Dusty: Thanks for agreeing to meet me, Jem. I’m sorry I didn’t come back sooner – I just needed some time to think.
Jamie: Well, I reckon you’ve had plenty of time now. So – why didn’t you come back, five years ago?
Dusty: I was on my way back to you. I wrapped the bike round a tree.
Jamie: Were you badly hurt?
Dusty: They didn’t think I was going to make it. It was my own fault – I was tired and I should have broken the journey, but you think you can do these things…anyway I was out of it for weeks, so I couldn’t even get a message to you.
Dusty: I did go back, the next year –
Jamie: Why? Did you think I’d still be sitting there waiting for you?
Dusty: Well – some of the people we met said they were going back the next year, I thought maybe you would – or there’d be someone you’d kept in touch with –
Jamie: Well, you were disappointed then. Why’d you come looking for me now? Did you expect a big romantic reunion or something?
Dusty: No, I – oh, maybe. I don’t really know what I expected. It’s just, I never stopped thinking about you. I felt like we were something special. And now I find there’s Brooke…you must hate me.
Jamie: Oh Dusty, I don’t hate you! I was more disappointed than angry that you didn’t come back. Disappointed with myself…I thought, well, there you go – he promised you the world, you fell for it; he got what he wanted and now he’s gone.
Dusty: I wouldn’t do that! And if I’d known about Brooke –
Jamie: Well, you didn’t know! You couldn’t have, could you? Besides, I didn’t know you well enough to know what you would or wouldn’t do – we only knew each other for a couple of weeks!
Jamie: Dusty – for those couple of weeks, I was so much in love with you…but when you didn’t come back, I had to move on. And then I had Brooke to think about. I don’t want you to think I’m mad at you for leaving me with a kid, it was my choice to have her, and I can honestly say that there has never been a day when I’ve regretted that decision.
Dusty: Jem – can I meet her? I mean, properly.
Jamie: Oh – I don’t know, Dusty. I don’t know that I should even have told you about her…
Dusty: Why not? I’m her father, I’d like to get to know her!
Jamie: You’re someone I slept with, once, nearly five years ago! There’s more to being a father than that, Dusty.
Jamie: I have to think about how she would feel, if you turn up saying ‘Hey I’m your dad!’ and then don’t stick around for her. I don’t mean you have to be physically there, but you can’t just disappear off again if I tell her who you are, and not stay in touch. Kids think it’s their fault, don’t they?
Dusty: I won’t run out on her – I can find somewhere to live round here, I’ll get a job, I’ll help support her. You don’t have to tell her I’m her dad, if you don’t want to – just say I’m a friend. I’ll prove to you that I’m serious, and then you can tell her. Please, Jem – give me a chance.
Jamie: Well – okay, Dusty. We’ll see how it goes.
