Prologue
A melia paced with her hand to her forehead. She took one look at the little boy in the sky blue top and grey shorts. He had dark black curly hair, grey eyes and beautiful olive skin. To look at him, one would want to run up to the little darling and give him a hug. But as she looked at him, she didn’t know what to feel. He was as calm as a warm summer’s day. He pushed up on his toes and down again, with his hands in his pockets, and flashed a slight smile at his mother, waiting for her to react.
She couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge what was right in front of her, but if she denied it any longer, it wouldn’t solve anything.
‘Honey,’ she said in the calmest manner possible. ‘Could you please just stay here while mummy makes a phone call?’
The child nodded. She nodded too, and then stepped out of the kitchen into the living-room to pick up the portable phone. She knew the number off by heart now, she’d rung it so many times, and she was always passed right through to him.
‘Doctor Gallagher,’ she said. ‘It’s Amelia.’
‘Amelia,’ he said. ‘Something has happened, hasn’t it? I can hear it in your voice.’
‘Yes.’ She was almost in tears, but she didn’t want her son to see her cry. ‘It’s Gabriel, he’s...’ She looked in the direction of the door to make sure Gabriel hadn’t followed her. ‘He’s...’ She couldn’t spit it out.
‘What has he done, Amelia?’
Amelia bit the back of her index finger a moment.
‘Amelia?’
‘He cut a cat’s tail with a pair of kitchen scissors. I don’t even know how he got a hold of them! Rebecca was supposed to be watching him!’ The words trailed out like a gush of water from a tap. ‘I don’t know what to do! Oh God!’
‘First, take a few deep breaths and calm down. We talked about this, about the possibility. Remember what I said to you.’
‘Yes, yes I do.’
‘Good. Now why don’t I make an appointment for you and Gabriel to come and see me?’
‘Yes, yes okay.’ She took in deep breaths.
‘I’ll pass you back to my secretary to make the appointment.’
She nodded, ‘Yes, yes okay.’
‘It will be fine, I promise.’
Amelia hoped so!
Chapter One
T hree years earlier
Amelia ran her hand down the growing bump and smiled. It was a pleasure feeling the little baby kick within her. She’d never thought that in her life, she would have such strong feelings for another human being. Life hadn’t been easy, in fact, it had been the most exhausting four months of her life. Not only did the board members try to undermine her judgments, and many times not take her seriously, she also had to deal with Justin.
They spoke a lot over the phone, mostly about business. She had been flying in and out of the country a lot, at his request. The one thing she hadn’t done was visit him. She just couldn’t. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she was terrified, terrified, she wasn’t the Amelia he wanted to see. Not only had she gained back all the weight, the pregnancy had added a few more pounds to her.
‘I do love me,’ she rubbed her belly again. ‘I love me very much.’ This had been her way to get over the constant negative words, Justin had planted in her.
It wasn’t as simple as forgetting, she’d had to relearn how to eat, but the baby had come as a life saver. She wasn’t only looking out for herself, she was looking out for the baby. There had been times, when she’d been tempted to go and see him, to see his gorgeous face, his grey eyes, but she had to remember the things he’d done to her.
Doctor Gallagher had been a God send. Through the months they’d worked together and worked through her fears. The one thing she hadn’t done was go back and see Justin. It didn’t matter how many times Doctor Gallagher had told her she was safe, it didn’t change the fact that Justin might despise her. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to go through the feeling of rejection.
She twirled
A melia paced with her hand to her forehead. She took one look at the little boy in the sky blue top and grey shorts. He had dark black curly hair, grey eyes and beautiful olive skin. To look at him, one would want to run up to the little darling and give him a hug. But as she looked at him, she didn’t know what to feel. He was as calm as a warm summer’s day. He pushed up on his toes and down again, with his hands in his pockets, and flashed a slight smile at his mother, waiting for her to react.
She couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge what was right in front of her, but if she denied it any longer, it wouldn’t solve anything.
‘Honey,’ she said in the calmest manner possible. ‘Could you please just stay here while mummy makes a phone call?’
The child nodded. She nodded too, and then stepped out of the kitchen into the living-room to pick up the portable phone. She knew the number off by heart now, she’d rung it so many times, and she was always passed right through to him.
‘Doctor Gallagher,’ she said. ‘It’s Amelia.’
‘Amelia,’ he said. ‘Something has happened, hasn’t it? I can hear it in your voice.’
‘Yes.’ She was almost in tears, but she didn’t want her son to see her cry. ‘It’s Gabriel, he’s...’ She looked in the direction of the door to make sure Gabriel hadn’t followed her. ‘He’s...’ She couldn’t spit it out.
‘What has he done, Amelia?’
Amelia bit the back of her index finger a moment.
‘Amelia?’
‘He cut a cat’s tail with a pair of kitchen scissors. I don’t even know how he got a hold of them! Rebecca was supposed to be watching him!’ The words trailed out like a gush of water from a tap. ‘I don’t know what to do! Oh God!’
‘First, take a few deep breaths and calm down. We talked about this, about the possibility. Remember what I said to you.’
‘Yes, yes I do.’
‘Good. Now why don’t I make an appointment for you and Gabriel to come and see me?’
‘Yes, yes okay.’ She took in deep breaths.
‘I’ll pass you back to my secretary to make the appointment.’
She nodded, ‘Yes, yes okay.’
‘It will be fine, I promise.’
Amelia hoped so!
Chapter One
T hree years earlier
Amelia ran her hand down the growing bump and smiled. It was a pleasure feeling the little baby kick within her. She’d never thought that in her life, she would have such strong feelings for another human being. Life hadn’t been easy, in fact, it had been the most exhausting four months of her life. Not only did the board members try to undermine her judgments, and many times not take her seriously, she also had to deal with Justin.
They spoke a lot over the phone, mostly about business. She had been flying in and out of the country a lot, at his request. The one thing she hadn’t done was visit him. She just couldn’t. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she was terrified, terrified, she wasn’t the Amelia he wanted to see. Not only had she gained back all the weight, the pregnancy had added a few more pounds to her.
‘I do love me,’ she rubbed her belly again. ‘I love me very much.’ This had been her way to get over the constant negative words, Justin had planted in her.
It wasn’t as simple as forgetting, she’d had to relearn how to eat, but the baby had come as a life saver. She wasn’t only looking out for herself, she was looking out for the baby. There had been times, when she’d been tempted to go and see him, to see his gorgeous face, his grey eyes, but she had to remember the things he’d done to her.
Doctor Gallagher had been a God send. Through the months they’d worked together and worked through her fears. The one thing she hadn’t done was go back and see Justin. It didn’t matter how many times Doctor Gallagher had told her she was safe, it didn’t change the fact that Justin might despise her. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to go through the feeling of rejection.
She twirled
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