Sure Fire. Justin Richards

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      The woman from the Social Services was shaking the strange man’s hand. She glanced over at Rich and Jade, then walked quickly away. The man seemed to gather himself, squaring his shoulders and taking a deep breath that made his chest heave. Then he and Mrs Gilpin came over to where the twins were standing.

      “Hello,” the man said. His voice was deep and rich, and he tried to smile. He reached his hand out towards Rich, such a natural gesture that Rich found himself taking the man’s hand and shaking it. The man’s grip was firm and confident.

      Rich felt his insides turn to water as the man introduced himself.

      “John Chance,” he said. “I’m your father.”

      They sat at the back of the church while the priest tidied things away and worked in the vestry.

      “How can you be our dad?” Jade demanded as soon as they sat down.

      “Why should we believe you?” Rich asked.

      “It’s as much of a shock for me too,” Chance said.

      “Why didn’t Mum say anything?” Jade asked. “We didn’t even know she’d been married.”

      “It was a long time ago,” Chance said. “Sixteen years. I came home one day and she was gone. She left a note, but it didn’t say much. I assumed I’d hear – from her lawyers if not from Sandy herself.”

      “No one called her Sandy,” Jade said. “Mum hated it.”

      “I’m sorry,” Chance said. “Until last week I really didn’t know anything. Then I got a call from Mrs Gilpin. Apparently, your mother left a letter with her – in case anything happened to her.”

      Chance smiled, but it looked strained. “I did love your mother very much,” he said. “I believed she loved me.”

      “Believed?” Jade prompted.

      Chance turned away.

      “She never asked for a divorce – she even carried on using my name. We’re still married.” He hesitated, realising his mistake. “Were still married. That’s partly why you’re in my care.”

      “I’m sorry if it’s spoiled your day,” Jade said sharply.

      “That isn’t what I meant,” he said.

      “I guess it’s a shock for you too,” Rich said. He still had his hand on Jade’s shoulder. She put her hand over the top of it.

      “Just a bit,” Chance confessed. “But, look – we’ll make it work. I’m in the middle of some business right now, quite intense stuff. But that should be over soon. By the end of term, when you come home, we’ll be able to spend some time and sort out where we go from here, OK?”

      “Come home?” Rich echoed. “You mean we’re staying up here till the end of term?”

      “With the Gilpins?” Jade asked. “While you go back to London?”

      Chance looked awkward. “Not exactly. That isn’t what I meant.”

      “Then what did you mean, Dad?” Jade asked.

      “Look, I haven’t exactly had time to plan this,” Chance told them. “I live in a tiny flat right now. It’s hardly big enough for me, let alone the three of us. And I’m working all the hours God sends. I can’t get you to and from school and cook your meals and look after you and—”

      “And change our nappies?” Rich said. “We’re fifteen. We can cope. Mum worked, you know.”

      “We’ll discuss it at the end of term, all right?” Chance said.

      “And where will we be in the mean time?” Rich wanted to know. “In some poky flat that’s too small for us all?”

      But Jade was staring open-mouthed at Chance. “No way. Absolutely no way at all, ever, on this earth.” She looked round at Rich.

      And he realised what she had already guessed. “Boarding school is right out,” he agreed. “Not if it’s the last school on the planet.”

      “Just till the end of this term,” Chance told them. “Till I can spend some time with you and work this out.”

      “No way,” Jade said.

      “Never,” Rich told him.

      Chance stood up. His voice was quiet, but Rich could sense an undercurrent of determination. “I’m not asking you. I’m your father and I have to decide. I’m sorry, but that’s how it has to work. End of debate.”

      “That wasn’t a debate,” Rich said. “A debate involves two points of view and a decision based on the arguments. That didn’t happen.”

      “You just decided for us,” Jade added. “You’ve only just met us and already you can’t wait to get rid of us.”

      “I’m not talking about it,” Chance said. “Because you’re right – there is no debate. It’s decided.”

      “Oh – so suddenly you know what’s best for us?” Jade said. She stood up and glared at Chance. “You abandon us and Mum sixteen years ago and now you’re back and you know best? I don’t think so.”

      “Wait a minute,” Rich said. “Sixteen years ago. We weren’t even born then.”

      “You didn’t even wait till we were born?”

      “Now hold on. Sandy – Sandra,” Chance corrected himself quickly, “left me. It wasn’t my decision. I’d never have left her. Even if…” He stopped abruptly.

      “Even if what?” Rich asked.

      Chance took a deep breath. “Until yesterday, I didn’t know where your mother had gone, what she’d been doing. Until yesterday, I didn’t know I was a father.”

      * * *

      No one spoke all the way to the Gilpins’ house. Chance parked the car in a space outside the house next door – outside the rented house that Rich and Jade had lived in for the last few weeks with their mother. Jade doubted he even realised.

      “Everything’s going into storage,” Chance explained. “We can sort through all your stuff later, decide what you want.”

      “At the end of term, right?” Jade said.

      Mr Gilpin answered the door. He shook hands with Chance and muttered something about condolences. He glared at Rich and ignored Jade. He stepped inside and gestured for them to come into the hallway.

      Several boxes and carrier bags were lined up against the wall. Jade could see her own clothes spilling out of one of the bags. School books shoved in a box. Rich’s best trainers in another.

      “We could have packed our own stuff,” she said.

      Mr СКАЧАТЬ