The Brazilian's Forgotten Lover: Years have passed, but old habits die hard... (The Henderson Sisters Book 3) by Clare Connelly

Author:Clare Connelly [Connelly, Clare]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Published: 2016-01-21T02:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

The clock on the bedside table told him it was almost two in the morning, but he didn’t stop. He was only halfway through the box, and with every photo, he was experiencing a cathartic release of emotion. He was feeling a growing sense of loss, for what he’d missed, but also a dawning of understanding and connection. The photos were helping. He could see so much of the miniscule changes in his daughter’s face. He found a photo of her at around three months of age, and he could see her little eyes were no longer vague and unseeing. She was focussing on things and showing happiness in her face.

Then, around six months, when suddenly she was photographed sitting up, or on her stomach in the act of crawling. He ran his finger across the picture, as if he could reach through time and feel her downy little cheeks for himself.

It was three o’clock when he reached nine months, and her hair was starting to thicken into the big bouncing curls she had now. Her smile was contagious; he felt ridiculous tears on his eyes and a huge grin on his own features as he looked at his daughter with a pride he’d never known it would be possible to possess.

And then, her first birthday. Cristiano forced himself to be patient. He made a cup of coffee and brought it back to bed, not wanting to rush the milestone.

Ava had organised a small party for her. Olivia and Sophie were there, looking as beautiful as ever. The three sisters together, arm in arm, with Ava in the middle clutching a laughing Milly, was a striking montage. He recognised Jackson and Marie in the background; his smile widened. There were some other people he didn’t know; perhaps friends of the sisters’ from school? Then, there was the photograph he’d been subconsciously dreading, and seeking.

Angus Edwards, smiling adoringly at Milly with an arm draped casually around Ava’s shoulders. Ava’s pose was the picture of contentment. Her fingers were wrapped around Milly’s wrist, and her other hand caught Angus’s. They looked … like a family.

The clutch of jealousy was sharp and strong. He understood it immediately.

This should have been him.

This could have been him.

If he hadn’t been so foolish and left Ava behind, when he had wanted so desperately to stay, he would have known about her pregnancy. He would have been there from the beginning. If he hadn’t been so proud, when she’d come to him in Rio, he would have learned the truth.

And then what? Would he have forgiven her for insisting that she wanted to go through with her ridiculous marriage to a man she didn’t love? Would he have forgiven her anything?

He was so furious with her at that time. So wounded and so desperately disappointed. For the first time in his life, Cristiano had been told ‘no’, and it was an experience he had bitterly resented – and Ava for wielding that weapon.

The next photograph was similar.

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