by Archer, Kiki
“That bit probably hurts the most,” joked Ryan.
Maria continued. “I thought it would be easier to just ignore you. Ignore what I’d discovered. But I couldn’t. I love you, Connie, and I need you in my life. I knew I had a choice. Beg your forgiveness and blame my absence on a wobble, never to mention my discovery to either you or Ryan, or tell the truth and face up to the facts. Ryan’s Alice’s donor.”
“No, I’m just Ry Ry.”
Maria smiled at him. “I know, and I’m glad we’ve spoken.” She turned back to Connie. “I needed to explain things to Ryan so I could be open with you, so things would start properly, with the truth out there for us all to explore. I don’t know what this means, or how things will work—”
“I’ll just be Ry Ry!” interrupted Ryan once more.
“I know, but when Alice asks, what will I tell her? When will we tell her? There’s so much to discuss.”
Connie shook her head in total confusion. “This may be even more complex.”
“No, Ryan and I spoke this morning. We’re fine. We both want the same thing. For the moment he’s just an anonymous donor, like he was yesterday and like he was the day before that.”
“You don’t understand.” Connie sat down on the end of the bed, stroking the outline of her son’s little legs. “Noah might be Ryan’s as well.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Six Months later
It was the fifth day of the New Year and the frosting of snow was adding an extra crispness to the evening air. Connie and Maria left the Shoreditch townhouse, both hugging a child into their hips.
“Down please?” asked Alice.
“Down too!” shouted Noah.
“No, you’ve both got your posh shoes on and there’s snow on the ground.” Maria locked the front door and followed Connie down the path.
“Say please, Noah,” shushed Alice.
The little boy nodded at the instruction. “Down please, Mummy?”
“No, the car’s just…” Connie stood still, smiling at the stretch limo parked next to the curb. “This isn’t for me?”
Maria’s dropped her spare arm over Connie’s shoulder. “Of course it is. Tonight’s your big night. We’re arriving in style.”
The two children used the distraction to wriggle free from their arms. “Snow!” shouted Alice, bending down to touch the glistening sparkles.
“Snow!” added Noah, scraping some up and scooping it straight into his mouth.”
Alice tutted at him. “Mrs Honey told you NOT to eat snow.”
“Sorry Mrs Honey.” He stuck his tongue out and let the melted crystals fall from his mouth. “Thorry Alith.”
Connie scooped him back up. “And what would Mrs Honey think about us taking you out so late on a school night?”
Alice clapped her hands. “School tomorrow!”
Maria lifted her daughter and whispered to Connie. “We could say we forgot?”
“Inset day?” said Connie, adding to the conspiracy.
“Noah missed Mrs Honey.”
Connie looked at her son. “You’ll have so much to tell her, all about Christmas and all about our new house.”
“And about the big long car for special party night,” added Alice, kicking her feet in excitement. “Put me in, put me in, put me in!”
Maria smiled at the chauffeur who stood ready to open the door on command.
“Sweets!” screamed Alice, diving into the car and running onto the soft leather.
“And fizzy pop!” added Noah, spotting the brightly lit minibar.
Maria cleared her throat. “Maybe we should send them in to Mrs Honey tomorrow so she can deal with their inevitable sleep deprived come down from tonight’s night of sugar and dancing.”
Connie lifted her long gown and stepped into the car. “We won’t be dancing, will we?”
Maria shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never been to a book launch before.”
****
Connie took a deep breath and clutched the little fingers in her own, Noah one side and Alice the other. She could feel Maria behind her, hands on her waist guiding her into the welcoming room.
The voice spoke again. “And here she is now. Miss Connie Parker with her two beautiful children and supportive life partner, Maria.”
Connie cringed. It had sounded much better on paper when she’d handed it to her publisher earlier that evening. They’d insisted on officially introducing her to the small crowd of people, and going into detail about their familial connection or calling Maria her girlfriend hadn’t sounded quite right, so she’d chosen to keep it simple, albeit saccharine.
Connie smiled at the sea of faces. Everyone was there who mattered. Even Earth Mother and Crusty had taken a night off from the kids. Her emotion-filled eyes gazed around at the well-wishers’ smiles before being drawn to the huge billboard on the stage. “The Adventures of Bonnie Blythe. By Miss Connie Parker.” Her heart skipped a beat. How had this happened? How had everything fallen so perfectly into place?
The disembodied voice continued. “Who’d like to hear a few words from the talented lady herself?”
Connie laughed loudly. “No, I’ve got my hands full.” She wiggled the little arms.
“We’ll take care of them,” said two men, reaching down to pick up the children.
“Higher!” squealed Noah, as he was thrown into the air.
“Me too, Ry Ry!” shouted Alice, desperate to join in the fun.
Connie waited for the catch before wrapping her arms around Karl’s shoulders. “You made it!”
“Of course I did. I wasn’t going to miss your big moment.”
“But Canada’s such a huge flight!”
Karl lifted Noah further up on his hip and tilted his head to the woman standing behind him. “Erin insisted we came.”
“Erin, hello!” Connie stepped forwards and kissed the pretty woman on the cheek. “It’s lovely to see you again. Thank you so much!”
She smiled. “It was Karl’s idea.”
Karl ruffled the little boy’s shirt. “Gives me chance to catch up with this big man. How have you been, mate? How’s Ryan been treating you?”
“Ry Ry’s just great,” said Noah with a smile.
Karl nodded and shook the hand of the man standing beside him. “I know he is, son.”
THE END
About the author:
Kiki Archer is a UK-based lesbian fiction novelist and winner of the Ultimate Planet’s Independent Author of the Year Award 2013.
Her debut novel, the best-selling “But She is My Student,” won the UK’s 2012 SoSoGay Best Book Award.
Its sequel, “Instigations,” took just 12 hours from its release to reach the top of the UK lesbian fiction chart.
Kiki also topped the lesbian fiction charts in 2013 with her best-selling third novel, “Binding Devotion,” which was a 2013 Rainbow Awards finalist.
“One Foot Onto The Ice” has been her most successful novel to date, breaking into the American contemporary fiction top 100 as well as achieving the US and UK lesbian fiction number one.
Kiki received an honourable mention in the 2014 Author of the Year category at the Lesbian Oscars.
Novels by Kiki Archer:
BUT SHE IS MY STUDENT - March 2012
INSTIGATIONS - August 2012
BINDING DEVOTION - February 2013
ONE FOOT ONTO THE ICE - September 2013
WHEN YOU KNOW - April 2014
TOO LATE… I LOVE YOU - June 2015
Connect with Kiki:
www.kikiarcher.com
www.twitter.com/kikiarcherbooks
www.facebook.com/kiki.archer
www.youtube.com/kikiarcherbooks
Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
> Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
About The Author