The Day She Cradled Me by Sacha De Bazin

Author:Sacha De Bazin [Sacha de Bazin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781869797744
Publisher: Penguin Random House New Zealand
Published: 2012-08-25T04:00:00+00:00

Isabella gushes all the way home from the wedding.

‘She looked beautiful in her dress, and so much in love. Did you notice James’s brother William? Isn’t he handsome? He asked me to dance not once, but twice.’

Dean raises an eyebrow.

One daughter is enough to lose at a time. When Isabella leaves, I shall be alone. And that is not a thought to fill me with happiness.

‘Mother.’ Ellie beckons me to her bedside. ‘Come and meet your grandson.’

To hold my child’s own baby takes away my breath.

‘Mother? What is it?’

‘It is nothing, Ellie. Only …’

‘Yes?’

‘He looks so much …’ I struggle for words. The lump in my throat tightens so I can barely speak. ‘He looks like your father, Ellie. He reminds me of him in so many ways.’

‘Is that so?’ Mrs Milne senior says. ‘In which way, precisely? I should love to know.’

‘In a great many ways.’

‘Then it is settled.’

‘What is settled?’ I look at Ellie.

‘His name. He shall be named after his grandfather.’

I don’t know what to say. With my grandson nursed in my arms, I feel a sudden urge to tell her: Freddie. He looks so much like Freddie …

‘— John Henry,’ she says.

I shake my head to rid my mind of the memories I have kept hidden for so long. The babe begins to whimper and I hand him back to his mother, wrapping the shawl gently over him as she opens her nightdress to feed him. ‘John Henry. A lovely name, Ellie.’ I watch as the little body relaxes in his mother’s arms, happy and content to suckle at her breast, and I allow myself to think of Freddie just a little longer. I bend to kiss our daughter’s cheek. ‘Your father would have been proud.’

Mrs Milne coughs and leaves the room.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.