Life can be unfair.

What Paul had said to Leigh stunned me, I'm normally not lost for words, but this shut me down dead, until I realised I had to ask, “Leigh when you left Paul tonight what was his state of mind.”

“No Dad, no don't worry okay, we've talked it out over the last few day's since the weekend and we have both got our heads around it, we're not going to do anything silly and we worked out that if you were his Dad then he would not be who he is and worse still I wouldn't exist, so we have worked it out.”

I walked to my daughter and wrapped my arms around her. “Leigh Honey, I am truly proud of you for looking out for both yourself and Paul, I'm also proud of the way you have been over the last little while when Mum and I have had our problems. Thank you so much.” I kissed her on the forehead.

“Your welcome Dad, no probs. Dad I think I'll go to bed now if you don't mind, all those questions Ginia asked, Wow, took for ever to answer.”

“Yes honey, go to bed, and Leigh, thanks for the talk.”

“Night M, say hullo to Ginia from me.”

I couldn't help it, as she wandered off, I gave her a silent little smile.

After ten more minutes I figured Gin must have been waiting for me to ring I dialed her cell number, it hardly rang, “Hullo M, I'm sorry I told Leigh to text Paul when you guy's finished talking and I'd ring but I think Paul must still be on his cell cos' he hasn't been down to tell me otherwise.”

“Gin, honey it's fine, Leigh has gone to bed and I was just running everything back through my mind that we talked about. She really really likes you Gin, I suspect you're gonna be very good friends with both my girl's.”

“Yes, I suspect you're right M, and I'm not complaining. I guess Leigh told you all about what they had worked out about us and such then?”

“Yep, she said it was just a matter of circumstance with the photo of me that helped things to fall into place.”

“Yeah, you know I'd thought I'd lost that photo years ago until I saw it again tonight, Did Leigh tell you I burst into tears when I saw it, I looked at us in that photo and saw our eye's looking out with the hopes and dreams of what was to come. Those vibrant smiles full of optimism and youth. It's not fair M, if only we had known.”

“I know Gin, but what we have is special, what you have is special, don't forget that honey.”

“You're right Mike, I know, Paul is my world now and I'm very proud of him.”

“Mike how did things go with Liz tonight.”

I lied, I didn't need to tell Ginia everything tonight was marvellous while she was feeling down, “Gin it went Okay, we got some things sorted, she understands it will take some time to work through and she has changed things from what they once were, and she is going to have to work through and live with it.”

“Mike that's great so she's starting to understand the corrections she is going to have to undertake or that there are corrections to do, yes.”

“Yeah, both Gin.”

“That's great M, I'm really happy for you and Liz, you both deserve it honey.”

This was getting really hard, I could hear it in her voice, Gin was struggling to make the words sound convincing, I needed to end this now before she ended up in tears and I ended up doing something I'd regret.

“Gin Honey, you need to get some sleep, you go get into bed honey, I'll talk to you tomorrow ay.”

“'kay Michael, I am tired, okay I'm off, night luv ya M.”

“Night Gin, I love you too.” I realised she'd already gone.