(no subject)
He'd not seen her closer than a screen for over a year. She was growing up so fast.
And she was clever. She knew that things were not what they seemed at home. She knew that there was something deeper that she had missed, which had lead to the huge row and her running away from home.
The trigger? A picture, hanging up in the study of Guppy's house. It was a portrait, with Guppy's father, mother and himself as a young boy. It was just in view of the webcam. And one evening, Ani had spotted it, and asked the person she was chatting to to put the camera closer.
"Who is it?" she'd asked, peering at the screen. "Who's that with Mum?"
"That's Grandpa and Grandma and Daddy."
Ani had thought about this for a moment, and realised that if Guppy's mum was her mum, he couldn't possibly be just the cousin her parents claimed. She had lots of cousins. This one was at very least a half brother, and the man in the picture looked very like her.
She put two and two together, and began to hunt the house for photographs. There were none of Guppy; she had expected this. Her parents never spoke of him, and allowed the webcam exchange purely to stop him making a fuss. But she realised that there were none of herself as a tiny baby. There was one of her when she was born, and then nothing for... six months.
She'd sat back and thought about this. Wondering what sort of parent didn't take any pictures of their baby. And finally coming up with only two uncomfortable question.
Her parents denied abandoning her as a baby and that Guppy was her father. She didn't believe them, borrowed her father's debit card and set off to find the one she could trust.
He'd not seen her closer than a screen for over a year. She was growing up so fast.
Guppy stood up, accidentally knocking a fourtieth birtday card off the window sill. He opened the door, and looked at the bedraggled girl in front of him. And gave her a big hug.
"I'm sorry." she says, wiping her nose on her sleeve as Guppy ushered her in. "Where's..."
"Asleep, nice and quiet please." Guppy says, wrapping a towel over her. "Come and have a drink, I'm calling your parents."
"No, please, let me talk with you first!"
"Sweetheart we can talk as long as you need, but they have to know you're safe. We've all been worried sick."
He makes a quick call, then sits down with her at the kitchen table.
"Right, what happened?"
"I want to see my baby pictures." Ani says. "I know I wasn't with mum and dad then."
"Actually you were most of the time." Guppy says, getting out the album. "And I sent a copy of this to you so I don't know why you don't have one. I had you when you were a newborn and just before you moved to India. It's not a secret. Your mum had something called Post-Natal depression, which made it hard for her to take care of you."
"She said you were my cousin. Are you my brother or my dad?"
"Brother, definitely brother." Guppy says firmly. "Your biological father is the same as mine. He died before you were born. You were an IVF baby. Your mum loves you and Darvesh very much. He's your uncle, your father's brother. But he loves you as a Dad, so he's as much your dad as anyone. I've been keeping a close eye on things, and your parents do at very least seem to be trying."
"Can I stay here with you?"
"Yes, until your parents come and pick you up."
"Oh come on, please? I'll be really really good."
Guppy glances towards the stairs. So does Ani.
"Oh." she says. "You can't."
"Ani, since you've been a baby, I've wanted to make sure you turned out all right. And you have. I didn't think your parents would be any good but they were. They can give you far more than I can. If you want to stay your parents will have to agree, or social services will have to make a ruling. Apart from having lied to you, are your parents so bad?"
Ani considers, then shakes her head.
"Do they treat you well?"
Ani nods.
"Then there's no reason why you shouldn't go back with them. But don't worry about it for now. Have a hot drink, a bath, and sleep in the spare room."
They exchange another hug, then she goes upstairs, pausing just once to wave at the little pair of eyes that peep out on the way.
And she was clever. She knew that things were not what they seemed at home. She knew that there was something deeper that she had missed, which had lead to the huge row and her running away from home.
The trigger? A picture, hanging up in the study of Guppy's house. It was a portrait, with Guppy's father, mother and himself as a young boy. It was just in view of the webcam. And one evening, Ani had spotted it, and asked the person she was chatting to to put the camera closer.
"Who is it?" she'd asked, peering at the screen. "Who's that with Mum?"
"That's Grandpa and Grandma and Daddy."
Ani had thought about this for a moment, and realised that if Guppy's mum was her mum, he couldn't possibly be just the cousin her parents claimed. She had lots of cousins. This one was at very least a half brother, and the man in the picture looked very like her.
She put two and two together, and began to hunt the house for photographs. There were none of Guppy; she had expected this. Her parents never spoke of him, and allowed the webcam exchange purely to stop him making a fuss. But she realised that there were none of herself as a tiny baby. There was one of her when she was born, and then nothing for... six months.
She'd sat back and thought about this. Wondering what sort of parent didn't take any pictures of their baby. And finally coming up with only two uncomfortable question.
Her parents denied abandoning her as a baby and that Guppy was her father. She didn't believe them, borrowed her father's debit card and set off to find the one she could trust.
He'd not seen her closer than a screen for over a year. She was growing up so fast.
Guppy stood up, accidentally knocking a fourtieth birtday card off the window sill. He opened the door, and looked at the bedraggled girl in front of him. And gave her a big hug.
"I'm sorry." she says, wiping her nose on her sleeve as Guppy ushered her in. "Where's..."
"Asleep, nice and quiet please." Guppy says, wrapping a towel over her. "Come and have a drink, I'm calling your parents."
"No, please, let me talk with you first!"
"Sweetheart we can talk as long as you need, but they have to know you're safe. We've all been worried sick."
He makes a quick call, then sits down with her at the kitchen table.
"Right, what happened?"
"I want to see my baby pictures." Ani says. "I know I wasn't with mum and dad then."
"Actually you were most of the time." Guppy says, getting out the album. "And I sent a copy of this to you so I don't know why you don't have one. I had you when you were a newborn and just before you moved to India. It's not a secret. Your mum had something called Post-Natal depression, which made it hard for her to take care of you."
"She said you were my cousin. Are you my brother or my dad?"
"Brother, definitely brother." Guppy says firmly. "Your biological father is the same as mine. He died before you were born. You were an IVF baby. Your mum loves you and Darvesh very much. He's your uncle, your father's brother. But he loves you as a Dad, so he's as much your dad as anyone. I've been keeping a close eye on things, and your parents do at very least seem to be trying."
"Can I stay here with you?"
"Yes, until your parents come and pick you up."
"Oh come on, please? I'll be really really good."
Guppy glances towards the stairs. So does Ani.
"Oh." she says. "You can't."
"Ani, since you've been a baby, I've wanted to make sure you turned out all right. And you have. I didn't think your parents would be any good but they were. They can give you far more than I can. If you want to stay your parents will have to agree, or social services will have to make a ruling. Apart from having lied to you, are your parents so bad?"
Ani considers, then shakes her head.
"Do they treat you well?"
Ani nods.
"Then there's no reason why you shouldn't go back with them. But don't worry about it for now. Have a hot drink, a bath, and sleep in the spare room."
They exchange another hug, then she goes upstairs, pausing just once to wave at the little pair of eyes that peep out on the way.