check in. I had to go, but I was coming back for you. I came back for you, as fast as I could, worried out of my mind when you didn’t answer your phone. I didn’t leave you, Hannah. I just had work, and your passport hadn’t cleared yet. Can you remember that? Please, please tell me you remember that.” His hands were holding my face, his eyes begging me.
My mind was a mess, as different things fought to be remembered. Suddenly, my memory was bombarded, as everything came rushing back.
“We’ll get a flat in London. It’ll have your own little room to write in, one that overlooks the garden.”
“Do flats have gardens?” I was sure they didn’t.
“Some do, and I’ll make sure ours does.” He picked up my passport papers. “You’ll have to get dual citizenship, so our babies will be little English chaps.”
“I thought we were having a daughter?”
“Yes, one who looks just like you.” He kissed me, pulling me into his lap, and the papers were forgotten.
I looked up at William and lunged at him, my lips finding his immediately. He was mine, he’d always been mine. I pulled away to breathe, and his eyes were full of tears and relief. “I’ve missed you so much. Please don’t ever forget me again,” he pleaded.
“Never,” I promised. I couldn’t believe I’d ever forgotten him in the first place.
Chapter 7 – Recollections
WILLIAM
I finally had her back. After all these years, she was back in my arms, and I swore I’d never let her go again. She kissed me with a passion I remembered clearly, and I hoped she did, too. When we both pulled back for air, we started to cry. I hugged her so tight, I was sure it hurt. I was scared this was another dream, that I’d wake up and she’d still be lost to me. “I missed you so much, so very much. Please don’t ever disappear on me again.”
“You know where my bookshop is, and you know I live above it. You should be able to find me.”
“I knew where you lived the first time,” I worried, hiding my face in her neck.
“Ophelia and Carter would never let my father interfere with you finding me again.”
“You promise?” I felt like a toddler asking for a trip to the play park.
“I swear it.”
We heard Penelope let out a shrieking giggle, and my heart clinched, wondering if she’d let our daughter know I was her dad. “She’s beautiful, can I…?”
She cupped my cheek. “Yeah, we’ll find a way to tell her. She’s your baby girl.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner.”
“You’re here now.”
“I was so scared, Hannah, when they told me you were attacked and that you were pregnant. I was afraid…”
“I was worried about the same thing when I woke up. I wasn’t, the doctor said I wasn’t. I was fully-clothed when Ophelia found me.”
I let out a sigh of relief. Just because my daughter was mine, didn’t mean someone hadn’t hurt Hannah after the fact. I pulled her back tight into my arms. I needed to hold her to me. I needed to keep her next to me. I didn’t know if I could leave her and go to my hotel room tonight. I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle being away from her again. I lay down on the seat, holding her in my arms, hoping she’d be willing to let me sleep here if I asked.
We were quiet for a moment, as I took in our surroundings. She owned a little bookshop, and it suited her. Before, she’d had nothing to hold her in the states, but now with her shop, and I was sure my daughter’s schooling, I had to find a way to make it in the U.S. My parents would be furious, but there was no way I was leaving my family behind.
“I wonder how long it’d take to get a work visa?” I spoke softly to myself, but she heard and looked up at me worried.
“I don’t think I can just up and leave, William. I’ve been running my own little shop for three years now, to leave it all behind…”
I cut her off with a kiss. “I was talking about me. I’ll need the work visa, because I’m not
My mind was a mess, as different things fought to be remembered. Suddenly, my memory was bombarded, as everything came rushing back.
“We’ll get a flat in London. It’ll have your own little room to write in, one that overlooks the garden.”
“Do flats have gardens?” I was sure they didn’t.
“Some do, and I’ll make sure ours does.” He picked up my passport papers. “You’ll have to get dual citizenship, so our babies will be little English chaps.”
“I thought we were having a daughter?”
“Yes, one who looks just like you.” He kissed me, pulling me into his lap, and the papers were forgotten.
I looked up at William and lunged at him, my lips finding his immediately. He was mine, he’d always been mine. I pulled away to breathe, and his eyes were full of tears and relief. “I’ve missed you so much. Please don’t ever forget me again,” he pleaded.
“Never,” I promised. I couldn’t believe I’d ever forgotten him in the first place.
Chapter 7 – Recollections
WILLIAM
I finally had her back. After all these years, she was back in my arms, and I swore I’d never let her go again. She kissed me with a passion I remembered clearly, and I hoped she did, too. When we both pulled back for air, we started to cry. I hugged her so tight, I was sure it hurt. I was scared this was another dream, that I’d wake up and she’d still be lost to me. “I missed you so much, so very much. Please don’t ever disappear on me again.”
“You know where my bookshop is, and you know I live above it. You should be able to find me.”
“I knew where you lived the first time,” I worried, hiding my face in her neck.
“Ophelia and Carter would never let my father interfere with you finding me again.”
“You promise?” I felt like a toddler asking for a trip to the play park.
“I swear it.”
We heard Penelope let out a shrieking giggle, and my heart clinched, wondering if she’d let our daughter know I was her dad. “She’s beautiful, can I…?”
She cupped my cheek. “Yeah, we’ll find a way to tell her. She’s your baby girl.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner.”
“You’re here now.”
“I was so scared, Hannah, when they told me you were attacked and that you were pregnant. I was afraid…”
“I was worried about the same thing when I woke up. I wasn’t, the doctor said I wasn’t. I was fully-clothed when Ophelia found me.”
I let out a sigh of relief. Just because my daughter was mine, didn’t mean someone hadn’t hurt Hannah after the fact. I pulled her back tight into my arms. I needed to hold her to me. I needed to keep her next to me. I didn’t know if I could leave her and go to my hotel room tonight. I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle being away from her again. I lay down on the seat, holding her in my arms, hoping she’d be willing to let me sleep here if I asked.
We were quiet for a moment, as I took in our surroundings. She owned a little bookshop, and it suited her. Before, she’d had nothing to hold her in the states, but now with her shop, and I was sure my daughter’s schooling, I had to find a way to make it in the U.S. My parents would be furious, but there was no way I was leaving my family behind.
“I wonder how long it’d take to get a work visa?” I spoke softly to myself, but she heard and looked up at me worried.
“I don’t think I can just up and leave, William. I’ve been running my own little shop for three years now, to leave it all behind…”
I cut her off with a kiss. “I was talking about me. I’ll need the work visa, because I’m not
Similar Books
