. " millie says her daddy is bad . he went away too . daddies shouldn't go away ."
" sometimes they can't help it , lukey .... that was nathan 's name for him . " your daddy coudn't help it . you must remember that . it's different for millie's daddy ."
lucas considered , " millie 's daddy said he couldn't help it ."
i pulled lucas as close as i possibly could , " lukey , you must listen to what i say . millie's daddy is different from yours , yours would never have left you less ... unless he had no choice ."
i was thankful neither poppy nor sam could hear me .
" will i get a new daddy ?" lucas asked .
i spooned my body round him . he was tense , and there was a lick of sweat by his hairline . every one of his bones was so fragile , and i was shaken by terror for his safety . " no , lucas , you only have one daddy ."
outside the bedroom , the sun made an appearance . fastened on to me , lucas relaxed , his breathing slowed and he tumbled into one of those instant childish sleeps .
cautiously , i eased myself out of bed and went into the boys's room to check on felix . he wasn't there .
oh , my god . where was felix ?
then i spotted him at the bottom of the stairs that faced the front door , sitting bolt upright . he was dressed , sort of , in one blue sock and a t-shirt squashed over his pajama top . his treasured , tatty bit of blanket was scrunched between his knees , and he clasped his rteddy bear to his chest .
he was sitting uttery still , with an air of saintlike patience and expectation , of determination far beyond his years .
i ran down the stairs and sat beside him , my hearts fluttering with pain and anxiety . " what are you doing , felix ?" i pulled him close . " what are you doing ? you gave mummy a fright . i didn't know where you were ."
at my touch , felix stirred and seemed to returen from somwhere far away . his eyes were so blue , so trusting , so bright . " i'm waiting for daddy to show him my treasure , " he saiod . and unfurled his hand in which lay his shell .
" sometimes they can't help it , lukey .... that was nathan 's name for him . " your daddy coudn't help it . you must remember that . it's different for millie's daddy ."
lucas considered , " millie 's daddy said he couldn't help it ."
i pulled lucas as close as i possibly could , " lukey , you must listen to what i say . millie's daddy is different from yours , yours would never have left you less ... unless he had no choice ."
i was thankful neither poppy nor sam could hear me .
" will i get a new daddy ?" lucas asked .
i spooned my body round him . he was tense , and there was a lick of sweat by his hairline . every one of his bones was so fragile , and i was shaken by terror for his safety . " no , lucas , you only have one daddy ."
outside the bedroom , the sun made an appearance . fastened on to me , lucas relaxed , his breathing slowed and he tumbled into one of those instant childish sleeps .
cautiously , i eased myself out of bed and went into the boys's room to check on felix . he wasn't there .
oh , my god . where was felix ?
then i spotted him at the bottom of the stairs that faced the front door , sitting bolt upright . he was dressed , sort of , in one blue sock and a t-shirt squashed over his pajama top . his treasured , tatty bit of blanket was scrunched between his knees , and he clasped his rteddy bear to his chest .
he was sitting uttery still , with an air of saintlike patience and expectation , of determination far beyond his years .
i ran down the stairs and sat beside him , my hearts fluttering with pain and anxiety . " what are you doing , felix ?" i pulled him close . " what are you doing ? you gave mummy a fright . i didn't know where you were ."
at my touch , felix stirred and seemed to returen from somwhere far away . his eyes were so blue , so trusting , so bright . " i'm waiting for daddy to show him my treasure , " he saiod . and unfurled his hand in which lay his shell .
No comments:
Post a Comment