Silver Linings (Andy Barber)

-16-

Andy Barber had always wanted to be the father he'd never had. He'd had his chance with Jacob, and had felt he'd failed his son in some respects when it came to it.

The last thing he wanted was to do the same to the little girl who, once again, was trying to strangle him with his own tie.  "Dada!" She screeched in delight as he pulled a face at her - juggling his coffee in one hand and Cora in the other. 

"Genny!" He called up the stairs, "You ready?" 

"Coming! Coming!" Gen called down hurriedly, footsteps coming down as she fasted the earring into her ear. "Sorry, I know we're gonna be late. Where the fuck is Natalie?" She looked at her watch and began to pace. "She knows today is important." 

Andy sipped his drink. "She'll be here, try and calm down." 

"My dickhead husband could show up and screw this up Andy - the last thing I want is this being stretched out for longer than it has been." Genevieve looked at him, the stress clear on her face. The court date of their divorce was today, and hopefully with the judge's ruling, she would be free of Jack by the end of it. 

"C'mere..." he waved her over and into his free arm, hugging her. 

He had both of 'his girls' as he liked to call them. It felt good to say that, even if he did wish Jacob to be part of it. 

"Sorry..." Gen apologised once more with a sigh and stroked her daughters head. She'd almost cried when she'd heard Cora call Andy 'Dada'. It only confirmed to her that her daughter saw him as the only father she would ever have, and he loved her dearly. Andy had already stated his intentions to adopt her and it was something that would happen. First Gen just needed to focus on ridding herself of the waste of space that had been her husband. 

The doorbell sounded and she was quickly out there. "Nat..." 

"Sorry! Bloody client was taking too long to work out the dates for a trim - a freaking trim!" Natalie brushed past and into the kitchen. "Hello gorgeous!" 

"Hey.",  Andy smirked. 

"Oh stop it! I was talking to Cora." She said, taking her 'little bestie' from Andy's arms. Cora not being very happy at being taken away from her father. "Hey! I'm better than daddy, besides, he needs to go help mommy be free again so you're stuck with me missy." Natalie jokingly scolded.

"Thanks Nat." Andy smiled, giving Cora a kiss. "Be a good girl." 

"She always is. Her mom not so much." Natalie grinned. 

Andy threw her a devious look. "Tell me about it." 

"Andy!" Gen looked at him and Natalie and shook her head. "Come on, the sooner I get this over with the better, and then I'm going to get very drunk..." 

Slipping an arm around her waist, Andy steered Gen from the kitchen, saying to Natalie that he'd call once the hearing was over.  "Relax." He told Gen as they got in the car. "It'll be ok, even if he does turn up then he hasn't got much to go on. You have this." 

Gen glanced over, face still etched with worry. "I just want it to be over, and then I can finally focus properly on us."

His hand took hers once they were out of the driveway and he pressed a kiss onto her knuckles. "Just promise me that you'll relax. We've got everything to look forward to. I love you." 

She nodded and sat back further against the passenger seat. "Love you too..." 

They were shown into the courtroom and sat awaiting Jack's arrival. Genevieve toying with her fingers out of nervousness. Jack's lawyer was across from them, clearly expecting his client to show, however he didn't turn up. Something that made Gen finally feel at ease. "See..." Andy leant over and said quietly as the judge announced they were going to get on with it. 

They went through everything, going through evidence of no child support being offered as well as evidence of the affair right before Jack had left for his mistress (who had helpfully provided them with messages exchanged between the pair as well as a testimony against Jack - they'd got lucky with her). Eventually it was determined that Jack would have no visitation rights and that a certain amount of money was to be split as part of the settlement. Gen was satisfied with that, as was Andy. 

It was over. 

Genevieve was finally a free woman, or at least she would be when the confirmation came through. 

"Oh my god..." She broke down with relief when they finally got out of the courts and into the sunshine. 

Andy kissed her. "Well done sweetheart." 

She buried her face into his shirt. "I'm free, I'm actually free! Andy I couldn't have done this without you." 

He snorted at this. "Nah, you'd have had it in the bag without my help. Come on, let's get something to eat and get back home to Cora. I'll give Nat a call." 

Genevieve nodded taking his hand and letting him lead her to the car. 

Cora crawled straight to Andy as they got in later that afternoon. "Dada! Mama..." 

He swung her up onto his arms and gave her a hug. "Did you miss us?" 

"Nah, she was having too much fun with me to even realise you were gone." Nat grinned as she emerged from the living room. "HAPPY DIVORCE DAY!" She yelled and threw her arms around Gen. "Never have I been as happy to see the back of a man as much I have with your EX husband." 

"Where's the wine?" Gen smirked, letting go and walking through into the kitchen, needing a very stiff drink. "It just feels like a massive dark cloud has finally lifted." She told Natalie as Andy stated he was going to take Cora upstairs and change her. 

Natalie watched him go and turned back to her friend with a smile. "Honestly, if you don't marry that man then I will scream. You struck gold with him." 

"I knew I had from the moment I met him." Gen smiled. "He's erm...he's going to adopt Cora..."

Natalie's mouth fell open. "Oh wow...then again she calls him dad, plus the added fact that he treats her like his own. Do you think you'll...will you have another? With him?"

"Well I'm hardly gonna have another with Jack." Gen smirked. "I don't know. Andy lost Jacob, and he's still handling it. But Cora? She's helping him. I wouldn't mind another, but at the moment she's enough for us, we're just happy as we are." 

"You make gorgeous babies, but with him? Another would be a stunner." 

Gen toyed with the wine glass and filled one for Natalie and then another for her. "Like I said, just the three of us." 

Just the three of them. 

Genevieve had never felt as much content as she did with Andy and Cora. She believed that they were meant to have found one another. Things happened for a reason after all, and now that she was finally free of Jack, the next part of her life was ready to begin. 

Her friendship had began with Andy Barber. 

The next chapter began with Andy Barber. 

Whatever happened, her beginnings started with him. 

And they would end with him too.