After the lawyer had gone, Jez sat looking thoughtful and Tom didn’t dare interrupt him, so fiddled around with another cup of coffee.

‘There’s a lot to decide,’ Jez said at last. He wasn’t looking at Tom as he added, ‘I hope I can keep on seeing you – and the children?’

Tom lost it again, nodded, could only make a gruff sound. He was near to howling like a baby from sheer relief that his father did want to keep seeing him. He found Jez sitting next to him again, patting his shoulder. Blinking furiously, he sniffed and hunted for a tissue. One was pressed into his hand.

‘It must have been bad.’

‘Yeah. Worst of all, I’ve been worried she’d hurt the kids. Though she never has, I’ll give her that. But she’s neglected them badly, and when she’s drunk she doesn’t know what she’s doing. They’ve learned to hide when she’s like that. Hayley’s very ingenious about finding places to hide and looking after her little brother.’

‘I’m dying to meet them.’

‘You’ll love them. You know … I was worried about meeting you.’

Jez smiled. ‘I know. I was terrified. But that’s all right now, isn’t it?’

Tom turned and glanced at him, only able to nod. He hadn’t expected meeting his father to affect him so strongly. More silence, then Jez asked, ‘What we need to decide is where you want to live after you separate from your wife. She’ll be entitled to half your present house, I should think, but I can buy you another wherever you like – if that’s all right with you. Up north or down here.’

‘Buy me a house?’ Tom gaped at him.

‘Or you could come and live with me. I hate hotels, and I’m negotiating to buy a big house, one with room for a small recording studio in it. This place I’ve seen has some self-contained flats for live-in staff. You and the kids could have one – if you like. And my housekeeper could provide meals for all of us. We’d get you a nanny … but that’s only if you want. I’m not trying to take over your life.’

Tom swallowed hard, trying to take all this in. Finally he managed, ‘Yeah. That’d be great. Really … great.’

‘You wouldn’t prefer to stay near your mother?’

He didn’t hesitate. ‘Definitely not. I want to – get to know you. Let the kids get to know you. If that’s all right?’

‘That’s great – just great.’ It was Jez’s turn to struggle for self-control, Tom’s turn to pat his father and allow him time to pull himself together.

Sometimes, Tom thought as he watched Jez, there simply weren’t any words that fitted. He’d never spent two such emotional days, wouldn’t have missed them for the world, but he felt gutted now, absolutely exhausted by it.

It suddenly occurred to him that it might look as if he was after the money and he added hastily, ‘I’ll need to find a job as soon as possible, mind. I don’t want to sponge off you.’