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pull out the little pink
address book and give it to her guiltily. “I believe this is
yours—I, er, guess
got
bit confused about what
belonged to who …”
Rosie smiles, then tears page out. “Keep this,” she
says, handing me their contact details. “Then you’ll always
know how to find us— Mi casa et su casa.” She laughs at
the irony. “Literally.”
“You too,” tell her. “You’ll have to come meet this
little one when he or she arrives.”
“Try and stop me!” She grins, squeezing my hands.
“Thank you, Holly.”
Yes think, smiling as she walks away. She’s right
look at her as Dad hugs her goodbye. Father and
daughter
watch Laura’s face light up as Rosie hurries back
down the driveway. To her nana
smile at Dad as he slides into Andy’s car next to
me and squeezes my hand as we glide away from the curb,
heading for home. He pulls me close and kisses my head.
His daughter
close my eyes, the blood hot in my veins.
Undiagnosed …
Yes
think as Dad’s palm gently settles on top of
mine on my stomach, his large hand feather-soft, stroking
the resting place of my unborn child, who’s sleeping
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soundly—its fate, its future unknown, new leaf springing
up on this bizarre family tree.
Yes, some things people are better off not knowing
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Epilogue
Sunlight dances over the little girl’s red curls as she
gazes at the camera, her brown eyes wide as she suddenly
lunges chocolaty fingers toward the screen.
The picture immediately jolts and twists, continuing
at skewed angle as her chestnut-haired mother struggles
to wrestle the webcam from her iron grip.
“She’s gorgeous!”
tell Holly, laughing as she
adjusts the camera.
“Just like her mom.” Josh smiles, resting his head on
Holly’s shoulder as she beams at him. She’s glowing. They
both are.
“Well, she definitely got my hair, anyway,” she
concedes. “Born with whole head of it, poor thing!” She
grins. “So, Rosie, when’re you go
wait to meet her godmother.”
beam, my heart swelling at the name, and the
honor. can’t believe they’ve made me godmother!
“Red alert, red alert—she’s trying to suck you into
babysitting duties!” Jack appears behind Holly, grimacing.
“Holly seems to have an aversion to changing nappies!”
“They stink worse than you!” she retorts.
“Hey, Granddad.” grin.
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“Watch it!” Jack laughs. “I’m feeling ancient enough
as it is. So, you coming over or what?”
“I’d love to, but start back at Sixth Form in two
weeks, and I’ve got heaps of catching up to do.”
“Ugh! Tell me about it!” Holly rolls her eyes. “I’ve
got so much reading to do before even start college!”
“Maybe Christmas, though?”
say. “Or Easter? Of
course, I’d have to come over for
wedding …” grin at
Holly and Josh. “Any sign of diamond yet, Holls?”
“Not yet.” She smiles at Josh, her fingers intertwined
with his like candy cane. “But you never know what the
future holds …”
look at them; they’re so happy. You never know …
She’s right.
year ago could never have imagined
that this was what the future had in store—that Mum
wasn’t really my mum; that her real daughter was on the
other side of the Atlantic; that I’d discover my real mother
was TV star, and that I’d be reunited with my wonderful
dad, my gorgeous half brother, and to all intents and
purposes
sister too
smile. We’ve come
long way.
And Holly’s so right. Who knows what’ll be around the
next corner—a wedding, tsunami, cure
All any of us
can really do is make the most of the time we’ve got, seize
the day, treasure every moment with the people we love.
My screen bleeps.
“Oh! I’ve got another call,” tell them. “It’s Nana.”
“Give her my love.” Holly smiles. “Speak soon.”
say goodbye, then co
me how she’s got the hang of all this technology. She’s
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whiz at Skype now, bought her own webcam and even has
her own Facebook account to keep up with my photos!
“Hello, sweetheart, just quickie, as saw you were
online.” She smiles. “I wanted to check you’re still coming
home next week?”
“Next Saturday, two-fifteen p.m.”
“Wonderful! can’t wait.”
smile. “Me neither.”
There’s no place like home, especially as it was so
nearly ripped apart.
still shudder to think how things
might’ve been if Nana had found out the truth—have to
watch myself every time mention Holly or Jack. guess
it’s something I’ll just have to live with—the last secret
have to keep.
“Holly sends her love,” say carefully.
“How lovely, and isn’t she doing well?
get her
updates on Facebook—isn’t her baby adorable?”
“Beautiful.”
smile
wistfully.
Your
great-
granddaughter My heart aches to tell her, but never can.
“She’s perfect.”
“All that gorgeous hair! Almost the same shade as
Trudie’s.”
bite my tongue and nod, the irony of her
comparison almost unbearable. “She was born with it,
Holly said.”
“Yes.” Nana beams. “It was the same with her.
Beautiful fluffy ginger wisps, and that fu
ear—like
little pixie.” She chuckles. “Just like her
mother.”
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frown suddenly. “Nana, you don’t have kink …”
“And look at her now.”
My breath sticks in my throat as stare at her, her
eyes twinkling as goose bumps prickle down my arms.
“Nana …”
“Oh, Rosie, I’ve got to dash—the girls have arrived.
We’re going bowling.”
“What? Nana, wait—”
“I’m big girl, Rosie, you don’t have to worry about
me—on the bowling green, or off.” She winks. “I’m not
daft.”
stare at her.
“Listen, I’ve got to go—we’ll catch up properly
when you’re back, okay? It’ll be much better in person.”
She beams. “You can tell me everything I’ve missed. Now
stop worrying, and go and have fun!”
“Okay, but—”
“I love you, darling—byee!”
“Love you …” The call disco
fades on the screen. stare at it numbly for moment.
She knows …
My heart hammers wildly.
Has she always known …?
scour my memory quickly, remembering how
Nana was there the night was born, how she was with
Sarah when they discovered Kitty had run away, how she
always referred to me as miracle, how she didn’t think
Trudie would’ve coped without me
how insistent she
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was that take the test as soon as possible, even though
there isn’t cure …
step outside into the blinding sun, the air dense
and hard to breathe.
How she knew that Holly was born with ginger hair
and kinky ear …
The sand shifts beneath my feet.
Did she always know wasn’t Trudie’s baby?
Or has she just worked it out …?
Andy looks up from his tatty guidebook.
“Everything all right?”
look at him, my head spi
“Yes.”
smile blossoms slowly across my mouth. It
is. It finally is
Whether she always knew, or whether she just