SOON AFTER THAT DAY, Willy and Kate invited me over to dinner.
They knew something was going on with me and they wanted to find out what it was.
I wasnโt sure I was ready to tell them. I wasnโt sure I wanted anyone else to know just yet. But then, as we sat around their TV room, both kids tucked into bed, the moment felt right.
I casually mentioned that there wasโฆa new woman in my life. They surged forward.ย Who is she?
Iโll tell you, but please, please, please, I need you both to keep it a secret. Yes, Harold, yes, yesโwho is it?
Sheโs an actress.
Oh?
Sheโs American.
Oh.
On a show calledย Suits.
Their mouths fell open. They turned to each other.
Then Willy turned to me and said:ย Fuck off! What?
No way. Sorry? Impossible!
I was baffled, until Willy and Kate explained that they were regularโnay, religiousโviewers ofย Suits.
Great, I thought, laughing. Iโve been worrying about the wrong thing. All this time Iโd thought Willy and Kate might not welcome Meg into the family, but now I had to worry about them hounding her for an autograph.
They barraged me with questions. I told them a bit of how weโd met, told them about Botswana, told them about Waitrose, told them I was smitten, but overall what I told them was heavily redacted. I just didnโt want to give away too much.
I also said I couldnโt wait for them to meet her, that I looked forward to the four of us spending lots of time together, and I confessed, for the umpteenth time, that this had long been my dreamโto join them with an equal partner. To become a foursome. Iโd said this to Willy so many times, and heโd always replied:ย It might not happen, Harold! And youโve got to be OK with that.ย Well, now I felt that itย wasย going to happen, and I told him soโbut he still said to slow down.
Sheโs an American actress after all, Harold. Anything might happen.
I nodded, a bit hurt. Then hugged him and Kate and left.
