We sit in silence sipping our coffee.
‘What a complete nightmare this is for you. Does Daniel know about what you’ve been through with your dad? I don’t know quite what to say, Leah. Antonio and Kelly should have faced up to the situation and admitted what was happening between them rather than run away like they did. You were in shock at the time, who wouldn’t have been? Your parents obviously don’t blame you in any way for what occurred, so why would you blame yourself? And don’t even think about saying “if only” because you’d immediately go down in my estimation. That sort of logic works both ways.’ Harrison’s tone is firm.
‘I admit that there was a time when I ventured down that road but I soon realised it wasn’t going to change anything. I have something to show you.’ I walk into the other room and grab Zita’s letter from the desk drawer. When I return I hand it to Harrison before I sit back down.
He reads the letter more than once, I think, because it’s so short and he seems to be taking his time. He holds it up, shaking it back and forth in his hand with a smile on his face.
‘This is great news. With an actual address, it’s going to be a lot easier filing for divorce and finally begin cutting all ties with your ex. Then you can focus on getting to the bottom of Daniel’s problem, which might not be as bad as you fear.’
When he sees I’m unable to raise a smile of my own, he slides the letter back inside the envelope and places it between us on the table.
‘Argh. It’s all so complicated and it’s all swirling around inside my head. But I can’t get past wanting to know whether Kelly is still there with Antonio. And what does he want? Why has he suddenly decided to reach out to his parents now?’
Harrison’s smile fades as I continue.
‘It’s like the worst possible storyline for a soap opera, isn’t it? The things you watch and don’t believe can possibly happen in real life. What if he wants contact with Rosie again?’ I express my worst fear and see from his expression that I’m not being paranoid here.
‘You need to talk to a solicitor and I know exactly the man for you. There’s no point in dwelling on this alone, you need professional advice. Then, I’m on a quest to find out a little more about Daniel. I have your back and if you are serious about him, what’s that saying?’
I cast around, trying to think of sayings I’ve heard repeated ad nauseum over the years.
‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?’ I can’t see how that fits in relation to Daniel. But it might for Antonio, although I ceased having any feelings for him years ago.
‘Nooo! I think it’s one of the quotes that aren’t credited to anyone but have always been around. It goes something like this: it takes a minute to like someone, an hour to love someone but a lifetime to forget them.’
I repeat it over to myself a few times. It is going to take me a very long time to forget Daniel if I walk away without getting to the bottom of what’s going on. That’s one thing about which I’m very sure.
‘There’s absolutely nowhere to go with the Daniel thing for the time being, Harrison, until he’s ready to talk about what happened to him. But thank you for listening. And who is this solicitor you know? I’m not sure I have the energy to take on anything else right now, even if I want to be rid of Antonio legally, as well as emotionally.’
‘Oliver Parker-Smith isn’t only a solicitor, he also specialises in family law. And he’s good at what he does.’
I lean forward, my eyes wide with surprise.
‘Your Ollie is a solicitor?’
‘I’ll get him to give you a call and you can take it from there. As for the other matter, I love solving puzzles and I’ve learnt that the best approach is one step at a time. We need to know a little more about this guy who has caught your attention.’
I don’t like the sound of either suggestion, if I’m honest, but Harrison means well. What harm can it do, I wonder? I ought to find out where I stand in case Antonio tries to re-establish communication and as for Daniel, well I can only wait and see what happens next. Unless Harrison is planning a quick trip to Athens.
He wouldn’t do that, would he?
Life is a Rollercoaster
As I head towards the school this morning, I can tell there is something on Rosie’s mind. It isn’t until we’re parked up, twenty minutes before the school bell, that she begins talking to me.
‘I miss Bella and Daniel, Mum. I wonder how Bella’s ankle is doing?’
I hate lying to anyone, least of all my lovely daughter but I can’t mention Daniel’s visit.
‘She probably had to rest her foot for a few days, Rosie, that’s all. Bella will be feeling a lot better by now.’
I put up my hand to brush back a lock of hair that has fallen over her forehead, obscuring a part of her face. She looks sad.
‘Are you looking forward to our next trip away? The summer holidays will soon be here and it’s only two months until we visit Le Crotoy, in France. Imagine a brand-new apartment block literally on the beach and we’re going to be staying in one of the penthouses. Unfortunately, not all the holiday apartments will be finished but a few of them will, and there are bound to be other families with children there. It will be a nice chance to make some new friends.’
There’s a pout going on, which is unusual for Rosie.
‘That’s great, Mum, really it is but I thought we’d be seeing Bella again. She thought so, too.’
This is so awkward.
‘York is quite a journey from here, darling. Besides, Daniel is in Athens still. Maybe when he’s back home he’ll get in touch, although I suspect he will be very busy at first. He’s been away for a long time.’
At least my response seems to have brightened her up a little even though I feel the need to prepare her to be disappointed.
‘Bella is lucky, isn’t she, Mum? She still has both her mum and her dad, even though they don’t live together.’
A little knot begins to form in the pit of my stomach as her conversation switches from one major headache, to another. I can’t think of anything at all I can say in return. If Antonio intends to reach out to Rosie, could I refuse? Should I refuse? Rosie is watching me, intently, totally unaware that the timing of this conversation is so unfortunate.
‘She is lucky, darling. We’re happy though, aren’t we?’
She nods, then opens the door of the glove compartment to look for a CD. I switch on the engine, grateful for the distraction of a little music. I try not to think about Antonio and Kelly, pushing away thoughts about whether Rosie has a stepbrother, or sister by now. Wouldn’t that be a sound reason for making contact? Bringing a child into the world makes you look at everything very differently indeed. The knot is quickly turning into a sensation of nausea and I force myself to stop thinking before I get dragged down any further.
‘Mum, I can’t find my jumper and everyone is going in.’
Rosie’s voice shakes me back into consciousness and I have no idea how long I’ve been in this reverie. Her school bag is open on her lap and she’s rooting through it, beginning to panic.
‘It’s on the back seat, darling, with your waterproof jacket. Why don’t you take both, as those clouds look threatening?’
I reach back while Rosie closes her bag and checks her hair in the vanity mirror – that’s a first.
‘Sorry, Mum, I didn’t mean to make you feel sad.’ She throws her arms around me and her words touch a chord. ‘I’m not the only kid in school who doesn’t have a dad but I know I have the best mum. See you later; love you loads.’
She grabs the jumper and jacket I’m holding out and stuffs them under her arm, one leg already out of the car. I clear my throat before I can answer her, my emotions getting the better of me.
‘Love you too, darling. Have a great day.’
~
As soon as I arrive home I phone Harrison.
‘Morning. I forgot to thank you for giving my number to Ollie and I wondered if you knew when he was going to call
me?’
‘He said it would be in the next day or two, but I know he has back-to-back meetings this morning. You won’t do anything until you hear from him, will you? You don’t need to respond to Zita’s letter straight away.’
It’s not the only reason I’m calling him.
‘Okay, I promise. I also had an idea about Daniel, and I wanted to run it past you. It will take me way beyond my comfort zone and involve me telling a lie. That doesn’t sit well for me but I’m in an impossible situation and I can’t think of another way around it.’
My palms are feeling sweaty and I can hardly believe I’m seriously considering this option.
‘I’m at my desk looking him up as we speak! I don’t know if you’ve checked but his bio is on the university website. If you do a general search on his name, page after page of items come up. He’s been involved in a lot of projects over the years and he has so many mentions it’s hard to find any personal information about him. He has written a lot of articles and published quite a few academic papers. I’m feeling better about him, the more I read. So, what’s this idea of yours?’
This would be a bold and risky step for me to take, so I need someone else’s opinion before I do anything at all.
‘Thanos offered me the use of the villa for a week after asking me to do a special feature on it. I think he meant once the current lease is up and before it goes back for hire as a luxury holiday villa. I’m sure Daniel mentioned he’s only there until midway through August. I do have a photo crisis, though, and I know that it’s highly likely some of the rooms in the villa are free, at the moment. It’s a legitimate excuse for me to go and stay and one that wouldn’t put any pressure on Daniel.’
I’ve been talking fast and I stop to draw breath, wishing I could see Harrison’s reaction.
‘You’re prepared to fly back over?’ It sounds like he doesn’t necessarily think it’s a good idea. ‘Why not wait a bit and see what his next contact with you brings?’
It makes sense, I know, but I’m already too caught up in this because I think I’m in love with Daniel. Regardless of whether or not that turns out to be a terrible idea or the best thing that’s ever happened to me, it’s the truth. Love isn’t something you can switch on and off, no matter what problems arise.
‘Rosie is going through a bit of a rough patch, having enjoyed Daniel and Bella’s company. Suddenly we’re alone again. And now with all this worry about Antonio … I have yet to gain a real understanding about Daniel’s situation. If it’s bad news then I have to think about protecting Rosie, above all else. How could I bring someone new into her life if she was going to end up having to let him go before too long? Even if my actions end up breaking my heart and Daniel’s, I can’t possibly put her through any more than she already has to handle. This could potentially be an impossible situation. Although it would also be hell knowing what Daniel was going through because I can’t help how I feel inside. I simply have to go back for my own sanity.’
He doesn’t hesitate but jumps straight in.
‘No, it’s tough but perfectly understandable, Leah. You are a wonderful mum and you know that. You have had a photo crisis of sorts, so it isn’t a lie as such. And even if you can only get over there for a couple of days it will allow you to grab those snaps and, hopefully, discover why Daniel is being so cagey. The timing of this is an absolute nightmare for you, isn’t it?’
I sigh, acknowledging Harrison has a good grasp of my dilemma. A part of me wishes I’d never crossed paths with Daniel, but my heart is desperately trying to hang on to any small vestige of hope.
‘By the sound of it he has another, what, nine or ten weeks there? Have you looked into flight availability, given that we’re heading towards the middle of June? I don’t think it’s going to be cheap, either. And what about your work?’
I nod, then realise he can’t see me.
‘I know. I’m going to start looking for flights this morning, after I call Thanos. Daniel managed to get a flight somehow and I’m equally as determined. I feel it’s an imposition having to ask Mum and Dad to look after Rosie at such short notice, but if it all works out I’ll take the earliest flights available and work around that. I need to get to the truth, Harrison, so I can decide whether it’s best to walk away from it all now. Daniel said he would understand if I changed my mind but ultimately gave me nothing much on which to base a decision.
‘This new development with Antonio is going to test me to the full and I can’t rise to that challenge when I feel like I’m falling apart inside. It could end up sending me spiralling into a depression and that simply isn’t an option. Just when I thought the future could only be bright and I was excited about it, now everything seems up in the air again. Instead of one dire problem, I now have two. Maybe in life you only get what you’re prepared to fight for and naturally I’m going to fight for Rosie. But I also believe in my heart that it would be wrong to ignore the way Daniel makes me feel, or what I believe he feels for me. I have to do something, Harrison, or I know I’ll always be wondering what if?’
There, I’ve said it.
‘Good for you, lady! I guess we’re both learning the valuable lesson that if it’s worth having then it doesn’t usually come easily. Ring or text when you know what’s happening. I’m killing time before I head in to do a big presentation, so I might not get back to you immediately. But you know that I’ll be thinking of you and keeping everything crossed.’
It’s not sympathy in his voice but genuine empathy.
‘And your little plan for the weekend’s revelation is still in place? No threat of it being thrown off course?’ I enquire.
‘None at all. And Ollie and I have agreed to start thinking about where we want to live.’
Hearing his words give me hope: Harrison is going to make it happen and this time he won’t let himself down. Now I have to do the exact same thing before I get myself into an even bigger mess.
The Action Plan
By the time I pick up Rosie and she settles down in her bedroom to tackle some homework, I’m feeling frazzled. It’s been a day of nonstop telephone calls and surfing the net. Thanos was very understanding and I did have to ignore the uncomfortable feeling I had knowing my motive was only partly about the photo disaster. He commiserated, probably assuming the SD card had failed as I wasn’t too specific. He even offered to have someone take a few shots for me if I told him exactly what I needed. At that point, I had to think fast and after thanking him, managed to reinforce the urgency by saying it was going to be easier to write up the feature for the villas while I was there. I also pointed out I hadn’t viewed the other one and that it would be well worth featuring both. It was enough to make it sound plausible.
Booking flights was a total nightmare and in the middle of it Sally dropped by for a quick cup of coffee to catch up. I didn’t have the energy to tell her about Daniel, so I skated over the trip and said I was returning briefly to cover a separate feature.
Instead I voiced my concerns about Zita’s letter, as she was once friends with Kelly, too. Sally was shocked and, like Harrison, said that I shouldn’t do anything at all until I’d spoken to a solicitor.
As soon as she left I was back online, watching the clock ready for the school run. In the end, the cheapest flights I could book were flying from Heathrow to Frankfurt, then onwards to Athens on Friday the sixteenth of June, returning via the same route on Sunday the eighteenth. I’d have two evenings, one whole day and part of Sunday to sort everything out.
Talking to Mum and Dad wasn’t easy as I didn’t want to lie to them about the trip. Besides, from what Rosie had said I knew they were curious about Daniel and Bella. I simply said that I’d been invited back, which was true, and it was a chance to get to know Daniel a little better. They were so pleased that I had to make it clear they should be very careful about what they said to Rosie. And that’s next on my action list. What do I tell her?
I’m in the kitchen stirring the homemade spaghetti b
olognaise sauce and trying to come up with something suitable to say when my phone rings. I don’t recognise the number and when I answer it’s a man’s voice.
‘Hello, is that Leah?’
‘Yes, it is.’
‘Harrison asked me to give you a call, I’m Oliver Parker-Smith. I wondered if you’d be free to Skype sometime this evening? I gather you have a young daughter and I didn’t want to ring at an inopportune moment. I will need to run through some personal information with you to begin with.’
‘Of course, thank you. We’re just about to have dinner and by the time I settle her down it’s probably going to be around eight o’clock before I’m free. Is that too late, Oliver?’
‘Please, call me Ollie. No, that’s fine. I’ll have Harrison text you my Skype ID. If you can send a request, I’ll add you to my contacts ready for the call. Hopefully we’ll speak later.’
‘I appreciate it, Ollie. Many thanks.’
Rosie appears for the tail end of the conversation, probably hungry and wanting to know when it’s going to be time to eat.
‘Five minutes, darling, and this will be ready. Why don’t you grab a drink and lay the table for me?’
‘Okay, Mum.’
She was bright enough when I picked her up from school and she’s much more like her usual self again, I’m glad to see.
‘How do you fancy a long weekend at Grandma and Granddad’s a week from Friday? I’m going back to Athens to photograph the other villa and the flight times are awful. And the journey is via Frankfurt, so it’s going to involve a lot of time hanging around in airports and not much actual time in Athens.’
A Greek Affair Page 18