Chapter Two

Theo Peterson hated being late, he rarely was, if it happened, then invariably it really was never his fault. But frankly since he'd met his soon to be ex-wife she'd been causing destruction and devastation in his life. He paced the hallway before knocking the door once again, but there was no answer. The longer he waited for her, the later he was going to be. And he hated that. Then he glanced down at the small girl beside him and sighed, It wasn't just him that she was letting down.

"She's not home sugar. I think you're going to have to come see Granddad with me instead, is that ok?"

Melody, his three year old daughter looked up at him with huge eyes, "where is she?"

He scooped her up into his arms, "I don't know, she must be a little late. We'll call back later, or maybe tomorrow. Do you want to come and see my Granddad? He lives by the beach, a little trip in the car?"

She bit her lip and he hated that tears welled in her eyes, "hey Melody, come on, it'll be fun. Let's go to the shop first, ok? Then we'll get some snacks for the drive. Sound good?"

When she nodded he kissed her on the nose, "amazing little girl, we'll have SO much fun!"

Twenty minutes later she was sat in the back of his car in her car seat eating a biscuit, a smile on her face, fifteen minutes later she was asleep, finally he could call the bitch that he'd married and not have to worry about upsetting the little one.

Connecting via Bluetooth in his car, he wanted to scream when she answered her phone without a sound, "Sadie? I know you're there."

A groan preceded her replying, "what now?"

He struggled to control his temper when he spoke to her most of the time, but now...letting down their daughter, he wanted to kill her. Gritting his teeth he managed to snarl, "are you drunk? It's three o'clock in the afternoon...you were supposed to be having Melody but you weren't home."

"What?"

He saw red, since the day that they'd got married; the caring, funny woman he had met and fallen in love with had changed. She'd become something so different, so obsessed with money, HIS money, and with living a life that involved spas, shopping and lunching. She craved a lifestyle that he felt was beyond his means and they argued repeatedly about it. He'd thought that Melody arriving would change things, and for him, the moment he held that little bundle in his arms he'd been besotted, but that hadn't been the case for his wife. In fact it had meant that Sadie could get away with more. Now, with the power of retrospect he could see his role in it all, he was working harder and harder, spent the weekends happy to care for his baby daughter. Sadie took every opportunity to get out, be seen, and their relationship deteriorated. But drinking? Drunk in the middle of the day?

He shook his head in distress, "Sadie, this is the final straw. Melody is staying with me until I can work out what to do. You weren't where you were supposed to be, and when I finally locate you, you're in no fit state to look after her, so you won't. I've seen enough. She's staying with me. Meet me tomorrow when she's in nursery and we can discuss what happens."

"But..."

He could tell that this had made her suddenly wake up to the situation, but she was still slurring and he felt red mist thicken in front of him, how could she do this? Glancing in his rear-view mirror he sighed as he saw Melody, so angelic in sleep. He worshipped her beyond belief, he'd do anything for her, but Sadie...he couldn't fathom her lack of maternal instinct, behaviour, the way that she didn't seem to care about their daughter, not in the way that a mother should.

But then she's never cared about anyone but herself.

He hated the voice of reason sat there to remind him of the mistakes he'd made, meeting her, marrying her...having a child. But when he looked at Melody he knew that whatever he did, whatever he regretted, that disaster of a marriage had led to her, and for that reason he wouldn't change a single thing. She was the apple of his eye, and he hated that he only saw her at weekends. Sadie wasn't interested in her, she only wanted to use their daughter to bleed him dry and the courts couldn't see through that, he was already paying for them to live in a second home in a ridiculously priced post code, meaning he was living in an almost hovel himself.

But thankfully his work was starting to take off and he was beginning to become financially solvent after supporting her, and whilst he'd give every penny to Melody, he begrudged Sadie and her antics, and the fact that she controlled the purse strings.

The drive calmed him, the open road, a warm day, and all too soon he was pulling up at the Residential home with a sea view and a re-found sense of serenity. He parked his truck in the car park then skipped out, waking Melody gently.

"Come on cherub, we're here." She opened her eyes and gave him a sleepy smile, and he felt his heart melt, "My granddad is waiting. He'll be SO excited to see you."

Scooping her up, he carried her into the entrance to the building, and strolled inside.

"He's what?" Theo shook his head, "he knew I was coming."

The receptionist smiled awkwardly, he knew he cut an imposing figure and he couldn't contain his anger, "he's gone out. He didn't say when he'd be back. He's been a little sad the last few days..."

Theo shrugged, trying to hide his despair; he was only twenty minutes late, and considering the day he'd had that wasn't very much at all.

He wasn't as close to his grandfather as he could be, but then he wasn't close to his parents either. He hadn't known his grandfather until he was sixteen so he'd missed out on some of the formative years of their relationship. And times like that the strain was highlighted. Theo hadn't had much experience with family, so he found these tentative relationships difficult, but he was trying, couldn't the old man see that?

Theo had been brought up by his mother, a single parent, and he hadn't even thought about his father was until he was twelve; his mother hadn't divulged that information until he found a picture of her and a man who he guessed was his father as he was starting secondary school. At the time he had no idea how to trace the nameless man, but over the next few years he searched, not frantically, but pretty regularly until he got a few leads. It was a few days after his sixteenth birthday that he found Mansell Gershwin, his grandfather...but all thoughts of a paternal reunion faded when he realised his father was a stranger to his own father too. He was no closer to finding him there.

It had been a difficult relationship with his grandfather over the years, but he loved the old man in his own way He visited as often as he could, but he knew that Mansell was lonely. If things were easier between him and Sadie, if he wasn't so worried about Melody then he could be more for the old man. As it was he had to put her first.

That didn't assuage the guilt he felt knowing that his grandfather was sad, depressed. But he had dropped everything to make it to Brighton when really he had a lot of other things he should be doing today. Important things. Life changing decisions. And the bugger wasn't there.

He smiled at Melody, "shall we go get something to eat? I expect Granddad will be here when we get back." He glanced at the receptionist, "call me as soon as he comes back?" He tossed them a business card and didn't wait for any response from the woman instead he walked put back into the sunshine and took a few deep breaths.

There was a cafe a few buildings along the road, so he bundled his daughter in to a window seat then ordered a coffee for himself and a huge doughnut for her.

"Daddy?"

His eyes moved from their position on the street to the blue eyes of his daughter, "yes darling?"

"Where's Mummy?"

Theo sighed, he dreaded this. As much as he hated Sadie, he didn't want to destroy the safety and happiness of Melody's world where she was loved by everyone. So as usual, he told white lies, little ones, but enough that he felt even more guilt, "she's away darling, but she'll be home soon. Do you miss her?"

She shrugged such a mature gesture for her tiny shoulders, "maybe...but I like doughnuts!"

That made him laugh, and he tapped his thigh and let her climb up onto his lap. "Well there are plenty more where that came from. You may be staying in my house for a little while, is that ok?"

Melody nodded, "are there doughnuts?"

Theo was still chuckling at her conversation when he spotted his usually regal grandfather hunched over shuffling across the road heading back towards his home.

"Come on darling there he is." He bundled Melody into her coat, then pocketed the rest of her doughnut. "Quick before he disappears like a dream."

Melody was once again in his arms giggling like the child she was as they burst into the reception, and it was her laughter that made Mansell look up at the noise.

"Theo? You came?" He looked a mixture of relieved and surprised, and Theo could sense how let down he'd felt.

Theo nodded, "of course. You sounded serious on the phone. You know I'd visit more often if I could."

Mansell nodded for a moment, and a silent connection happened between them, then he stepped towards them, "oh Melody, it's SUCH a treat to see my GREAT granddaughter. I wasn't expecting you."

"Mummy's missing!" She announced. "So I'm with Daddy."

Theo rolled his eyes as Mansell looked at him questioningly. It was a story for another time. Instead he smiled, "can we go to your flat?"

It was his grandfathers' turn to roll his eyes, "flat? Don't over exaggerate. You mean my room." He said it with sudden contempt, almost angry, but with a nod he led them along the corridor.

Melody was settled in front of the TV within moments, Mansell managed to find some Peppa Pig on one of the channels, then he offered Theo a drink.

Theo shook his head, "no, I'm fine. But I want to know what's up? Why did you sound so desperate on the phone? Why are you so...sad? It worries me."

He watched the older man move around the kitchen making coffee for a moment, when he finally looked up he was more sorrowful than he'd ever seen him.

"I want to go to Normandy. But your useless father won't take me, Daniel is too busy..."

Theo groaned, his father was a first class bastard, he was as likely to cut off a limb as help out one of his family members, Daniel was different, his older half brother had welcomed him with open arms as a teenager, and now as a forty year old pillar of the community, politician, businessman, father and husband he'd have expected him to do anything for their grandfather.

"I'd believe that of Robert the bastard, but Daniel, really?"

Mansell rolled his eyes, "everyone is too busy. I never ask for anything, but it's the anniversary of D-day in two weeks, I can't get to Normandy on my own...I'm too old. I just want someone to take me."

Theo sighed, he was about to embark on a bitter custody battle with his wife over their daughter, he couldn't disappear, and there was no way Sadie would let him take Melody with them.

"Can you take me Theo?"

How could he say no? But how could he commit to something that was out of his control.

"I'll sort it; I'll speak to Daniel..." His pride wouldn't let him admit to the mess his own life had become. But that riled his grandfather even more.

"Great! You too. I ask for nothing from this family...all I want..." he sighed, "what the hell does it matter what I actually want? I'm locked up in this bloody place...See yourself out?"

With that he walked into the bedroom and shut the door, leaving Theo running his hands through his hair in disbelief.

Theo looked at Melody playing happily with the Barbie doll that she'd found in his car, completely unaware of the huge change in atmosphere in the room. Oh to be young and innocent. With a sigh bordering on despair, he called to her and they headed for the car. The one thing he knew was that he got the same stubborn streak that caused so many conflicts in his life from the Gershwin branch of his family. He'd have more luck speaking to Daniel than he would Mansell, so he headed for his truck and a trip back to London.