To say George is bewildered would be beyond an understatement. He examines this strange lady more intently. "Sorry?"

"I know it sounds crazy." Birdie pushes the photograph into George's hand, forcing him to keep hold of it. "I know you probably don't believe me. But if you'd just let me explain, I can—"

"You'd better come inside." George widens the gap in the door, allowing her to enter the house. All colour has drained from his face by now; he hopes there's a valid justification for this woman's sudden arrival.

Birdie enters the living room, where Levi is still sat contemplating solutions to the crossword. He spots the lady in his peripheral vision, glancing upwards. "Alright, darling?"

"Hello," she greets awkwardly. "Um, my name is Bernice. B-But call me Birdie."

"Hello, Birdie." Levi notices George re-entering the room, so he looks to his husband for some context. "Um, I wasn't expecting a visitor this evening, George."

"Neither was I." George gestures with his hand for the woman to take a seat. "Wherever you'd like, Birdie."

"Thank you." She sits herself down on an armchair, a reasonable distance from George and Levi. "So, you probably have a lot of questions for me, now."

"You're not kidding." George leans forward in his chair, silently observing the subtle similarities in physical features between himself and this stranger. "But I think the most logical start, would be an explanation of how you came to exist."

"Okay." She nods, her eyes moving to the ground. "I don't exactly like to admit it, but I wasn't planned. Well, obviously — otherwise, you'd know about it."

"Go on," George encourages.

"The woman in the photo with you ... her name is Annie. Does that name ring any bells?"

George's brows furrow, as he recalls his memory. "Yes, it does, actually."

"She's my mother. She told me you both had a brief fling in about nineteen-eighty-one. My mum's mother — my grandmother — do you remember her?"

"I do. Mary?" George asks.

"Yes. She took the photo, Mum said. Apparently, my grandmother believed that you would marry Mum, because you seemed so sweet together. But Mum said you cut contact with her before she found out she was pregnant with me."

"It was a meaningless fling," George says. "It would never have been a real relationship. And we always protected ourselves — that's why you weren't planned. We would have been kids, maybe eighteen years old, Birdie."

"Mum said she was devastated when you ran off. She never knew the reason why, and she blamed herself all those years. She died, to cancer, a few years ago. I've gone without a parent for all that time. I just knew I needed to find out who my father was ... so I could find the answers, when she couldn't."

"I never had proper relationships with girls because I was gay," George explains. "The only proper relationship I had before my husband was a woman when I was twenty-one. And even that only lasted two years. It wasn't a personal thing to your mother."

"Okay. At least I know, now." Birdie's eyes soften, as she heaves a gentle sigh. "I'm sorry for bothering you tonight. I'll leave you to it."

She stands herself up, preparing to make a beeline for the front door once again. Before she can get very far, George speaks up.

"Wait, Birdie." His words earn her attention, so he carries on talking. "I-I can't lie — I'm just as confused as you are, right now. But I'm willing to work with you on this ... as long as you're willing to work with me, too."

Birdie tilts her head to the side. "What are you suggesting?"

"We'll both take a DNA test. If the results come back that you're actually my daughter, then we can start to work on building up a relationship together. If I've had a daughter all these years without realising, then I want to know her. And I hope you'd want to know your father, too."

Birdie smiles, moving closer to George. "Of course I want to know you — more than anything."

George nods, satisfied that both of them are on the same page as one another. "Great. We'll get it sorted as soon as possible. Do you have a number I can contact you on?"

"Of course." Birdie withdraws her phone from her pocket, handing it to George. "Just put your name in my contacts. I'll text you, to make sure the number works."

"That's fine." He enters his digits, before handing the phone back to her. "There you go."

"Thank you." She quickly types a tester message, then waits for the result. When George's phone makes a sound, she smiles. "I guess it worked, then."

George opens the text, reading it aloud. "Hey Dad." He slips his phone away, before leading Birdie to the front door again. "Well, it's been great meeting you. I guess time will tell, as to where we stand."

"Thank you for taking the time to actually listen to me," Birdie replies. "I wasn't sure whether you'd just push me away."

"With how reckless I was as a young adult, it was hardly a shock for me to have an unknown kid floating around somewhere," George says. "But we'll see whether that's the case, soon enough."

Birdie moves towards George, giving him a hug. George jerks in surprise at the sudden action, but decides to give the woman peace of mind, so he wraps his arms around her in return. The pair linger for a moment or two, but then George parts from her.

"I'll be in touch," Birdie tells him.

"Alright." George watches as she steps out into the cool evening air, turning around to face him one final time. "Bye for now, Birdie."

"Bye ... " She waits for him to close the door on her, taking in every tiny second of looking at his face before he disappears out of sight again.

Upon closing the front door, George can't help but press his palm to his face. He can't quite comprehend the exchange he has just had. As he walks back into the living room, he finds Levi staring at him.

"Can I please have a shred of context for what's just happened?" Levi asks, unsure what gesture to perform or what words to use.

"I'm just as confused and surprised as you are," George answers, joining his husband on the sofa. "Do I even know if she's legitimate? She could be anyone."

"Did she know your name?" Levi leans back, resting his feet on the coffee table. "Did she say things that only a child of yours could possibly know?"

"She knew my name," George explains. "And she knew the name of the lass I had a fling with, around the time she was born. But that doesn't mean Annie didn't have flings with other guys. Birdie could belong to anybody."

Levi's face contorts in thought for a moment. "You know what I say?"

"No, but please enlighten me," George responds. "Because you're usually the smarter and more rational one."

"I say that you give this woman a chance. She may be delusional, or she may just be desperate to find her real dad — or, she could really be your daughter. Take the DNA test, and find out for certain." Levi takes George's hand in his own as he continues. "And if she's your daughter, then you make up for lost time. All forty-five years of it. And it also means I have a stepdaughter that I never knew about, too."

"Honestly, imagine if she is mine?" George chuckles at the notion. "She's spent her whole life searching for her dad, and then she gets two at once."

"It is rather strange, when you put it that way." Levi leans his elbow against the arm of the sofa, then rests his chin against his knuckles. "But who knows? Maybe she isn't yours. But I think it would be nice to help her look for her real dad if that's the case."

"Her mum's dead. She has nobody else's information but mine," George reminds him. "She can't exactly ask her mum about all the other flings she may have had around the same time."

"If I'm being honest, I have a slight inkling that she's yours anyway," Levi confesses.

George's eyes flit to Levi's. "What makes you say that?"

"I don't know if you noticed, but she has a lot of similar features to you," Levi explains. "She has your eyes. Maybe it's a coincidence ... but your eyes are rather distinctive."

"I noticed that, too." George rubs his fingers against the back of his neck, his tone hushed. "My god ... maybe she wasn't being delusional. Maybe she is actually mine."

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Levi unlocks his phone, to search online for DNA testing. "Let's get you both tested."

• • •

Dear Diary,

This will be one of my final entries in here, forever. I know that sounds like I'm making a bold assumption, but it is with good reason. It is almost 2028, and I'm not getting any younger. I'm sixty-four years of age at this point, and I have had an awful lot of varied experiences in this lifetime. However, I have finally reached a point where I am content with my life again.

I have my dear husband, who has stayed by my side the majority of my life. I have my wonderful children, who are all grown up and getting themselves out into the world now. I have my sisters and their families. I have friends in Andrew, Nancy, Stephanie ... the list goes on.

It has also been a few weeks since Birdie came into my life, now. We got the DNA test sorted out, and the results came back saying that she is my daughter. It came as a shock, truth be told. My biggest regret in life is not knowing about her sooner, as I've missed out on so much of her life. But there's no time like the present, and I'm making it my mission to catch up on all those missed years. Turns out, she's married and has two kids — meaning I've got grandchildren I didn't even know I had. One is a 12 year old girl named Lucy, and the other is a 10 year old girl named Ivory. They're lovely girls and I already have a pretty good bond with them both.

Levi, Gem and Kieran have welcomed them all to the family with open arms, and everyone gets on so well. Birdie considers Levi her dad just as much as she considers me her dad, which is a very sweet thing. It's even sweeter that Levi reciprocates this love for her. Gem and Kieran love being an auntie and an uncle to Lucy and Ivory, and siblings to Birdie. All in all, it has worked out for the best.

Now, to further explain why this may be my last entry. It ties in with what's already been said, in that I've reached a point in life where I am happy. This diary was primarily to vent feelings where I couldn't talk to actual people. But now, I have nothing to really vent about. Perhaps it's time for me to move on from this tattered, well-loved little book of mine once and for all. This diary has carried me for a large part of my lifespan. Perhaps it's time to enter a new era of my life without it.

Of course, I'll make sure it is preserved and kept safe. It'll be interesting to look back on in the future — not just for myself, but for my husband and my children. To show them everything I experienced leading to this moment. Plus, if I remember correctly, I wrote some god-awful embarrassing things in here as a kid. It'll get a laugh out of anyone who reads it, that's for certain.

I just want to finally add, that I have no regrets in life, other than the lack of knowledge about Birdie until now ... but that is something that was out of my control. Although my life has had so many hardships, they have helped me to learn so much, and they have made me who I am. For that reason, I wouldn't change any of it. Although on saying that, I do hope my kids grow up more gracefully than their old dad! I've had a good run, though.

Anyway, this is it from me. Thank you for the many years you have been there for me. If I should ever need to vent in the future, maybe you'll hear from me again. However, I don't count on it, fingers crossed.

Thank you, dear diary.

Yog x

Satisfied with the words he has written, George locks the small padlock to seal the diary for the final time. He opens his bedside drawer, stashing it in its usual place inside, before concealing it with a couple of random objects. Once he has done this, he closes the drawer again, then sits back on his bed to contemplate for a moment or two. The only thing that interrupts his light thoughts, is the sound of Levi calling him from downstairs.

"George, Birdie's here with the kids."

A soft smile settles upon his lips, as he gets up from the mattress to go downstairs. When he enters the hallway to exchange cuddles with them all, he can't help but feel a warmth inside.

Finally, he sees fully what life is about.

• • •

Chapter thirty-eight! Only two chapters left now! xx