Maybe its time I finally meet your son? David set his coffee mug aside and looked at Poppy.
She froze, as if his words had caught her off guard.
Why rush? his tone was casual, but the tension in her shoulders revealed how nervous she really was. Max is just getting used to the idea that his mum has someone.
Weve been seeing each other for four months, David reminded her gently. Im not asking you to move in or to start planning a pictureperfect family tomorrow. I just want to get to know the little bloke who means so much to you.
Poppy turned toward the window.
Hes only seven. I dont want to hurt my son
Hurt? David laughed. Poppy, try to see my side too. If you plan on keeping me at arms length, what kind of relationship are we even talking about?
She faced him again. A flicker of something like fear flashed in her eyes, then vanished as quickly as a candles flame.
Fine. In a couple of weeks, okay? Just give me time to sort him out.
David nodded. Two weeks stretched into almost three months. Every time a new excuse popped up: Max had a cold, a test, a bad mood. Then, one Saturday, Poppy actually called and invited him over.
The boy turned out to be skinny, darkeyed, and far too serious for his age. He perched on the sofa, clutching a toy car as if it were a lifeline.
Hi, David sat down nearby, but not too close. Fancy ride youve got there.
Max stared silently, studying him.
Max, dont be shy, say hello, Poppy said from the doorway, arms crossed.
Hello, the boy whispered.
David didnt push. He pulled out his phone and showed a picture of his own hatchback.
Thats the one I drive. Want to go for a spin sometime?
Maxs eyes lit up, but he glanced quickly at his mother.
Can I?
Well see, Poppy replied evasively.
Gradually the ice cracked. Poppy grew softer, letting David take Max out for walks. He whisked the lad to parks, the zoo, the cinema. He bought the gadgets Max begged for and explained how an engine works. He showed how to hammer a nail and turn a screwdriver.
Look, you twist clockwise, David guided the tiny hand. Feel the thread moving?
Right, Max stuck out the tip of his tongue in concentration. What if I turn it the wrong way?
Then you unscrew it, David grinned. No big deal, you just start again.
They spent hours tinkering under the bonnet. Max handed over tools, peppered David with questions, got oil splashed up to his elbows and beamed with pride. In the evenings they played board games while Poppy cooked.
Fishing became their ritual. Every other Sunday they drove to the Thames, set up rods and waited for the bobbers to dance. Max learned to thread a worm, to be patient, to give the line a gentle tug.
Dad, Ive got a bite! he shrieked one day as the float sank.
Easy now, dont yank, David coaxed. Reel in smoothly, like this.
A modest roach turned up, but Maxs grin was worth a trophy.
At home they watched action movies that Poppy wouldnt allow unless David was there. Max would snuggle up, perch on the couch, and comment on every explosion.
Thats impossible, right? That never happens in real life, hed say when the hero took down a dozen bad guys.
They do embellish a bit for the show, David replied. The point isnt the fighting; its the hero protecting the people he loves.
Max nodded thoughtfully.
When maths started giving him grief at school, David stepped in. His background in engineering and finance gave him a handy way of breaking down problems.
I dont get these stupid fractions, Max groaned, staring at the worksheet.
Lets try a pizza analogy, David said, pulling out a sheet of paper. If you eat half a pizza, thats onehalf. Got it?
Yeah.
And if you split it into four slices and eat one?
Onequarter?
Exactly. Now tackle the problem with that picture in mind.
Five minutes later Maxs notebook showed the correct answer.
I got it!
See? Youre a champ, David ruffled his hair.
Grades climbed, and the teacher praised his improvement at the parentteacher night. Poppy beamed with pride.
Its all thanks to David, she told a friend. He spends so much time with Max.
David grew genuinely attached to the boy. He woke up thinking of ways to make Maxs day brighter, planning weekend outings, picking out gifts, worrying about every low mark more than the boy himself. Love crept in quietly, then settled firmly in his heart.
When Max turned ten, David finally broached the big question.
Lets get married, he said one evening.
Poppy snapped her magazine shut, eyes wide.
What?
Were practically a family already, David continued. I love you and Max. Why wait?
Poppys face went stonecold.
No.
Why not? he asked, expecting anything but that firm denial.
Because Ive already been married. Ive had enough.
Im not your exhusband.
I know, she softened a little. But I dont want to tie the knot again. Im happy as I am. Isnt that enough for you?
David sighed. He wasnt unhappy, but hed hoped for something more.
Fine, lets leave it at that.
Years drifted by. They lived together in Poppys flat, holidayed on the south coast in summer and up in the Lake District in winter. David footed most of the bills, never asking for anything in return. Occasionally he nudged the wedding talk, but Poppy stubbornly declined.
Maybe we could have another child? he asked when Max was thirteen.
Poppy stared at the ceiling for a long moment.
Ive got health issues. Doctors say its risky.
We could get checked, see a specialist.
No, David. I dont want any more kids. Max is enough.
David didnt press. He accepted her decision, though a quiet sting lingered.
Eight years into their arrangement, something shifted. Poppy began nitpicking everything: You didnt wash the dishes properly, Your voice is too loud, You forgot the toothpaste cap.
Youre always doing everything wrong, she snapped one night as David walked in from work.
What exactly?
Everything!
David tried to smooth things over, helped more around the house, watched his step, but Poppy seemed to be hunting for reasons to argue.
Maybe you need a break? he suggested. Lets get away, just the two of us.
No, she cut him off. I dont want that!
Max sensed the tension, kept his head down, tried not to get in the way. It hurt David to watch his son caught in the crossfire.
The truth emerged by accident. David came home early and saw a strangers jacket in the hallway a mans. His heart sank.
Poppy?
She bolted from the bedroom, slamming the door. David caught a glimpse of a man in their bed.
David, its not what you think.
Really? he asked hoarsely. How long?
She stayed silent, eyes downcast.
Answer me!
Three months.
Three months of constant nagging, provocations.
So thats why, David said slowly. You were pushing me out, hoping Id leave on my own, feeling guilty.
I never meant to hurt you, Poppy whispered. I just found someone and turned our life into a nightmare?
He packed his things in twenty minutes. Max hovered nearby.
David, youre leaving?
David knelt, took Maxs shoulders.
Max, Ill always be here. You call, Ill be there. Well see each other like before.
Promise?
I promise.
Poppys final blow came a week later.
Dont ever talk to my son again.
What? Poppy, are you out of your mind?
If you try, Ill sue. Youre nobody to him, understood? No rights at all.
Her voice was cold, detached, as if he were a phantom.
Ive raised him for eight years!
And what? Youre not his father. Legally, hes not yours.
She hung up.
David tried calling Max, but the number was dead. He messaged, got no reply. Three days later a short text arrived: Mum said I cant talk to you. Sorry.
David missed the boy who had become his son. Time passed.
One afternoon, an unknown number rang while he was cooking.
Dave? Its me.
Max! Thank heavens, Im glad to hear your voice!
Im an adult now. Mum cant stop me any more.
They arranged to meet at a café. Max had grown taller, broadershouldered, but his dark, serious eyes were unchanged.
Hows life?
Surviving, Max chuckled. Mum drove me mad. Shes always nagging, says Im a bad influence because I didnt accept her men. She thinks Im a troublemaker.
Me?
Yeah, you. Im a reckless kid now, apparently. I left home last month, can I crash at yours?
Of course, come over.
Poppy, in a fit of rage, called Max, screamed, cried, begged him to return. He ignored the calls. Their contact dwindled to holiday greetings and polite pleasantries.
By twentytwo, Max had changed completely. He started calling David dad and moved into a modest flat nearby.
Dad, I want to buy a car, he said recently. Can you help me pick one?
Absolutely.
They spent a Saturday browsing dealerships, debating pros and cons, just like old times.
Then David met Eleanor, a cheerful accountant who loved baking and reading.
I have an adult son, he warned her straight away. Not biological, but he means the world to me.
Eleanor smiled.
I adore kids. Want to meet him?
Max was wary at first, but Eleanor never tried to replace his mother or wedge herself between him and David. She simply showed up with tasty lunches and jokes.
Shes good, Max confessed. Better than my mum.
David and Eleanor married quietly, no lavish ceremony. Six months later Eleanor announced she was pregnant.
Youre going to be a dad again, she said, holding up a test strip.
David, fortyfive, stared at the two lines, disbelief written all over his face.
Really?
Really.
Max cheered as loudly as a kid on Christmas morning.
Im getting a little brother or sister! Thats awesome, Dad!
You okay with that?
Max furrowed his brow comically.
Why would I be against it? Im thrilled for you. Youve earned this.
He helped assemble the cot, paint the walls, and soon the three of them were a proper family.
Poppy, meanwhile, kept sending abusive messages. David blocked her numbers, but she kept buying new ones, never stopping.
I dont get why shes so angry, he confided to Eleanor one night. I havent done anything. I just love Max.
Shes mad because she lost control, Eleanor replied. Max chose you. She cant forgive that.
But Im not at fault!
Of course not. Youre a genuine father.
Life settled into a rhythm of sleepless nights, first steps, first words. Max, now a grown man, still called him dad and was eager to be the best big brother possible.
Poppy could write whatever she liked. David knew the truth. He never stole a child from her; he simply loved the boy and kept looking after him. And he still does, even now that Max is a fullgrown man.
If any law were broken, David would gladly face the consequences.
