of thinking over the past few days. I’ve realised I could have done better with you and Skye.’

‘And Ivy,’ she put in.

‘And Ivy,’ he agreed. ‘But hopefully if I buck up my ideas quickly enough, I can avoid getting it wrong with her too. I haven’t earned my place at the birthday table this year, but that’s going to change. Next year, she’ll probably be talking and maybe she can phone me and invite her old grandad herself.’

It was such a lovely image that Clare permitted him to see her smile. ‘Sounds good.’

He sipped his drink. ‘So how do I make it better? What do I need to do?’

Clare felt exasperation tighten her chest, but when she looked at her dad, she could see he was being serious.

‘Take time to get to know us. Learn what makes us tick. And in Ivy’s case, be her grandfather, instead of a silver-haired man who wishes to be known as Mikey.’

He nodded. ‘OK.’

‘When we try to tell you something, listen without judging us first. And when you talk to us, treat us like adults.’

He nodded again. ‘OK, I can––’

‘I haven’t finished,’ she jumped in. ‘Make Skye feel like she matters. Don’t compare the two of us; we’re different people with different life views. But she’s amazing, Dad. She’s funny and feisty and incredibly kind. And one last thing: stop chasing women half your age. It’s embarrassing.’

The corner of his lips curled upwards. ‘Don’t pull any punches, will you? You sounded exactly like your mother then. And I hear what you say. Harriet’s gone. I lost my head there for a while. But she’s gone.’

There was a whoop of laughter and Mike glanced outside to where Patrick was holding Ivy in one arm, the other around Liz.

‘Hmm. That chap seems to have got his feet under the table.’

‘Patrick?’ Clare smiled fondly. ‘Liz loves him and so does Ivy. Don’t you dare pull that jealous face. Lots of kids have two sets of grandparents. There’s room for everyone.’

Her throat burned then, thinking about her mum, about Adam’s family and how things could have been different if she’d only been brave enough to tell him the truth and let him into their lives sooner. Not for her sake, but for Ivy’s.

‘Ivy has barely any family; if Patrick wants to be in loco grandparentis as it were, I’m not going to stop him.’

‘What about Ivy’s father?’ Mike asked shrewdly. ‘And his family, don’t they want to stay in touch with her?’

Clare ran the tip of her finger along the kitchen island. This was the moment. Whatever he thought of her, she ought to tell him. She couldn’t expect him to change if she didn’t demand the same of herself.

‘I cocked that up, Dad.’

He looked surprised. ‘You did?’