Free Waiting for Grace by Hayley Oakes Page A

for him. I had turned his life upside down, but he came looking for me, not that he expected my news, but he wanted to find me and that would have stirred up emotion no matter what.
    “Look,” I said cheerily, trying to lighten the mood. “How about I speak to Devon this morning. I’m working but perhaps we could all go out for tea? We have plans tomorrow, but maybe we could meet again mid week after school, I’m off Tuesdays.” He was silent for a moment.
    “Okay, that sounds good thanks.”
    “Great.” I had to admit that I wanted to see them together. I knew Devon would be happy and she would love him. It would be her dream come true to have a daddy and Robert would be a fabulous father, but I would eventually be excluded. I felt a tinge of jealousy as Devon would have Robert for life, but I had lost him years ago.
    “Right. Well shall I pick you up from work and then I can come back to yours, meet Devon, and then we can go out to dinner?”
    “Oh okay,” I said. A little taken aback, I wasn’t sure what I expected, but I suppose it would make sense for him to meet her at our flat. I felt a little excitement to see him again, despite the way he had behaved last time in the street, because this was Robert after all. He was the only person I had loved, the only person who had loved me besides my new little family, and he gave me the confidence to strive for better. I had spent all these years thinking he would never remember and never feel the way I did, but I saw it in his eyes that first day in the diner. He still felt it all.
     
    ***
     
    I worked hard that day, looking forward to my day off and buried all the apprehension about Robert and Devon deep inside. I had no idea how Devon would react and also what Robert would think of her, what if he questioned she was his? What if he met her and then that was enough? He might not want a relationship with her. I did doubt that though. I didn’t doubt that he would love the baby we had made just as much as I did.
    I had spoken to Devon that morning. “Devon, can we have a chat?” I said as she brushed her hair. Maria had taken Max to the local Spar for some bread and milk.
    “Um,” she said, grabbing a bobble off the top of her dressing table. She was such a girly girl, so different from how I had been. She liked to look her best and took the time to make sure her hair was done. She could do her own French plaits, and it was truly amazing considering I could barely do a bun. Maria had taught her, of course, always plaiting her own unruly hair and finding an apprentice in Devon.
    “Devon,” I said, sitting on her bed. “Do you remember when we talked about your dad?” She suddenly snapped her head to me.
    “Yes,” she nodded. “You loved each other very much, but sometimes love isn’t enough … but he’s a good person.” I smiled at her word for word translation of our many conversations.
    “That’s right. He is a good man, and we were just so young that he needed to finish all his exams, so I kept you just for me.”
    She smiled. “Your special little girl.”
    “Right.” I nodded. “Well I didn’t know when, but I knew one day we’d see him again, and I have seen him.”
    “You have?” she asked. “My dad?” She patted her chest as she said it.
    “Yes.” My eyes misted with tears for my beautiful daughter, for the little girl who I had denied a father. “We bumped into each other and he wants to meet you.”
    She grinned. “Really? And are we going to meet him?”
    I nodded. “He’d love to meet you, and he wants us to all have dinner together tonight.”
    “And can we?” She jumped up excitedly and ran to hug me. “Will I get to meet my daddy?” She looked up at me and I nodded.
    “Yes.” I kissed her head. “If you want to, tonight after I finish work.”
    “Wow,” she said. “Sienna Smith said that daddies don’t ever come back once they leave, but mine has hasn’t he?” she beamed.
    I held her close to me. “Yours