Jaclyn asked Shane to meet her on neutral grounds. She choose a small café she discovered when she was pregnant. Jaclyn was playing with her spoon. Shane was late. She glanced over her shoulder. Her babysitter was sitting behind her in case Shane wanted to see Gwendolyn right away. The door of the café opened and Shane came in. Jaclyn’s heart jumped a little. She hadn’t spoken to him privately since they broke up. ‘Hi.’ Shane sat down beside her. ‘Hi.’ Jaclyn inhaled his scent. ‘So, why do you want to talk me alone?’ Jaclyn took a deep breath. ‘I need to tell you something. And you need to promise me to let me finish before you say something.’ Shane raised an eyebrow. ‘I promise.’ ‘After we broke up I was feeling very depressed. I tried to concentrate on my studies. When I started to faint I thought it was because I demanded too much of my body. The doctor confirmed my deepest fear. I was pregnant.’ Shane’s eyes grew big and he opened his mouth to say something. But Jaclyn placed a finger on his lips. ‘Let me finish please. The thought of an abortion never crossed my mind. I didn’t know what to do. I was pregnant and had no one. Yvonne helped me a lot. She was there when I gave birth to a baby girl.’ Jaclyn looked at Shane. He was a little pale. ‘You mean I’m the father of a child? A little girl?’ Jaclyn nodded. ‘How come? Why didn’t you? When? Where is she now?’ ‘I didn’t tell you because I was upset and angry. You broke up with me because you couldn’t give yourself completely to me. Why should you be able to have time to see your child? I talked it over with Kian and it’s only fair that you get the chance to see her.’ ‘Where is she now? Is she with Kian?’ Jaclyn flinched when she heard the hatred in Shane’s voice when he said Kian’s name. ‘She is here. But please don’t take her away from me.’ Jaclyn got up and walked to her babysitter. She lifted her seven-month-old daughter in her arms and walked back to Shane. She placed the child in Shane’s arms. Shane looked at his child. Gwendolyn was a happy child and started smiling. Millions of thoughts were racing through his mind. He could take the child right now and leave. But if he wanted Jaclyn back he should leave the child with her. He than had an excuse to visit her. ‘What’s her name?’ ‘Gwendolyn.’ Shane smiled at Gwendolyn. ‘Hello there.’ Gwendolyn tried to grab his hair. Shane looked at Jaclyn. ‘I want to visit her when ever I can.’ Jaclyn nodded. ‘I don’t want to take her away from her mother. But I don’t want Kian raising her.’ Jaclyn sighed. ‘Shane, Kian and I moved into a new house. He will be around her.’ ‘Who else knows that I’m a dad?’ Jaclyn was confused by the sudden change of subject. ‘Um, Kian, Yvonne and the rest of the girls.’ Shane handed his daughter back to Jaclyn. ‘I’ll inform the press. You’ll be seeing a lot of me from now on.’ He kissed her on the cheek and left the café. Jaclyn shook her head. This wasn’t the reaction she had hoped for and she didn’t like the hatred she noticed when Shane talked about Kian.

Shane’s announcement a few days later turned the world up side down. Suddenly every magazine wanted an interview. And Ronan had a few questions. Kian was still unaware of what was going on when he opened the door. ‘Ronan, morning.’ Ronan looked at Kian still wearing his pyjamas. ‘Sleeping in today?’ Ronan said coldly. Kian rubbed his eyes. ‘I just woke up.’ ‘Is Jaclyn home?’ Kian nodded. He let Ronan in and walked to the bedroom. Jaclyn was feeding Gwendolyn. ‘Ronan is here to see you.’ Jaclyn looked up. ‘Ronan to see me?’ Kian nodded. He crawled back in bed again. ‘Wake me up when the day is over.’ Jaclyn kissed his forehead and grabbed her robe. Gwendolyn had just finished drinking. She placed the girl next to Kian. ‘Watch Kian while he is sleeping.’ She walked to the living room. ‘Morning Ro. Can I get you a coffee?’ Ronan shook his head. ‘All I want is some answers.’ Ronan tossed a few newspapers on the table. Jaclyn picked them up. ‘My secret child. Shane Westlife tells it all.’ Jaclyn looked at Ronan with a shocked look on her face. ‘He didn’t tell you?’ Ronan slowly shook his head. Jaclyn sensed his anger. ‘I woke up this morning with a dozen reporters on my front lawn.’ Ronan said, raising his voice. ‘And than my wife tells me the baby is such a little darling.’ Jaclyn walked to the kitchen to get a little distance between them. She started to make coffee. ‘I only told Shane a few days ago. I had no idea that he would go to the press before he talked to you.’ ‘It seems the whole world knows but me.’ Jaclyn sat down at the kitchen table. ‘Yvonne helped me with the pregnancy and the birth. You seem to have forgotten that my parents are dead and that I’m an only child. So when Shane left me I had no one left. I was desperate to keep the baby. But I was so scared Shane would take her away from me.’ Jaclyn looked at Ronan. ‘I know I made a mistake. I’m sorry.’ Ronan sat down beside her. ‘I don’t blame you. I was very surprised this morning. I’ve tried to reach Shane but he’s not answering the phone.’ Jaclyn rose to get some coffee. ‘Do you want some coffee now?’ Ronan nodded. Jaclyn poured two cups. ‘I don’t know what Shane will do now. He said that he wants Gwen to stay with me. But he hates Kian. I don’t know why.’ ‘I think Shane doesn’t even know what he will do next.’ Jaclyn gave Ronan his coffee. ‘I just hope it’s nothing foolish.’