My confidence feels shaken. This is already so far outside my comfort zone. ‘Okay that wouldn’t be good. Do you think I should change how I put it? I don’t want to sound desperate. I’m worried she just thinks I’m the sad guy who lives upstairs who she feels sorry for. Of course she’ll want to go back to this successful ex who she was going to marry.’
‘Well you’re going the right way about showing her that,’ Sam points out.
‘I don’t want to. I just don’t think he’s the right man for her – he dumped her when she got sick and changed her job because he simply couldn’t deal with it. What sort of person does that?’
‘Hmm yeah sounds like an idiot … but some women like bad men,’ he says with a shrug. ‘I’ve heard it’s a thing.’
There’s a noise in the background and I can hear Tina talking. ‘She says “what do I know about women”?’ he repeats with a snort.
‘Tell Tina I agree; you are the last person to get women, Sam.’
‘I’m not talking to either of you if you’re going to gang up on me. Anyway I’m married so it’s obviously worked,’ he says.
‘Okay back to my thing. I’ll just tell her I love her.’
Sam looks stunned. ‘You actually love her? How do you know? You’ve never met this girl. I mean truly love her, not just think you do or the idea of her?’
I try not to let the doubts creep in. This is Sophia we’re talking about – if anything, I know her better because all I’ve done is listen to her, and share my deepest worries with her. ‘I do. Even if she still likes this Ryan guy, I’ll wait. I’ll do anything, I just want to carry on talking to her in the evenings, hear her laugh, her stories about the kids at school. I feel I know them, that I know her. I’ve even shouted hello to her mum on the phone. God, I feel I know her better than Laura, even though I was married to her for over a year.’
There’s a pause as Sam digests this information. ‘Do you know, Jack, if you really feel like that, good on you. But you’re gonna have to tell her. Are you just going to shout down from your balcony?’
‘I’ve got a plan,’ I reply.
‘Come on, out with it then.’
‘Nope,’ I tell him, ‘you’re just going to have to wait and see.’
‘Oh man, you’re rotten.’
‘That way, if it fails you don’t need to know, and if it succeeds I’ll tell you.’
A text announces itself on my screen. ‘Gotta go, Sam, I’ve had an urgent message from Soph.’
‘Bye then, good luck – hope she gives you a chance. Write a poem – she’ll love that.’
‘Thanks, relationship guru.’ I cut him off and finish reading Sophia’s message.
Can I talk to you on the balcony when you’re free? It’s about Bertie – he’s found out about Elsie’s daughter x
No? That’s bizarre, how? x
Long story, I’ll tell you on the balcony in ten x
I’ll prepare a couple of stiff drinks. Fancy a whisky chaser? x
Perfect x
Fifteen minutes later, I’m on my balcony sipping a whisky and leaning slightly over the parapet so I don’t have to shout.
‘How’s the drink?’ I ask.
‘Spot on – just what I needed,’ Sophia replies.
‘So what happened?’
‘That’s the thing, I’m not at all sure. I was just leaving Bertie to get to know Tilly, obviously I sent you the videos.’
‘Yeah,’ I say, smiling. ‘I’m happy for him.’
‘I know, it was like it was meant to be or something. But then just as I was going, he came out with it. That he’s had this email from a girl, Flora Bird, who says she’s Elsie’s daughter.’
I’m puzzled. ‘But how did that happen, when we didn’t give him the letter?’
‘Apparently he just got this email from her. She was going to write to him, a proper letter, but was worried it wouldn’t get to him because of the lockdown. So she sent him an email. Apparently Flora received a letter in the post a couple of months ago, from Elsie.’
‘But that’s not possible,’ I say. ‘How can she have been sent a letter from Elsie when she’s been dead for over a year?’
‘That’s what none of us can understand.’
‘Strange.’ I shiver in spite of the warmth of the whisky. The thought is slightly creepy. ‘So is Bertie okay? How has he taken the news?’