She didn’t look at her husband as she said quietly, ‘What have you heard about this bloke, then?’
Michael snorted in derision. This was always the way – Josephine left him to find out everything of relevance where their daughter was concerned, then acted as if she was not expecting to hear what he told her.
‘Well, for starters, he’s forty-odd, has a wife and four kids and he’s a druggie. A cokehead to be exact and a small-time dealer, who thinks he’s a fucking big villain. And our Jessie is bankrolling him.’
Josephine put her head into her hands; she wasn’t shocked at her husband’s words, she was just disappointed in her daughter’s choice of man. Why she felt so dismayed she didn’t know – it was the same old story time and time again.
‘Oh, let her get on with it, Michael. Don’t interfere. She’s promised to come and have tea with little Jake on Sunday. I’ll see how she is then.’
The subject was closed and Michael knew it. ‘Well, I’ll be seeing her tomorrow anyway, Josephine. It’s pay day.’
Josephine didn’t answer. She knew that Michael detested paying his daughter just to keep his eye on her. If it was left to him she wasn’t so sure he would still bother. It was all for her, to keep Jessie as close as she could.
Michael put his arm around his wife’s shoulders and hugged her to him. His daughter had broken his heart, but she had given him her son, he had salvaged that much.
‘How is the little man, anyway? Did he enjoy his school trip? Where did they go? To a farm, wasn’t it?’ Michael’s grandson was his life; he adored the child.
‘Yeah, he loved it, Michael. He was full of it when he got home. He’s clever, you know, a real shrewdie. Six years old and he can already read anything. His teacher reckons he’s well ahead of the other kids in his year.’
Michael was pleased. He knew his grandson was a one-off, now it seemed that the school was of the same opinion. Jake was a right little character.
‘I said that, didn’t I? He is a real fucking brainiac. He’s always been ahead of the other kids. Look at how early he was with his counting and reciting things.’
Josephine basked in her husband’s joy. Jake had always been quick off the mark. She was pleased he was showing such talent. ‘Well, the school thinks he has real potential, so we need to make sure that he gets all the encouragement he needs.’
‘A done deal, darling, you know that. Why don’t you come downstairs with me and have a glass of wine? I could do with something to mellow me out a bit. I’m tired, but I’m not sleepy, if that makes sense?’
But Josephine was already shaking her head at his words, and Michael swallowed down his annoyance. Josephine rarely left her rooms these days. She went to the kitchen to cook occasionally, or to see Jessie, if she deigned to visit, but that was about it. She spent most of her life inside her bedroom and she had not ventured outside the house for years. Even the garden was off limits to her these days.
‘Bring the bottle of wine up here, Michael. I need to get myself sorted out.’
She looked around her, as if she had important things to do. It was her usual reaction, and Michael wasn’t going to say anything to challenge her. He got up from the bed slowly, pretending, as always, that he didn’t notice the clutter everywhere, the boxes of rubbish that she surrounded herself with. Smiling easily at his wife, he said gently, ‘I fancy a nice glass of red. You OK with that, darling?’
Josephine smiled back, grateful that her husband was always so kind to her, so very understanding. She saw how hard it was for him. ‘That sounds good to me, Michael. I love a nice red.’ As he opened the bedroom door, she had a sudden urge to say something else. ‘I’m so sorry, Michael. I wish more than anything that I could make everything all right for us. You do know that, don’t you?’
He turned back towards his wife and saw the sorrow on her lovely face. She was still a real beauty, still the only woman he had ever wanted. ‘’Course I know that. You’re the love of my life, Josephine, always will be. Now, let me go and get the wine. I feel like spending some quality time with my lovely wife.’ He winked at her saucily, then he left the room.
She watched him go and sighed. She had never wanted anyone else since the first time she had clapped eyes on him. She had always put him before everyone else in her life, even her daughter, and she always would. He was everything to her, and that would never change.
Michael came back with the wine and two Waterford crystal glasses. She followed him obediently out to her balcony; she knew he liked to see her in the fresh air. She sat down at the wrought-iron table, and took a large sip of the wine her husband had poured for her.