GEORGE

She has my eyes; both the colour and the warmth, thank goodness. Even during that brief and disappointing moment in my life, Nancy’s eyes retained a coldness that was off putting. I smile again at my daughter, for I refuse to think of her as hers. “A hug?” I suggest, opening my arms a little.

“Oh yes! Yes please!” She weeps, stepping into my arms. “Come on in, Daddy, you too! After all you made this possible!”

“I don’t want to…”

“Ronald, get in here; you too, Oliver!” I order. “You both made this possible!” And for a while we just hug and sniff occasionally. “I can’t thank you two enough, I am the one thing I have always wanted to be: a father.”

“I was going to make some tea, but this calls for something better than that!” Kimberley declares and grabs her purse. “Ronald, I am going to get it and then you can tell her our news as well!”

“Okay, Kimmy!” Ronald replies and wipes his eyes. “Now come on, let’s sit down, she won’t be long.”

I have known the Petersons for years, watched both daughters grow up. Never once thought that Lynette was the result of that night. She, unlike Lindsay, has a quiet dignity about her and is greatly admired at the country club. Her stock has always been higher than Nancy and Lindsay, though nobody would be foolish enough to let them know that for the rancour they would heap upon her, as  evidenced by the barbs that Nancy slung in her direction over her lack of grandchildren, many marriages and the like. When she finally settled - her words not mine - on Oliver, how her hopes sprung eternal only to be dash on the rocks of her infertility for having left it so long to try. Naturally, she, her cronies and the then pregnant Lindsay were oblivious to the disgusted silence that followed that.

“So beautiful. Just so beautiful.” I whisper as I stroke her cheek and she blushes. “It is strange, I know you but I don’t. I only know what she has said about you, and…”

“None of it good I’ll bet!” Oliver grumbles.

“No.” I admit, then turn to Ronald. “So why? Why seek me out after all these years? You aren’t sick, are you?!” I exclaim, searching his face for signs of illness but he chuckles and shakes his head.

“Because you, my dear George, are one of the biggest bitches I have ever met.” I am not the only one stunned into silence, but he smiles wider. “And you loathe Cameron.”

“Daddy?” Something in the way she says that has me looking between the pair of them. She starts to go pale. “Do...do you?”

“Know? Yes I do, but I sought George out before I knew.”

“Oh my god.” Oliver gasps.

“Knew what?” I demand.

“Please, can we not taint this with that?” Lynette whispers and goes paler.

“Someone tell me what the that is?” I order.

“Come on, darling, please.” Oliver begs, and takes her hand.

“But I have only just…”

“And it won't make a difference. The admiration he has had for you should not change. Not your fault, remember?” Ronald interrupts.

“What did he do? Was it some botched job?! Oh, that man’s ego far surpasses his talent! Um, just one second. Why did you call me a bitch?!” I turn to Ronald.

“Because you and Cameron have one thing in common. Well two, but, unlike Cameron, you remained a bachelor. Now he has a Nancy beard.” Ronald replies, and my jaw drops. “Yes, I know that as well. Most of the people in the club do, well apart from one woman.”

“Know what?” Oliver frowns.

“May I for both of you?” Ronald asks gently. “Then it’s done.” Lynette nods then so do I. “Cameron is an ex of Lynette’s from when she was 15, and…”

“What?!” I explode and leap to my feet. “I am going to pull him limb from limb. I will end that fucker! Nobody will find him! I...oh, and as for her!” I snarl and pace at the same time.

“Uh, George…”

“I have a friend in the hills. I can get him there, he has always wanted to go, yes there. I will have to buy some special scrubs, and…”

“George!” Kimberley's voice jolts me to a stop, we all turn to her as nobody had heard her return. “What is going on?!”

“I uh...oh my dear darling girl. I am so sorry. So very sorry.” I sit back down next to Lynette. “So this a deliberate marriage do you think? She married him despite what he did, of all the people?!” She stares at me in confusion and I realise the nastiness of her mother. “I don’t just loathe Cameron, I loathe Nancy as well. Her social climbing is bad enough, her favouritism is worse, but her ability to place blame where it is not due is heinously reprehensible!” I take off my glasses to scrub my face. “I overheard her, all those years ago talking to her cronies. You know the two I mean, joined together in bitchery and witchery for years. Anyway, one night she came in looking furious and they headed to a corner to talk. She was complaining about how stupid her daughter was to go out on a date in something that made her date get a little handsy. She said...she said...that she forbade her from reporting it, as no actual sex took place, he just touched her a little keenly....”

“A little keenly?!” Now it is Ronald who has exploded. “And she told them that?!”

“Please, everyone stop shouting.” Lynette sniffs then sighs. “It goes some way to explaining the looks those two would give me. You never forget it, the looks of contempt, blame, and, sometimes, amusement. They would huddle together, whisper, cast looks and laugh…”

“Those two skankholes aren’t worth….” Ronald begins.

“Three of them. The three of them would do it. It only stopped four or five years ago when I met Oliver. He has been my strength and in him I finally found safety and happiness. Now can we please be done with this for now?”

We nod then nobody says anything, we are just too shocked that her mother would be so cruel and seemingly continue to be. I gasp as I have just realised something. “How long have you known about me being gay, Ronald?!”

“Had my suspicions for years. Now do you have a companion?”

“You’re gay?!” Lynette gapes, and my heart sinks.

“Yes. Realised soon after um…”

“Oh my! Can I tell her that as well as you being my father?!” Lynette beams.

“You’re not…” I trail off.

“Of course not! One of my dearest friends is...oh we need to...Daddy, do you...oh wait, what do I call you?”

“Dad?” I hedge then relax as Ronald grins. “He will always be daddy.”

“Ronald, are you thinking of who I am thinking of?” Kimberley smiles.

“Yes I am. He chuckles. “And I think that we need to leave that to Gus and Hunter to engineer.”

“Oh yes, definitely!”  Oliver laughs. “Did you hear about their conversation when Gus wanted to thank him and Hunter thought he meant he was coming out and wanted to be deflowered?!”

“Yes!” Ronald booms with laughter. “I don’t know who was more disappointed: Brian when he found out that Gus is not gay, or Ems when he found out that if he was he would not ask him for tips!”

“Gus? Hunter? Ems?” I frown.

“We must have dinner, introduce you to the family and friends!” Kimberley decrees and opens the champagne she brought back with her. It’s a Taittinger 1945. “And you know Ems, I mean Emmett, George. Well, you’ve not met him. He’s catering the fundraiser.”

“Honeycutt?! Emmett Honeycutt is doing the fundraiser catering?!” I can feel my face flaming.

“Yes. Why doth you blush?” Oliver teases then stares. “You fancy him?!”

“Oh this is going to be the easiest set up in the world! And if it goes as well as we hope it does, you can be his plus one at our wedding!” Kimberley smiles as she pours.

“Wedding?!” Lynette squeals before bursting into tears, which we know are of happiness, we wait for her to compose herself. “Oh finally, I have a mom!”