Dominic is living a lie. He is not the good father everyone believes him to be.
‘If I could do it over, I’d never have gone into business.’ That’s his partner, staring into his glass, motioning to the waiter for another, his fifth brandy of the evening, and Dominic knows he’ll be driving him home, helping him up the path.
‘What about you, Dominic?’
Dominic is silent. And then he says, ‘I always said I’d own my own company one day. I’d never have to work for a boss. So, I guess I’m pretty far along that track.’
He can share this much, and then he can listen as his partner talks about the art classes he’s been taking, how good his teacher says he is, how he did it at school and got an a for Matric. He listens and says, ‘You’re doing it now, that’s good,’ but he doesn’t say that he never saw himself as a father, can’t believe that he has two children to look after. If he did, he’d say he loves them, of course he does, and he always will, but he thought he’d always be alone, a bachelor, until his dying day. That had been his refrain until he met Kate and fell head over heels in love.
And now, now what does he have? A beautiful, unhappy wife. A sad, damaged son and a daughter who loves him far more than he deserves.
Maddie, the daughter who makes the sun shine. Noah, the son who brings the clouds, who greys their days. When his son’s out of the house, it’s easier, lighter. Without Noah, the days are crisp and bright.