recommence.
‘Sorry,’ said Dex through the open window. ‘I tried ringing the bell a few times but you didn’t hear it.’
‘That would be because I was too busy making an almighty prat of myself. OK, give me a moment to calm down.’ Molly pressed her hands to her flaming cheeks; the next moment her attention was caught by the bundle in his arms and she broke into a slow smile. ‘Is this her? Delphi?’
Dex nodded, touched she’d remembered the name. ‘It is.’
‘OK, wait there.’ Molly disappeared from the living room. Moments later she flung open the front door. ‘Come on in. I thought we’d never see you again. And look at you , you’re so beautiful!’ This last bit wasn’t directed at him; she was stroking Delphi’s face and tickling her under the chin to make her laugh. ‘Hello, sweetie pie, aren’t you gorgeous? Look at your eyes!’ Turning to Dex, she said, ‘They’re just like yours. So what’s this then, a day trip? How often are you allowed to see her?’
He followed her into the kitchen. ‘First things first. These are for you.’ Producing the flowers from their half-hidden position behind his back, Dex said, ‘Sorry it’s a bit late but thanks for everything.’
‘Don’t be daft.’ He liked the way she batted away the gratitude. ‘Anyone would have done the same.’
‘But it was you. And you let me talk things through for hours. You were amazing and I just left the next morning without a word. Bloody rude.’
Molly took the bouquet from him. ‘You were in shock. It’s allowed.’
‘Still, thank you again. I’m not usually that bad.’ He watched her tickle Delphi’s ear with one of the flowers, liking the way she concentrated all her attention on Delphi rather than him.
‘You mean when you spend the night at a girl’s place you usually say goodbye before racing out of their lives forever?’
‘Something like that.’ He liked her sense of humour too.
‘The last few weeks must have been pretty horrific.’ Her expression grew serious. ‘How are you coping?’
Dex shrugged. ‘Not so bad. The funeral was an ordeal but it’s sunk in now. And I’m not crying any more, you’ll be relieved to hear.’
‘Don’t worry about it. Crying’s normal.’
‘Not for me it isn’t. I hadn’t cried since I was seven when my hamster died.’ Dex grimaced. ‘And that was pretty embarrassing.’
‘Oh, come on, how could it be? You were only seven!’
‘My teacher at school told me my hamster had gone to heaven so I climbed a tree,’ said Dex, ‘to see if I could see it from up there. Then the teacher yelled at me and I fell out of the tree and broke my arm. It bloody hurt. I cried. Some of the other kids laughed.’ Deadpan, he went on, ‘I never cried again after that.’
‘It’s enough to mentally scar any seven year old for life.’ Molly nodded in solemn agreement. ‘And how’s Delphi doing?’
‘She’s fine, just as happy as before. It sounds terrible, but it’s better that she isn’t old enough to understand.’
‘That’s good.’ Another sympathetic nod. ‘And how often do you get to see her?’
‘It’s been three or four visits a week up till now.’ Dex shifted Delphi from one hip to the other, love and pride welling up inhis chest. ‘As of yesterday, it’s going to be pretty much non-stop.’
‘You mean . . . what does that mean?’ As it slowly sank in, Molly’s eyes widened. ‘Are you going to be looking after her yourself ?’
‘I am.’
‘Full time?’
‘Twenty-four seven. I know, I can hardly believe it myself. The six-week assessment was yesterday. They’ve approved me as a Reg 38 carer.’ Listen to him, spouting technical jargon he hadn’t even known existed two months ago . ‘I’m actually in sole charge of a helpless human being.’
‘Oh my God,’ Molly exclaimed, ‘that is so brilliant! You said you couldn’t do it!’
‘And I meant it. But you made me think that maybe I could.’ He smiled briefly.
‘Sorry,’ said Dex through the open window. ‘I tried ringing the bell a few times but you didn’t hear it.’
‘That would be because I was too busy making an almighty prat of myself. OK, give me a moment to calm down.’ Molly pressed her hands to her flaming cheeks; the next moment her attention was caught by the bundle in his arms and she broke into a slow smile. ‘Is this her? Delphi?’
Dex nodded, touched she’d remembered the name. ‘It is.’
‘OK, wait there.’ Molly disappeared from the living room. Moments later she flung open the front door. ‘Come on in. I thought we’d never see you again. And look at you , you’re so beautiful!’ This last bit wasn’t directed at him; she was stroking Delphi’s face and tickling her under the chin to make her laugh. ‘Hello, sweetie pie, aren’t you gorgeous? Look at your eyes!’ Turning to Dex, she said, ‘They’re just like yours. So what’s this then, a day trip? How often are you allowed to see her?’
He followed her into the kitchen. ‘First things first. These are for you.’ Producing the flowers from their half-hidden position behind his back, Dex said, ‘Sorry it’s a bit late but thanks for everything.’
‘Don’t be daft.’ He liked the way she batted away the gratitude. ‘Anyone would have done the same.’
‘But it was you. And you let me talk things through for hours. You were amazing and I just left the next morning without a word. Bloody rude.’
Molly took the bouquet from him. ‘You were in shock. It’s allowed.’
‘Still, thank you again. I’m not usually that bad.’ He watched her tickle Delphi’s ear with one of the flowers, liking the way she concentrated all her attention on Delphi rather than him.
‘You mean when you spend the night at a girl’s place you usually say goodbye before racing out of their lives forever?’
‘Something like that.’ He liked her sense of humour too.
‘The last few weeks must have been pretty horrific.’ Her expression grew serious. ‘How are you coping?’
Dex shrugged. ‘Not so bad. The funeral was an ordeal but it’s sunk in now. And I’m not crying any more, you’ll be relieved to hear.’
‘Don’t worry about it. Crying’s normal.’
‘Not for me it isn’t. I hadn’t cried since I was seven when my hamster died.’ Dex grimaced. ‘And that was pretty embarrassing.’
‘Oh, come on, how could it be? You were only seven!’
‘My teacher at school told me my hamster had gone to heaven so I climbed a tree,’ said Dex, ‘to see if I could see it from up there. Then the teacher yelled at me and I fell out of the tree and broke my arm. It bloody hurt. I cried. Some of the other kids laughed.’ Deadpan, he went on, ‘I never cried again after that.’
‘It’s enough to mentally scar any seven year old for life.’ Molly nodded in solemn agreement. ‘And how’s Delphi doing?’
‘She’s fine, just as happy as before. It sounds terrible, but it’s better that she isn’t old enough to understand.’
‘That’s good.’ Another sympathetic nod. ‘And how often do you get to see her?’
‘It’s been three or four visits a week up till now.’ Dex shifted Delphi from one hip to the other, love and pride welling up inhis chest. ‘As of yesterday, it’s going to be pretty much non-stop.’
‘You mean . . . what does that mean?’ As it slowly sank in, Molly’s eyes widened. ‘Are you going to be looking after her yourself ?’
‘I am.’
‘Full time?’
‘Twenty-four seven. I know, I can hardly believe it myself. The six-week assessment was yesterday. They’ve approved me as a Reg 38 carer.’ Listen to him, spouting technical jargon he hadn’t even known existed two months ago . ‘I’m actually in sole charge of a helpless human being.’
‘Oh my God,’ Molly exclaimed, ‘that is so brilliant! You said you couldn’t do it!’
‘And I meant it. But you made me think that maybe I could.’ He smiled briefly.
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