For The Sake Of His Child

it?’

‘Because he’s not quite eight years old. How can you expect him to face the fact that his mother doesn’t love him?’

‘Especially when his father’s such a miserable failure,’ Carson growled. ‘I suppose he had to cling onto something when I let him down too, and it was easier to fantasise about her, because she isn’t here.’ His eyes met hers. ‘You know all about that.’

‘Yes, I do. But don’t knock yourself. At least you’re trying now.’

‘Perhaps if I talked to him-I can do that now-try to explain that she-that-’

‘Can you explain why she never writes to him, never so much as sends him an email? She could do that easily enough, if she’d only bother.’

‘I thought she did. I’m sure they email each other.’

‘Yes, I thought so, until I read some of hers. She doesn’t write them, Carson. They read like a press release. I’m sure her secretary is very efficient.’

‘Damn her!’ he breathed.

‘Please, go and say something to him now.’

To their relief Joey was no longer looking at his mother. He’d returned to the pictures of himself and his father. As Carson came in he looked up and signed something.

‘Is that me?’ Gina translated, seeing that Carson was having trouble.

He put himself where Joey could see. ‘Yes, that’s you,’ he said slowly. ‘You were a great kid and-and you still are.’

The brilliant happiness in his son’s smile shocked him. Such a small compliment, but it meant the world to a child who wasn’t used to being told he was valued.

Joey pointed to the screen, and his fingers worked fast.

‘Where-?’ Carson concentrated hard. ‘Where was-Mummy? Mummy was taking our picture.’

More signing.

‘I don’t understand,’ Carson said urgently to Gina.

‘He said, “Were we all happy?”’

A strange, withered look came over Carson’s face. ‘Yes,’ he said at last. ‘Yes, we were happy.’

Before Joey could ask another question Gina tapped him on the shoulder and signed, Hungry?

Luckily this diverted him and he scrambled off the sofa and into the kitchen. Carson secured the video and put it away before following Joey and settling down to talk to him, while Gina put some pizza in the oven.

She deliberately stayed in the background until the snack was over and they put Joey back to bed together. The child was happy now, unaware that his very happiness was turning a knife in his father’s heart.

When they had left the room and closed the door Carson said, ‘Los Angeles is eight hours behind us. I might get her.’

He went down to his office and dialled his ex-wife’s number. Gina didn’t try to listen, but she couldn’t help hearing Carson saying, with edgy patience, ‘Just get her to the phone. I’ll wait.’

It was a long wait. Gina took him coffee and he gave her a brief smile.

‘She’s a star, and they never come to the phone at once,’ he said wryly.

But at last it seemed that Brenda had kept him waiting as long as she felt her status demanded, and Gina heard him say, ‘Brenda-what are you-? Never mind that. I need to talk to you seriously.’

Gina slipped out of earshot, although she longed to hear what Carson said.

She busied herself about the kitchen, finding things to do, trying not to think of what might be being said in Carson’s study, and why it was taking so long.

He would be trying to make Brenda see that her place was with her son. They might even have a reconciliation. That would be the best thing for Joey. That was what she wanted.

Or, at least, she might make herself want it, if she tried hard enough.

But when Carson returned his face told a story of defeat.

‘She says she’s about to start some TV show, and she hasn’t time to visit him,’ he said bitterly. ‘She also reminded me of the efforts I’d made to keep them apart, which I suppose I deserved. I suggested taking Joey out there to see her, and she nearly had hysterics. Nobody knows she has a deaf son, and nobody must know. Some mother!’

‘Did you tell her about the operation?’

‘I tried. But Brenda listens to about one word in ten. I got halfway before she broke in, “Do you mean he’s cured now?” I tried to explain that it isn’t a cure, and even when he can hear something he’s still going to need time and a lot of help before he can talk. When she discovered that nobody had waved a magic wand she lost interest.’

‘But even if one parent is lost to him, he still has the other. You can be the best father there’s ever been, and the happier he is with you, the less he’ll miss her. And I’m here to help.’

He closed his eyes suddenly, just as he’d done at their first meeting.

‘Show me the way, Gina,’ he said softly. ‘This is the most important thing in the world, and I can’t do it without you.’

His weariness touched her heart. She wanted to reach out and enfold him in her arms, promise to make everything right for him. But she knew if she did that she would try to make him kiss her again, and she didn’t dare. She wasn’t sure where she stood with him, or what he really wanted.

But once the thought had come to her she couldn’t keep her eyes from his mouth, so that she seemed to feel it on hers again, as it had been only last night. Surely he remembered how it had been? What was to stop him kissing her again?

‘Gina,’ he said uncertainly.

‘Yes?’

‘I’m sorry I was late getting home tonight. I know I promised.’

‘It’s all right,’ she said, trying to hide her disappointment. ‘But time is passing and soon he’ll be back at school. You promised him a holiday.’

‘Can we still take it-as he is?’

‘He can’t fly or go swimming, but if we stick to our original plan he’ll be all right.’

‘Then next week I’m clearing my desk, and we’ll go.’

‘That’s marvellous. Joey will be so thrilled.’

‘I’ll have to leave the planning to you-to you and Joey. Arrange whatever he wants, even if it means visiting every aquarium in the country.’

‘Oh, no,’ she said seriously. ‘Only one or two come up to his standards. But he’ll tell you all about that.’

CHAPTER NINE

THEY set their departure for nine o’clock next Monday morning. Gina was glancing around her room to see if she’d forgotten anything, when Carson looked in.

‘Ready to go?’

‘All present and correct,’ she said cheerfully.

She opened the connecting door to Joey’s room, and stopped at what she saw there. Alerted by her sudden stillness, Carson came and stood beside her.

Joey, oblivious to them, was standing before his mother’s picture. His hands moved as he explained to her that he was going away, but would come back soon. When he’d finished, he stepped back and made his final gesture, hands folded, crossed at the wrists and laid against his chest.

‘What does that mean?’ Carson asked quietly.

‘It’s the sign for love,’ Gina said heavily. ‘He’s saying that he loves her.’

‘Damn her! Damn her!’

Gina forced herself to smile as she went in and attracted Joey’s attention. He took her hand eagerly and almost