With Age Comes Experience

"I think it was after his 25th birthday, Dad," Hannah told me. "You remember Mum's will? He was to inherit some life insurance legacy she set aside for him when he hit 25. Seems he got a load of her private papers given him too. The solicitors had kept them with the legacy documents."

"What sort of papers?" I asked, interested, despite myself.

"I don't know," said Hannah, "but they were personal. Seems he read them and realised that you weren't the ogre after all, that Mum was a slapper and that she treated you like shit. I mean, I've told him often enough, but it was like he never believed me. This, whatever it was, confirmed it all."

"Probably love letters from all her conquests," I muttered darkly.

However, I had to admit, I wanted to meet Daniel again, to patch things up, to maybe make up for all those lost years.

Shortly after this, Sammy got in touch with Hannah and myself quite openly. She never referred to our past relationship – Hannah never found out – but she had some news of her own.

"I've been promoted to running an overseas news team," she wrote. "And guess what? I let myself fall for someone I met when I was sent off on assignment to Kabul last year. Everyone calls him Algy, and he never uses his real name. I asked him why Algy and he said 'because Biggles is taken'. We've been going out for months now, I didn't tell you because I didn't want to tempt fate, but we're getting engaged. I'm coming up to Cheshire to tell Mum and Dad and let them meet Algy."

I smiled, genuinely pleased for her. Her Mum and Dad had long since forgiven her for her lapse in behaviour, although if she'd ever been home to visit, she'd never told me, and I'd never asked. All the silly school girlishness had gone from her e-mails. This was a young woman in her early 20s with a professional career. Just like my Hannah.

Cutting a long story short, Rose suggested that we invite Daniel to dinner one Sunday, when Hannah and Marcus were here, too. Not only that, if Hannah's friend Sammy was coming up with her young man, why not invite them over too? Hannah hadn't seen Sammy for years.

"Won't that be a lot of reunions in one day?" I asked, feeling distinctly uncomfortable at the prospect of seeing Sammy again. After all those months of wanting her back, I'd then had four years of not wanting to see her ever again, because I was happy not to. (I'd never told Rose about our relationship – there are some things you just don't reveal, even to your soul mate. All she knew was that my former partner before her had been younger than me and we'd split up. Rose had told me that after her divorce, she'd had a fling with a 22 year-old gardener named Bruce. "He was young and virile, but very boring," she laughed. "His technique was simple; kiss, tits, fuck. I prefer someone of my own age, Clem – with age comes experience, eh?")

"No, having them all here will relieve the tension," said Rose. "Trust me. It'll work."

* * * * *

The doorbell rang again. I jumped up. This was it. It was either Sammy or Daniel. Both were reducing me to a nervous, wobbling jelly, just by being here. This is stupid, I told myself. Sammy's engaged to her new fella, and Daniel's here to see you and make it all up. What's to be afraid of?

I patted Ridley on his shiny chocolate head and hurried out into the hall. "I'll get it!" I called.

Rose poked her head out of the kitchen door. "I thought you'd gone down the Golf Club," she called after me.

"No, decided to be here to meet them," I called back. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

Sammy.

But not Sammy. She was more poised, more elegant. Her hair was shorter, cut in a neat, collar-length bob. Her eyes were still sparkling blue, but she was wearing fashionable square-cut spectacles now. She was wearing a well-tailored suit consisting of a tan jacket and trousers with a white, open necked blouse. A simple gold crucifix and chain hung round her neck, replacing the leather-thong and Celtic cross of old. I noticed the sparkling diamond ring on her finger as she held out her hand to me. I shook it firmly, but gently. She stepped up as I asked her to come in and kissed me lightly on the cheek.

I felt a slight frisson of excitement, but it soon passed.

"Hello again Clem," she smiled.

At that moment Hannah appeared in the hallway and shrieked a greeting to Sammy. All at once they were schoolgirls again, hugging each other, kissing, laughing, looking at each other and remarking on their appearances. Marcus ambled out of the kitchen and almost shook Sammy's arm out of its socket.

I ushered Sammy into the living room where Rose was waiting. Sammy shook hands with Rose and smiled an approving smile in my direction.

"Drink, Sammy?" I asked, standing by the drinks cabinet. "Oh, by the way, where's Algy?"

"He's parking the car," said Sammy, indicating that she wanted a vodka. "Road's a bit crowded, so he's finding a meter round the corner."

We all sat down with drinks and chatted. "Dinner'll be ready soon," said Rose.

"It smells great," enthused Sammy, looking around my redecorated living room, perhaps trying to relive old memories. Who knows?

The doorbell rang.

"That must be Algy," she said.

"What does he so again?" asked Rose.

"He's an airline pilot," said Sammy. "Works for BA, long haul."

"Might be Daniel," added Hannah. "I'll go." She left the room and I heard her open the door and exclaim a greeting. The living room door opened as I stood up.

A tall young man stood in the doorway. Broad, muscular shoulders and an almost military bearing. Neatly cut hair, steely brown eyes, square jaw.

A face I recognised. A face I'd seen in the mirror about 25 years ago, although not so ruggedly handsome.

"Clem, Rose, this is Algy," said Sammy, taking her fiancé's arm and leading him forward.

Thoughts crashed through my head.

And I thought Sammy wasn't going to be able to surprise me ever again. What's more, did she know? Was it deliberate? Did he know? Did his sister have any idea?

Doesn't use his real name. Everyone calls him Algy. As in Biggles. But Biggles is taken. Left the RAF. Private Sector. Airline Pilot.

Algy, this is-"

His hand gripped mine and he smiled, warmly.

"Hello Dad."