His eyebrows shot up as he turned to Lili. ‘Are you saying that Maisie is my … my …?’
‘Yes, Ray. She’s your granddaughter.’
Lili saw the tears in his eyes. She placed her hand on his forearm and smiled. ‘I hope you believe in second chances, Ray, because you just got yours.’ She opened her handbag and found a pen. She looked at Ray. ‘Have you got some paper? I’m going to give you her mother’s address in London and her phone number.’ Lili had always felt strongly that Maisie had a right to know her grandparents. It was so sad for Maisie that her mother had remained estranged from her own parents, which meant that Maisie was estranged from them too. That didn’t have to be the case with Ray and Sarah, though. In fact, Lili would do her best to make sure it wasn’t.
Ray stepped into the kitchen and returned with a notepad.
Lili wrote the address and phone number twice. She tore a sheet of paper out of the pad and handed it to Ray. ‘I’ve also jotted the address down for Nate. Will you be sure he gets it?’
‘Of course I will.’
‘In the meantime, I intend to speak to Hannah.’ Lili knew Hannah had been able to cut Maisie’s grandparents out of her life, but she couldn’t do it to Nate – not anymore. Nate had a right to see his child.
A car turned up the driveway and arrived at the house. William ran outside again, followed by Bella, hoping Maisie had come back. Lili sighed. It wasn’t Hannah and Maisie. It was her taxi. She stepped outside and turned around to take one last look at The Summerhouse. She didn’t realise how attached she’d become to this place, these people, all in such a short space of time. She had tears in her eyes at the thought of leaving.
Ray stepped outside too and surprised her by putting his arms round her and giving her a hug. ‘I wish … I wish you were Maisie’s mother.’
So do I, thought Lili – not just because she loved Maisie so much, but because she was falling in love with Nate, and he’d probably never speak to her again. This would be the last she saw of The Summerhouse or Ray, Sarah, William – and Nate.
Lili pulled back and wiped her face with the sleeve of her blouse. She remembered that she had something to tell Ray before she left, and she’d rather he heard it from her. She took a deep breath. ‘Look, there’s something I want you to know before you hear it from somebody else. It’s about me and Joseph …’