“Don't forget my birthday cake, Mum.”
Emma smiled.
“As if I could.”
“Eighteen is important,” Sophie declared. “I expect something spectacular.”
“Spectacular?”
“Or at least lots of cherries.”
Emma laughed.
“I think I can manage cherries.”
Sophie returned to her books.
Emma remained in the doorway for a moment, watching her daughter.
Eighteen.
The same number of years that had passed since Sophie entered the world.
The same age Michael had insisted Elisabeth wait for.
Emma wondered what her father had wanted them to know.
And for the first time in years, she felt the old fear returning.
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A Visit to Someone Who Knew the Past
Elisabeth lived in a modest apartment above an old bakery.
Emma arrived the next morning after a restless night.
She had rehearsed several questions during the journey, but when Elisabeth opened the door, most of them vanished.
The older woman looked pleased to see her.
