Bess shook her head. ‘The only thing that concerned me when Jake came out as a young teenager was that, as a gay man, he might experience prejudice or hatred because of his sexuality – that bothered me more than anything. I didn’t want my child to go through that – who does? I didn’t want him to experience something that was so unjust and that I couldn’t shield him from. That, and I suppose a little bit of me selfishly thought I would miss out on becoming a granny.’ She recalled her earlier flash of envy on learning Michelle was a nanna – and now it was her turn! ‘Things were very different when I was growing up – it was unusual for gay men to become parents as a couple, and look how that’s turned out.’ She twisted her neck to look at the scan picture. ‘When’s he due?’

‘January the twenty-ninth.’

‘Wow! Will you be at the birth – how does it work?’

Daniel nodded. ‘We’ll both be in the room with Gigi. She’s coming down here to have the baby and she’ll stay at the hospital for as long as they need her to – could be a day or a week, depending on the kind of birth she has and her recovery – and then we’ll take him home, just like any other couple leaving hospital with our baby boy.’

‘Oh, Dan!’ The tears came then as Bess pictured the day, picturing also the moments her own babies had been lifted from her body . . . That euphoria, that pure floating moment of joy. A time in her life when she had felt valued, good enough and excited about her future with Mario by her side and her babies sleeping soundly under her roof. This was the state to which she wanted to return, when she had felt invincible!

‘I feel like we need to start over a bit, Bess, you and me. I’m going to need your support,’ Dan said.

‘Yes.’ She held his hand across the tabletop. ‘I would really like that.’

‘Dan!’ Mario called from the hallway. ‘What you having, son – fish and chips?’

‘Lovely.’

‘Usual for you, Grandma?’ Mario was trying out the word for the first time, and her heart swelled, not only at hearing it out loud, but recognising it as an olive branch, which she eagerly grasped and held close to her heart.

‘Oh don’t! You’ll set me off again!’ And just like that her tears returned, happy tears this time.

‘I’ve called your mum and dad – they’re on their way,’ Mario informed her as he grabbed the keys to the van.

‘Marvellous. Thank you, love.’ She couldn’t wait to see them receive the news of their great-grandson. She hoped her dad might have his harmonica on him. If ever there was the need for a rendition of ‘Congratulations’, it was now!

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

August 20th 1984