Joe and Dianne In Another Universe

Part 8

"Mum. Dad. Meet your granddaughter. Molly."

The door to Dianne's recovery room had opened with the two people who she had been wanting to see the most came shuffling in. 

Rina quickly engulfing her daughter in a tight hug while Mark bent down to see his granddaughter, who was sleeping in her hospital cot.

"Oh, isn't she just perfect," Mark cooed, stroking Molly's cheeks now completely lost in baby world.

"I'm sorry I wasn't with you, but I am so proud of you," Rina said, unsuccessfully trying to hide the tears that had started to fall from her eyes.

"It's okay mum, I was fine," Dianne reassured her, giving her mum another hug in comfort.

"Well, you had Joe, didn't you? Good job." Mark replied as he took photos of his wife holding Molly for the first time.

"Yeah. Listen. I need to tell you both something," Dianne said after her parents had had some time doting on Molly, knowing she had to come clean about Joe.

"What is it?" Rina asked lifting her head to look at her daughter from where she had been smiling down at her granddaughter in her arms.

"I haven't exactly been truthful with you," Dianne admitted as she took Molly back into her arms, weirdly feeling like she was protecting her from this bombshell that she was about to drop.

"About what Darl?" Rina asked now curious as to what Dianne could have not been truthful about.

Dianne, internally telling herself "to just do it, tell them...." took a deep breath and said, "About her dad."

~

"Is this a joke? Please tell me you're joking?" Zoe asked.

Joe had told his family as soon as he had arrived back at the hotel, deciding it was best to rip the plaster of quicker rather than later.

They at first had not believed him, pranking them to lighten the mood after he had been with the woman, who they all knew he loved, while she gave birth, they thought.

Soon though they realised that he was telling the truth when he wouldn't snap under their interrogation, Dianne had just given birth to his baby, his mum quickly needing a brandy for the shock.

"I'm not. I'm the father. Dianne's daughter is, well she's mine." Joe replied, scratching the back of his neck, a smile though appearing over his face as he thought back to his little girl in his arms.

"That's why you went after her. You knew as soon as you saw her." Joe's dad asked, surprised how calm his son was after the day's events.

"Why didn't she tell you?" Alfie asked Joe as he bounced Theo on his legs, the little boy desperately trying to get to his uncle who he had now not seen for a couple of hours.

"She didn't want to rock the boat, after the crash. I decided to stay with Casandra, and she respected that. I can't blame her." Joe informed them, sitting next to Alfie, allowing Theo to be handed over to his waiting arms.

"So, if my maths is correct, the night of the crash? When you went after her? You slept together?", Zoe asked Joe, still confused at how this entire situation had gone down.

"Yes.", Joe admitted, no point in denying it now. "She finally told me the truth about how she felt. I knew it was wrong, but I, well we, we couldn't stop it. We decided that night it was worth having another go. I was ready to end it with Cassie the next day".

"But then the accident", Zoe pressed, she wanted to know the full story.

"Even after I got the call from Mum....."