J & P Book 5 - Never Let Me Go

Chapter Five

The atmosphere was noticeably strained at the Dunral home when Jenny and Paul arrived there; this was by no means unusual over recent years but today it was for a completely new reason. Mike answered the door, looking questioningly at his nervous stepdaughter for a little while, saying nothing. After a few seconds, he stepped out of the door himself, shutting it behind him softly.

"Can I ask why you asked your mother that question?" he muttered.

"You can, but I just want to speak to her alone first," Jenny appealed to him.

Mike nodded, and opened the door again to reveal May approaching with Grace in her arms.

"Here's mummy and daddy," she said in a sing-song voice, but Jenny could detect her mother was upset, even without looking at her. As they made eye contact, she could see that May had been crying.

Paul held his arms out. "I'll take her, May."

May passed Grace gently to her father, and Jenny looked on adoringly as both father and daughter's face lit up at the sight of the other.

"Hello, my little princess," Paul said.

"Mum, we need to talk," Jenny said softly. "Just me and you."

May nodded, exchanging a glance with Mike. "We can go upstairs, I suppose. Make Paul a drink, love. He likes a nice cup of tea, don't you Paul?"

Mike looked unimpressed, but turned and headed in the direction of the kitchen. Jenny kissed her daughter on the forehead. "We won't be long," she said to Paul, and squeezed his hand, before following her mother upstairs.

Jenny followed her mother into the room which had once been her bedroom, and May sat down gently on the bed. She didn't say anything, she waited for Jenny to speak. Jenny looked at her mother for a moment, recognising so much of herself in her face and her mannerisms, noticing suddenly how much older she looked.

"Mum, a girl contacted me this morning. She's younger than me; she's twenty four. Alan Fox is her father. She believes she is my half-sister."

May said nothing, but Jenny could see the panic on her face.

"She looks very much like me. I met her earlier. I think she's right. I.. just thought you needed to know."

"I haven't spoken that man's name for over thirty years," May whimpered, looking downwards. "As far as I'm concerned, Mike is your father."

"I feel the same," Jenny pleaded. "I'm not saying I want to get to know him.."

"Good," May retorted. "I don't really like the thought of you getting to know him. But I can't stop you, Jenny."

"Mum, I don't know what happened back then. I'd understand better if you told me, wouldn't I? I can cope with it, you know better than anyone my own relationship history and how turbulent it's been.."

May looked sadly at her daughter. "I don't know, Jenny. One day, he was just gone. He never came back. We didn't have mobile phones back then, he didn't have any family in this country at all that I could contact."

"Oh, Mum," Jenny said, putting her arm around her. "Why on earth didn't you tell me?"

"You were too young to remember him. By the time you were old enough to understand the concept of a father, you had Mike. When you did work out for yourself that your father was out there, and you asked me, I just told you he left me when you were a baby and you never seemed to want to know any more."