herself as she resumed working. It seemed her boys were doing fine
without her and in a way she felt relieved. In early October they would leave
home to start their degrees and who knows where they would end up after that?
The
second call came mid-afternoon and was from Gaynor Macintosh who told Anna that
Kiera’s condition had worsened and she was asking to see her. Although very
surprised at the request, she could do nothing else but comply. Ben drove her
to the hospital and while he waited in the car, Anna made her way through the
corridors to Kiera’s room.
Her
parents were at her bedside as usual and as Anna entered the room she gave them
a smile and then winced at the figure lying in the bed. Kiera was propped up
on two pillows and now and again her eyelashes flickered as she drifted in and
out of consciousness. Her pale, sunken features seemed in sharp contrast to
the dark hair that had been tied back out of the way.
“We’ll
pop out for a coffee,” said Mrs Macintosh. “There’s a snack bar just down the
corridor.”
Anna took a seat
and reached across to hold Kiera’s hand. The movement disturbed her sleep and
she slowly opened her eyes.
“Anna,
is that you?” Her voice was so weak it could hardly leave her throat.
“Yes,
I’m here,” said Anna.
Kiera
struggled to sit up further and Anna eased her into a more comfortable
position.
“I’m
so glad you came. I want to ask you something.” She started coughing and Anna
held a cup to her lips while she drank. “I need to be…sure of something…before
it’s too late.”
“You’re
very tired. Do you want to leave it until you feel stronger?”
Despite
her illness, Kiera gave a hoarse chuckle. “I don’t think I’m going to get any
stronger, “ she said.
“Then
what do you want to ask me?”
“It’s
about Hollie. Anna, please, please promise you’ll take care of her for me.”
Anna
gripped her hand tighter. “Of course I’ll look after her. You don’t need to
ask me that.”
Kiera
shook her head slowly. “No, you don’t understand. I mean, always be there for
her. I want you to marry Jason and be his wife and then care for my Hollie as
a mother.”
Anna
almost stopped breathing. “Kiera, I can’t promise that! Jason might not see
it the same way.”
“Oh,
but he does. I know he thinks a lot about you.”
“Yes,
as his personal assistant. But marriage is a completely different thing.”
“As
Jason’s assistant you could leave at any moment, then my little girl will be on
her own.”
Anna
became alarmed and bent closer to her. “No, Kiera, you’re wrong. Hollie has
her father and her grandparents and Mrs Wilby and Ben to take care of her. She
doesn’t need me.”
Kiera
closed her eyes for what seemed a long time, but then her eyelashes flickered
once more.
“Her
grandparents are too old. Ben and Mrs Wilby are fine, but you’re a good
mother…and you know how to bring up kids. I need to know that she’ll be OK.”
Her eyes opened wide and seemed as black as night. “Please don’t… let me
down.” Anna could hardly speak. “Promise me.”
Anna
opened her mouth to answer, tears filling her eyes. “I…promise,” she said
hesitantly. “I promise that I will do everything I can for Hollie.”
Kiera
smiled and closed her eyes.
It was nearly
midnight and Anna was sitting alone at the kitchen table. Everyone had gone to
bed, but she had insisted on staying up until Jason came home. It had been a
hot day and she left the door open to let any draught enter the house and bring
in its wonderful coolness. Her mind was troubled. She had promised a dying
woman that she would do all she could for her little girl and she would keep
that promise to the best of her ability. But to marry Jason was out of the
question. She had too many marital problems of her own to sort out and to marry
a second time was a thought that had never entered
without her and in a way she felt relieved. In early October they would leave
home to start their degrees and who knows where they would end up after that?
The
second call came mid-afternoon and was from Gaynor Macintosh who told Anna that
Kiera’s condition had worsened and she was asking to see her. Although very
surprised at the request, she could do nothing else but comply. Ben drove her
to the hospital and while he waited in the car, Anna made her way through the
corridors to Kiera’s room.
Her
parents were at her bedside as usual and as Anna entered the room she gave them
a smile and then winced at the figure lying in the bed. Kiera was propped up
on two pillows and now and again her eyelashes flickered as she drifted in and
out of consciousness. Her pale, sunken features seemed in sharp contrast to
the dark hair that had been tied back out of the way.
“We’ll
pop out for a coffee,” said Mrs Macintosh. “There’s a snack bar just down the
corridor.”
Anna took a seat
and reached across to hold Kiera’s hand. The movement disturbed her sleep and
she slowly opened her eyes.
“Anna,
is that you?” Her voice was so weak it could hardly leave her throat.
“Yes,
I’m here,” said Anna.
Kiera
struggled to sit up further and Anna eased her into a more comfortable
position.
“I’m
so glad you came. I want to ask you something.” She started coughing and Anna
held a cup to her lips while she drank. “I need to be…sure of something…before
it’s too late.”
“You’re
very tired. Do you want to leave it until you feel stronger?”
Despite
her illness, Kiera gave a hoarse chuckle. “I don’t think I’m going to get any
stronger, “ she said.
“Then
what do you want to ask me?”
“It’s
about Hollie. Anna, please, please promise you’ll take care of her for me.”
Anna
gripped her hand tighter. “Of course I’ll look after her. You don’t need to
ask me that.”
Kiera
shook her head slowly. “No, you don’t understand. I mean, always be there for
her. I want you to marry Jason and be his wife and then care for my Hollie as
a mother.”
Anna
almost stopped breathing. “Kiera, I can’t promise that! Jason might not see
it the same way.”
“Oh,
but he does. I know he thinks a lot about you.”
“Yes,
as his personal assistant. But marriage is a completely different thing.”
“As
Jason’s assistant you could leave at any moment, then my little girl will be on
her own.”
Anna
became alarmed and bent closer to her. “No, Kiera, you’re wrong. Hollie has
her father and her grandparents and Mrs Wilby and Ben to take care of her. She
doesn’t need me.”
Kiera
closed her eyes for what seemed a long time, but then her eyelashes flickered
once more.
“Her
grandparents are too old. Ben and Mrs Wilby are fine, but you’re a good
mother…and you know how to bring up kids. I need to know that she’ll be OK.”
Her eyes opened wide and seemed as black as night. “Please don’t… let me
down.” Anna could hardly speak. “Promise me.”
Anna
opened her mouth to answer, tears filling her eyes. “I…promise,” she said
hesitantly. “I promise that I will do everything I can for Hollie.”
Kiera
smiled and closed her eyes.
It was nearly
midnight and Anna was sitting alone at the kitchen table. Everyone had gone to
bed, but she had insisted on staying up until Jason came home. It had been a
hot day and she left the door open to let any draught enter the house and bring
in its wonderful coolness. Her mind was troubled. She had promised a dying
woman that she would do all she could for her little girl and she would keep
that promise to the best of her ability. But to marry Jason was out of the
question. She had too many marital problems of her own to sort out and to marry
a second time was a thought that had never entered
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