Hey love, youve got to hear whats been happening with James. Hes turned fiftytwo, a solid age, still looking fit as ever and holding down a decent senior role at his firm. Hes got a few mates, even one hes known since they were kids, but never managed to settle down with a family.
In his younger days he was a bit of a Casanova, hopping from one flirty adventure to the next. He liked the attention, thought he was pretty easy on the eye and always had a lady interested.
When he hit his forties he started feeling the years catching up. He met a wonderful woman, and they spent two years together, even talked about getting married. Then, out of the blue, she left him for someone else. James blamed karma all those girls hed broken hearts of now coming back to bite him.
After that, nothing serious ever stuck. Hed have the occasional fling or shortlived romance, but nothing that lasted. By the time he hit fifty hed resigned himself to staying single, childfree, and hoped that maybe in his old age a lonely lady might pop up for a few evenings together. If not, hed just be on his own.
His family tree was pretty thin: both parents had passed, no brothers or sisters, just a distant cousin and her son, whom he saw now and then. Most of his old friends were married with kids and even grandchildren, so they tended to meet up with their families rather than the lads night out. They still invited James, but he felt a bit isolated the kind of thing that makes you start thinking about the ticking clock.
He didnt want to end up as that grumpy old bloke who chats to the telly, walks his dog in the park and mutters about youngsters, but the thought kept creeping in. Still, he kept meeting women, holding out hope for the one, and he kept the occasional catchup with friends, their families, his cousin and her lad. It all felt like it was going to stay the same.
One Saturday, just as he was gearing up for a weekend camping trip with the boys, his phone rang. He assumed it was one of them, grabbed the receiver without even glancing at the screen, and muttered, Yeah? while stuffing a sandwich into his bag. He held the phone between his shoulder and ear, trying to keep one hand free.
Good afternoon, James? said a calm voice.
James thought it was another sales call, ready to hang up. He was always late, always making excuses about helping his mates wives with the prep, but this wasnt about that.
Another ring, and this time he finally looked at the screen an unknown number. Irritated, he snapped, Im not interested in any loans or whatever youre selling!
A gentle female voice answered, James, Im not calling about a pitch.
He sank onto the sofa, baffled. What do you want then?
Im Ivy, Im twentytwo, and I think Im your daughter.
He almost laughed, thinking it was a scam, but something about the story caught his attention. He checked his watch, saw he still had a few minutes, and decided to play along.
Seriously? How did you work that out?
She hesitated, then went on, My mums name is Helen Compton.
The name sparked a flash of memory a flashback to his younger self, fresh out of university, being sent on a work trip to a nearby town. Hed spent the day in meetings and had the night free. After work hed dropped into a local pub where two young women were gossiping away. He joined them, and one of them, Helen, stayed on after her friend left for her boyfriend.
They ended up wandering the towns streets together, chatting like old friends, and somehow James found himself at her flat, a cosy little place she shared with the other girl. He spent three days in that town, three evenings with Helen. When her work assignment finished, she saw him off at the train station. He offered his number, but she shook her head.
Weve got no future, she said, and James agreed, though he slipped his surname to her just in case. A month later, his mind was on another romance, the kind of carefree fling hed always been good at.
Then the phone rang again. James, are you there? a voice asked, pulling him back.
Yes, Im here. Why do you think youre my daughter? he asked, confused.
My mum told me. She died a month ago, the girl replied, her voice trembling. Cancer. She kept saying you were my dad, gave me your name, even showed me a photo shed printed from one of your old snapshots. Its been over twenty years, but I found you on social media, then your number.
James was silent. It was a lot to take in.
Why didnt she tell me about you? he asked softly.
She thought you werent ready for a family, didnt want to tie you down, Ivy answered. Now Im on my own. I know you probably have a life, a family Im not trying to intrude, I just
Lets meet, James cut in. I really want to meet you.
Id like that, she said, a sigh of relief in her voice.
He cancelled the camping trip instantly talk about timing! He was still trying to sort out his feelings, but he was eager to finally see his daughter.
They arranged to meet at a café. Ivy was nervous, clutching a photo of her mum and her birth certificate. I dont want you to think Im a scammer, she said.
James smiled, Im not a millionaire either, so Im not expecting a bunch of con artists to turn up. I believe you, I remember your mum.
They talked for hours. Ivy told him about her childhood, her mums short marriage, a stepdad she didnt keep in touch with, and how after her mums death she set out to find her father. James felt a pang of regret for all those years hed missed.
Im sorry I never knew about you, he said, nodding. I wish I could have been there as you grew up. My own marriage never worked out, I never had kids Turns out I actually do have a daughter.
They spent about three hours together, promising to see each other again.
That night James couldnt sleep. He felt sorry for Ivy having to raise herself alone, angry that hed never asked about a child, but also grateful shed found him. He decided hed make up for lost time.
The next meeting revealed Ivys living situation. Shed inherited a flat from her mum, but had moved to the city where James lived because property prices were skyhigh. She was renting out the old flat while she saved up.
James offered a room in his house so she could build a nest, and suggested she could later sell the other place and buy something nicer here. He started spoiling her with little gifts, celebrations, introductions to his mates. He even mentioned she had a distant cousin a fourthcousin, nothing serious, just a fun fact.
Six months later, Ivy called him dad for the first time. James slipped out onto his balcony, pretending to be on a call, and let the tears flow.
Two years on, Ivy got married, and when her baby arrived James went bonkers, trying to catch up on every moment hed missed. He also met a wonderful woman of his own, someone he could picture growing old with. Now he has a daughter, a soninlaw, a grandchild, and finally feels the warmth of a real family. Hes realizing just how close he came to missing out on all this happiness.
