Chapter 10

Friday nights had become their unofficial family night. It had started as a practical arrangement—an easy way for Susie to spend more time with her beloved Auntie Ruth—but now all three looked forward to it in ways they hadn’t quite put into words. Tonight was no exception.

As Raymond set the table, he glanced toward the kitchen, where Isobel stood at the stove, stirring a pot of homemade pasta sauce as if she had done it a hundred times before. Susie sat on the counter, swinging her legs, happily chattering away about her week.

Raymond cleared his throat. “You know, Ruth, if you keep cooking like this, I might have to start paying you.”

Isobel shot him a wry look. “I don’t come cheap, Ray. Be careful what you start.”

Susie giggled. “She’s worth it, Daddy.”

A flicker of something passed between Raymond and Isobel. A moment of unspoken understanding, mixed with a question neither was quite ready to answer. Whatever this was between them, it was shifting—slowly but unmistakably. And it was making Raymond nervous in a way he hadn’t felt in years.

The meal itself was lively, filled with laughter and light conversation—Susie’s school achievements, the concert they had attended, amusing anecdotes from work. Yet beneath it all, there was an undercurrent of awareness between Raymond and Isobel. The easy camaraderie they had discovered was now laced with something else, something neither was yet willing to admit to the other.

After dinner, they washed the dishes together before moving to the lounge to watch a short movie. Then came Susie’s bedtime ritual. As always, both adults read to her and kissed her goodnight. But tonight, when Isobel tucked the blankets around her, Susie held on a little tighter than usual.

When Isobel finally pulled away and left the room, Raymond turned to follow, but Susie’s voice stopped him.

“Daddy...”

He turned back, noting her serious expression. “Yes, pumpkin?”

“Can I ask you something important?”

“Of course, darling. What’s on your mind?”

Susie hesitated, then took a breath. “You know how much I love Auntie Ruth.”

Raymond smiled. “I certainly do.”

“She’s much more than an auntie to me, Daddy. Can I call her Mummy?”

Raymond felt the floor shift beneath him. He had not expected this—not tonight, not yet. He knelt beside her bed, choosing his words carefully. “Oh, sweetheart, I understand why you’d want that. But, honey, she can only be your mummy if she and I are married.”

Susie frowned. “So why don’t you get married?”

Raymond exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “Well, marriage isn’t just something you decide overnight. We would have to love each other first. And I would have to ask her, and she would have to say yes. It’s a big step.”

“But you love her, don’t you?”

Raymond hesitated. “I don’t know if it’s as simple as that, darling. Yes, we’ve become very good friends, but love is ... different. And besides, I don’t even know if she loves me.”

Susie gave him a pointed look. “You won’t know unless you ask her.”

Raymond chuckled, though his heart was pounding. “Give me time to think about it, Susie. These things can’t be rushed. I can’t say just how I feel at the moment.”

“Well, hurry up and feel then,” she said, exasperated. “Because if you don’t, she might get tired of waiting and find someone else.”

He blinked. “I didn’t know she was looking for anyone.”

Susie rolled her eyes. “Daddy, find a new pair of glasses and look again. I don’t know why you can’t see what’s right in front of you.”

Raymond laughed, but Susie wasn’t joking. He kissed her forehead. “What I do see in front of me is an incredible daughter whom I love very, very much. And who is also very deeply loved by her auntie. Be patient, darling. Things will work out how they’re meant to.”

Susie sighed but nodded. As she turned onto her side, pulling Bunny into a cuddle, Raymond studied her for a long moment. Memories flashed through his mind—the day she was born, the overwhelming joy of holding her for the first time, her resilience after Rose’s passing, the challenges they had weathered together. Then came the difficult years, the animosity between him and Isobel, and finally, the extraordinary turn of events that had led them here, to this moment.

It struck him, suddenly and with startling clarity, that none of it had been random. That every step had been leading to something—or rather, someone. And now, the choice was his to grasp. Deep in thought, he made his way to the lounge, where Isobel was waiting. She looked up as he entered, as if she had been expecting something. “You had a long talk with Susie,” she said softly.

Raymond sat beside her. “That girl is rather like you,” he murmured. “She has a way of getting straight to the heart of things before you even realise it.”

“I’ve noticed,” Isobel giggled. “I think that keeping you confused is good for you. Something we can both work on.”

“Heaven help me,” he muttered. “Two against one’s not fair.”

“Is it really two against one, Ray?” she asked, tilting her head. For a second, Raymond hesitated. But then, emboldened by a new certainty, he took the leap.

“If two became one, then it might be more equal,” he said.

Isobel’s smile deepened. “Go on.”

Raymond exhaled. “Ruth, Susie asked me tonight if she could call you Mummy. I told her that could only happen if you and I were married. And then she asked me something else—whether I love you.” He paused. “And at that moment, I wasn’t sure of my answer.”

Isobel’s face remained unreadable.

“But after I kissed her goodnight, I just ... knew. I stood there, looking at this remarkable little girl, and I realised that I’ve been holding on to the past in ways I wasn’t even aware of. And I also realised that the future I want is standing right in front of me.”

He reached for her hand. “Ruth, I love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Isobel raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking me, or just making a statement?”

Raymond grinned, then, in true tradition, got down on one knee. “Ruth, I love you. Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”

Isobel pretended to consider it. “Hmm ... I need to think about that.” Raymond’s face fell.

She let the silence stretch for a moment longer, then smirked. “Okay, I’ve thought about it.”

Raymond’s breath caught. “And?”

“You’re an idiot,” she said affectionately, “but you’re going to be my idiot. Yes, Ray—I love you. And I would be honoured to marry you. Now you’d better hurry up and kiss me before I change my mind.” Within moments the pair were locked in a kiss, which started tentatively but quickly deepened into passion.

“In my wildest dreams, if you had told me this would happen I would have called you some very unkind names,” Raymond laughed as they emerged. “This beats my wildest dreams.”

“I’m pleased you finally came to it,” Isobel replied, “I actually got it a week or so ago, but had to fight a lot of negative emotions that told me this was not going to be real. I have been on tenterhooks since the concert on Wednesday, hoping I was not misreading the signs in you.”

“I was not good at reading my own emotions, was I.”

“Don’t worry. There was a lot of bad baggage we’ve both had to let go of, but that’s behind us now.”

“There’s something I need to make clear,” Raymond cut in. “Although Susie implored me tonight to have you as her mummy, that was not why I asked you to marry me. This is first of all about us. I strongly suspect you will be happy to move from auntie to mum, but it’s only a side issue.”

“I’m quite confident of that. But shall we go and break the news to her?”

The couple went into Susie’s bedroom, to discover that she was still awake.

“I was sad, Daddy,” she said, “Because you couldn’t say that you love Aunty Ruth.”

“You don’t have to be sad any longer, darling. After talking to you I realised that I really do love Aunty Ruth, and she has agreed to marry me. So you will be able to call her mummy very soon.”