Page 10 of Seven Letters

‘Are you sure, love? Would you not like a surprise?’ Charlie asked.

Sarah shook her head. ‘No. Either way I’ll be thrilled. With Izzy I was happy for it to be a surprise, but I’ve decided this time I want to know.’

Sarah turned back to face Frankie.

‘Well, Sarah, I can’t say with one hundred per cent certainty, but I can say that I’m very confident that it’s … a boy.’

‘Oh, a boy,’ Sarah whispered, as tears of joy ran down her cheeks.

‘A grandson.’ Charlie beamed. ‘The first boy in our family for decades.’

‘It’s perfect,’ Sarah said. ‘We’ll have the perfect family.’

‘You deserve it, pet.’ Charlie squeezed her hand.

Sarah sat in the café next door to the hospital, staring at the printout of the ultrasound. The café was small and warm, full of students from the nearby college of art. Charlie came back to the table with a tray. He plonked down two cappuccinos and a large slice of sponge cake dripping with cream and jam. ‘To celebrate my grandson.’ He winked and handed Sarah a fork.

She groaned. ‘Daaaad!I’m supposed to be trying not to eat too much in this pregnancy. You know cake is my downfall.’

‘Ah, will you stop! No man likes a skinny woman.’

The cake was calling: ‘Eat me.’ Sod it. Sarah dug in her fork and put a chunk into her mouth. God, it tasted so good.

‘Do you think that person behind the counter is one of those transvestite or transgender types?’ Charlie asked.

Sarah looked over. ‘No. She’s a girl with really short hair and a lot of tattoos.’

‘In my day you’d know who was a girl and who was a boy. Nowadays you can’t be too sure. And you’d be afraid to say anything in case you’d get it wrong or insult someone. I don’t know, I think it was easier in the old days.’

‘Easier for some, oppressive for others,’ Sarah remarked.

‘It’s hard for us oldies. We don’t know what to be saying to anyone any more. You’d be afraid even to tell a girl she looks nice. The world has gone mad.’

‘No, Dad, it’s just that people who were once marginalized can now openly be who they are. And women don’t have to put up with being sleazed over. It’s a good thing, believe me. I had a really creepy boss in the call centre who was always making lewd comments. I hated it. It made me feel so uncomfortable.’

Charlie ate a large chunk of cake. ‘Fair enough, point taken. Anyway, my little grandson will be a boy and that’s that.’

Sarah laughed. ‘He’ll be whatever he wants to be.’

‘He’ll be marvellous. I can’t wait to take him to football matches and kick a ball about with him. I’ve been outnumbered by women for too long – me and this little fella will be great pals.’

Sarah smiled at her father. He’d be a fantastic granddad to her son, just like he’d been a wonderful father and grandfather to her and Mia, Riley and Izzy. She was extra glad it was a boy for Charlie to hang out with.

Sarah’s phone buzzed on the table between them and the screen lit up. It was Adam.Well? All OK?She ignored it.

‘Are you not going to tell him?’ Charlie said, nodding at her phone.

‘No. He can wait. I’m really furious with him. I begged him to be there, but he got stuck in some negotiation. It’s always work with him.’

Charlie put down his fork. A group of loud students left the café, bringing a lot of the noise with them. It was a relief. Sarah’s headache was back and throbbing.

‘I know you’re angry but, to be fair, if he was stuck in negotiations for a new contract, he couldn’t really walk out. He’s a very driven man and you have to admire that.’

Sarah pushed a strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. ‘I do, Dad, but sometimes I think he’s too driven. In the last year he’s been so busy in work he’s rarely home for dinner or even to tuck Izzy in. I miss him. Izzy does too.’

Charlie sighed. ‘It’s hard for him to turn down contracts – you have to make hay while the sun shines. Look at Johnny. Will he ever get another job in journalism? Poor old Mia is worn out with the worry and stress. She’s very short-tempered, these days. Jeepers, she ripped my head off the other day just for telling her she looked tired.’

Sarah winced. No woman wanted to be told she looked tired, especially a woman who was tired and under pressure. ‘I guess you’re right, Dad, but there has to be a better work–life balance for Adam. Izzy is growing up so fast and I don’t want him to miss it. We don’t need a bigger house or fancier cars. I just want him to be there more.’

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