Dominic

Dominic sat in the same spot on the same couch as he had a few weeks earlier when he’d come for dinner as Emily’s boyfriend. He could see his knuckles whitening from the intensity of his grip on the arm rest. Relax, he told himself. You’re happy to be here. Lucky to be here. Lucky to have made it to university. Lucky to be on this path. He’d built the career. He’d bought the house. He’d found a girl he cared about deeply. Things were all mapped out. Dominic reminded himself, again, to smile.

Theo came into the living room carrying two mugs of tea. ‘So what can I for you?’

‘It’s actually about Emily.’ Dominic paused. ‘You know I’m very fond of your daughter.’

Theo smiled. ‘A bit more than fond, I’d have thought.’

‘Mmm.’ This was harder than he expected. He knew Emily was close to her dad, and he knew that this was the traditional way, but really? Asking the father’s permission first? It seemed a little archaic. He took a deep breath. ‘As I said, I am very fond of Emily. You know that I have a good job, so I can provide for her, and I would always try to care for her and protect her.’

Theo nodded, but gave no response. Right. In for a penny and all that.

‘I would like to ask you for your blessing to ask Emily to become my wife.’ There. It was done.

Theo was still smiling. ‘Of course. Of course. It’s what I’ve been hoping for. You’re just the sort I hoped she’d end up with.’ Just the sort? That wasn’t true, was it? He was a scally. A kid from an estate. An interloper. He’d learnt the language, adopted the manners, bought the clothes of the sort of man Theo thought he was, but it wasn’t real. Or maybe it was. Maybe the little boy with bloodied knees had been buried so deeply he’d simply withered away.

‘Well, I think this calls for more than tea.’ Theo stood up, set down his cup and poured two glasses of whisky. ‘Welcome to the family.’