Page 123 of Tears of Glass

“Well, this is delightful. Now we have your nutcase family as well as my own. Just excellent.”

The door opens, and we all jump a little but Tabitha slips in, quickly closing it behind her. “Here you all are. You can’t hide in here all night.”

She hugs Elijah. “Happy birthday, big bro.”

“Big bro?” He laughs, and it sounds delightful. “How terribly street of you. Don’t speak like that in front of Gran otherwise she’ll have you locked up in the attic.” He laughs, but I’d put nothing past Connie Fairclough.

Tabitha doesn’t smile. Her eyes land on my face heavy and serious. “Faith, I—” She’s cut off by the door opening. Jennings stands there, his face expectant. “You’ve been called to the dining room.”

Elijah smiles at us all and it’s beautiful, but behind it I can sense his nerves. He is worried his family are going to push me away. Well they aren’t. I wind my fingers through his and squeeze them tight.

With my shoulders back and my spine straight we walk into the dining room equal partners. I feel like a queen with Sienna, Tabs, and Jennings trailing behind us.

Then I stop, my steps faltering, my knees caving with such intensity that Eli holds my weight from his arm linked though mine.

“Faithy, so good to see you.”

My eyes meet Eli’s, but his are just as wide, just as shocked.

“Dad.” I can barely bark out his name. My chest is going to cave with the enormous weight of pressure pressing on it.

What is he doing here? Why is he here?

“Keep calm.” Eli brushes a kiss across my cheek, whispering his words into my ear low enough for only me to hear. “Don’t let them rattle you.”

I can’t. My palm slips with sweat and he grips mine tight, squeezing my fingers and leading me forward. With his calm professional exterior firmly in place, the one he’s been taught to maintain since a child, he steps up to my dad. “Elijah Fairclough, I don’t believe we’ve had the chance to meet officially yet.”

Dad’s eye dazzle as bright as giant baubles on a Christmas tree. “Chris Hitchin, it’s a pleasure to meet the man who has captured this wild thing’s heart.”

I freeze. Is he for real? Apparently, he is. He leans in to give me a kiss, but I move back.

Connie steps up. And this is how shocked I am, I haven’t even noticed the evil bitch. “How delightful, a family reunion on Elijah’s birthday. What a wonderful present for you, Elijah.” She beams from ear to ear. I turn and find Jennifer, who is silent, her face a serene mask. “It was wonderful when Mr Hitchin reached out and wanted to meet us. What better time to get us all acquainted than on your birthday?”

The air whooshes out of my body, gone, in one wild exhalation.

“Call me Chris, please, Connie. We are nearly family now.”

I can’t bear this. Dad looks so out of place, his hair slicked back and not quite clean. His shirt has only been waved at an iron, whether the iron was on or not is debatable. His ink is everywhere.

Then it hits me. This is how I look to them. Like something that will never ever fit, no matter what I do. The dress is of no importance, no matter how much fun I had buying it with Peter. I will never fit.

My legs tremble and Eli flicks his eyes across my face. What must I look like? A deer caught in headlights about to meet the bonnet of a car with the full force of impact.

Peter stands close by my other side. “Come, Faith, you’ve had a long drive, let’s get you a whisky,” he says loud enough for everyone to hear, but then he leans in and whispers so only I can hear. “Keep it together. This is a test and you must rise above it.”

His hand squeezes my elbow, comforting and secure. I can’t move though; my legs are jelly and lead all at once. I turn my gaze, desperate to look anywhere apart from at my dad. Instead, I find a reflection of myself on the giant gilt mirror above the fireplace and all I can see is the monstrous mess I’ve allowed myself to be, flanked by two handsome men in immaculate suits. I’m a poisoned demon covered in ink, the thorn between two prize-winning roses.

“Come, come.” Jennifer snaps into action. “Let’s do presents.”

“I told you not to bother.” Elijah sounds stiff, but that’s okay because I’m walking like a mechanical doll at his side.

“Don’t be silly, darling. You deserve to be celebrated, you’ve had a successful year.” There’s a dry cough from behind. The wicked witch must have something stuck in her throat. Jennifer hands over a small box and Eli makes quick work of unwrapping the green Harrods ribbon and lifting the lid. I gasp when I look inside. I know exactly what they are because I saw the exact same pair of Tom Ford onyx cufflinks only yesterday in Harvey Nics. And I know how much they cost.

“I thought they would match Faith’s ring.” Jennifer smiles, her eyes meeting mine, and Eli lifts one out of the box and tilts it in the light. It’s utterly beautiful, all two grand’s worth of it.

“Faith, darling, what did you give Elijah?” Connie steps forward, her cream mid-calf dress rustling with her movement.

“Uh.” I can hardly tell them he got a day of unlimited blow jobs and a crappy picture I painted like a schoolchild with my fingers.