by ML Rose
“It’s a baby girl,” the midwife said. Arla clasped the little shape to her bosom tightly, all exhaustion and tiredness forgotten in the blink of an eye.
She couldn’t stop staring into the tiny, wizened face, the little button-like nose and tiny brown eyes so perfect, it took her breath away. Tears dimmed her vision and she kept wiping at them. Harry’s face was right next to hers and he reached out a finger to touch baby’s little fist. He sniffed and wiped the tears from his face.
“I guess we know her name already, don’t we?” Harry asked, his voice choked with emotion.
“Yes,” Arla said. A shroud of joy and sorrow floated down from above, covering her like a comforting blanket. She would never get back what she had lost, but maybe life had a way of opening a new door when another remained forever shut.
Her heart broke as she kissed her daughter’s forehead, but it also filled her with the dance of rainbow colours. The forlorn music carried her to a bitter-sweet, blue distance where she saw her sister’s face again, glowing in the sunshine of eternal memories. Lost, but never forgotten.
“Nicole,” Arla said, her tear-soaked voice bubbling through a sea of happiness and regret. “Her name will be Nicole.”
THE END
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I owe a debt of thanks to my editor, Robin, who picked out various aspects of the story and brought them to my attention. Your help is always appreciated, Robin.
The beta readers who provided vaulable feedback and caught typos and other inconsistencies are always so important - thank you so much.
In no particular order: Simon Alphonso, Dale Allen, Teresa Collins, Ken Ligenfelter, Betty Resnick - your comments were very helpful. Look forward to your assitance with future books.
HAVE YOU READ THE REST OF THE ARLA BAKER SERIES?
The Lost Sister
The Keeper of Secrets
The Forgotten Mother
The Nail Collector
The Last Girl
Her Silent Obsession