Closing the door behind the housekeeper later that night, Patrick decided he needed a glass of milk before bed. Perhaps Horlicks, he laughed to himself. The nuns swore by the stuff. He yawned as he walked into the kitchen. Mrs. Frobisher had left out a sandwich for him, and he sat down to his dinner. He poured the milk and noticed a folded piece of paper written in Timothy' s scribble. Opening the page, he read:
How to Convince Shelagh to Marry Dad
Patrick stopped there, shaking his head. He should have known that Tim was serious this morning. He smiled and wondered what exactly the boy had done during the day to further his father's cause. It was a good thing Tim was on his side, Patrick thought. A better ambassador he couldn't have wished for. He continued to read.
1. Get Dad to dress better
2. Remind her that Dad's kind of important
3. He has a pretty good car
4. Can still play cricket, so he's not too old
5. Really kind, even though he gets grumpy
6. Knows a lot about medicine, so there's something to talk about
7. Doesn't care if he's the last to take a bath and there's no hot water
8. Lets me choose the radio programme, even when the news is on
9. We really love each other, even if we bicker a lot.
The listed ended abruptly, with a tenth item inked out. Patrick wondered if his son had been interrupted before completing it. The list was peculiar to Tim, he thought and he smiled slowly. Of course he knew his son loved him, but it warmed his heart to see the words written down, even if in Tim's droll way. They were never a demonstrative pair but moments of affection rang true. Finished with his quick dinner, Patrick folded the list into his pocket and climbed the stairs to bed. As usual, he stopped outside his son's room to check on him. Unusually, he found Timothy awake. "You should be asleep," he scolded lightly.
Timothy shrugged. "Dad?"
"Yes, Tim?" Patrick asked.
"Did you see my list?"
"Yes, son. It's pretty thorough. Do you think Shelagh's looking for a good cricket player?" He teased.
"Stop, Dad. Don't make fun, this is important. I think you have a pretty good chance, Dad."
Patrick laughed lightly, happy. "You think so?"
"Yes. Every time I mentioned you, Shelagh blushed, or got real quiet." He considered that for a moment. "I guess that could mean she doesn't like you and she was just embarrassed, though." Tim's face scrunched in thought before he continued. "But, Dad, there's something I have to ask you. Its kind of important."
"Yes, son?"
Timothy seemed to be struggling with something. He took a breath and asked, "Dad, do you want to marry Shelagh? I never asked, I just assumed that you would, because I want you to. But that can't be the reason, can it? You have to want to marry her, for you. Not for me."
Patrick let out a sigh and sat on the edge of the bed. He knew he wasn't very good with words. He wasn't even sure how he was going to ask Shelagh to marry him. But now, saying the words to his son seemed just as important. "Yes, son. I want to marry Shelagh. I love her, the way a man loves a wife. Being her husband would make me very, very happy. But I wouldn't ask her if you didn't like the idea. This would change our family. We both have to want it."
"I do want it, Dad. Shelagh's wonderful. She always makes me feel so important, like I'm the most important person. Even when she was a nun." He looked up at his father. "Remember how I used to cuddle up with mum and she would read to me? That's how Shelagh makes me feel. Safe. And loved. And if you love her too, we can try and make her love us, too."
Patrick closed his eyes for a moment. "You are a remarkable boy, Timothy. Your mother would be very proud of you. I'm proud of you, too." He reached out and tapped Tim's nose. "You're not afraid of trusting someone. After all we've been through, that's an amazing thing."
"It's easy to trust Shelagh, Dad. I started on the list with her today."
"Did you? Is she ready to marry me, yet?"
Tim rolled his eyes. "Dad, this is going to take some effort. And patience. We're asking her to make a big change. I've started on items two, four and I told her about eight. I reckon she already knows about your car, 'though Shelagh doesn't seem to care much about automobiles. And, I thought maybe we should wait a while before we start talking about taking baths. I mean, she was a nun." He smirked at his father, a fresh look in his eye. "And it looks like you're going to have to do some shopping. Nurse Franklin says your jumpers are horrible."
"Good night, Tim."
Patrick was about to turn off his bedside lamp when a thought occurred to him. He took the list from the table and looked closely at the last item on the list. Timothy had quite thoroughly crossed out the words, but with some effort, he began to make them out.
10. We can be a family and I can have a mum.
Letting out a deep breath, Patrick felt a wave of sadness come over him. The years of pain had definitely made their mark on both of them. It was like they had both in a long, dark tunnel. Patrick knew he had been selfish in the early months of their pain, working long hours to forget, teaching Timothy the importance of self-reliance and independence when the young boy really needed someone to be there for him. He was grateful that Shelagh had been that person to his son, even before she welcomed the father into her life. Now, her love would show father and son the light at the end of that tunnel. Shelagh would teach them joy.
