Page 92 of When We Are Old

The way she said those boys made fire burn bright in my veins. I turned, gripping the phone tight and looked at them both, and the stupid dog.

“Actually, my girlfriend is here for the holiday. You would have known that if you’d contacted me at the beginning of the week when you were supposed to come and get the boys. Now I'll keep them until the schools return.”

My blood pulsed hot and fast.

“You can’t do that. They are mine. You can’t have them with a new girlfriend. That’s not been agreed.”

“No, Julie. What’s not been agreed is you palming them off on various relatives and friends when you need to get your hair done, or your nails done. Now they're with me. We're going to have some fun.”

“Oh please. And tell me, does your new girlfriend know you’re a greengrocer of a shop that isn’t even open?”

I laughed and, shit, it felt good. “Julie, she’s the one who came up with the idea. I’ll speak to you in a week.”

I hung up and then turned back to the kids. “Sorry, lads, she’s your mother, and you should love her with all your hearts and respect her; but I need to make a claim. You' re mine; just as much as hers, if not more so.”

“How so, Dad?” Ewan asked. Jack yawned and dropped his head onto his brother's shoulder. No! This wouldn’t do. I needed them awake for my master plan.

“Who do you think changed all your nappies?”

‘Youuuuu.” Jack’s eyes dropped.

“Who wipes your bonny arses now?” I grinned.

“Youuuuu.”

“Okay. You know the plan. She’s in there. We need her outside.”

Ewan unlocked his seatbelt. “So are we acting like orphans in Oliver Twist?”

“What do you know about Oliver Twist?”

“Lots. We talked about him at school.”

I nodded. “Good. Get her in the car, otherwise its gruel for the rest of the holiday… and no sweets.”

That got them moving up the path. I’m not such a shit dad I didn’t have eyes on them the whole time.

Ewan pressed the buzzer and then while they waited for the answer to the door, they both got down on their knees. In their pyjama’s it couldn’t look more perfect.

Ange came to the door and dropped her gaze to the boys, her lips quirking under the illumination for the security light. She glanced up at the car and slowly shook her head at me. ‘Pathetic,’ she mouthed, but then grinned. “Oh, Veronica, it’s for you.”

I held my breath as Ronnie’s shadows distorted in the hallway of the tenement. She gasped, her eyes flicking between the car and them. “What are you boys doing? You shouldn't be kneeling on the pavement in your pyjamas.”

“We need you,” Ewan started the speech we’d practised on the drive on the way over. “We know it’s crazy, and loud, and the house doesn’t have enough bathrooms,” he lurched off the script. “but… Hannah shouts, and her face is mean, but we like her watching telly with us and making dens.”

He hesitated and Jack jumped in. “We like it when Daddy smiles, it makes my heart turn pink and gooey like a girl. He’s fun when he laughs and makes his face all squished up with wrinkles.”

My throat tightened, strangling me.

“You think I make Daddy smile?” Ronnie got down onto her knees, peering close to Jack.

“You do. Even Nanny said it. And Uncle Liam said he was a miserable bastard until you turned up.”

Ange laughed loudly. Ronnie swiped at her cheeks. “You know, we can’t stay forever, not yet. Hannah has school to get back to and I have my job.” Ronnie’s gaze lifted and rested on me in the car.

Ewan nodded. “We know. That’s why we're going on holiday.”

Ronnie’s face dropped. Did she really think I would go away with Julie? How had I not made that clear. “I’ll miss you then.”