It was her first love. She believed with all her heart that her beloved was different, that every emotion between them was pure and true. She was only in her first year at university, dreaming about the day shed wear a graceful white wedding dress.
Honey Im pregnant, she whispered, resting her head on his chest. Do you want a boy or a girl?
What? He shot upright, fury blazing in his eyes. Are you trying to trap me with a baby? Whose kid am I supposed to take responsibility for? Youd better prove this childs actually mine.
Why would you say that? You know Ive never been with anyone else but you Her voice cracked, tears streaming down her cheeks.
When her bump started to show, the girl took a break from her studies, packed her things, and travelled back home to her parents in Oxford. She remembered how hed first offered money to make her go away, then yelled that he didnt want anything to do with the child, even striking her stomach a few times. Then he vanished.
Go home, have your baby in peace, her friend said gently. In a year, you can come back to uni.
But her parents werent pleased at all. They immediately whisked her off to see a doctor in town. The doctor, however, refused to terminate the pregnancyit was already too far along. She gave birth to a little girl, but, pressured by her mother, she relinquished the baby.
She finished her degree and started working in her hometown of Cambridge. She opened one shopthen another. Eventually she married a successful solicitor. Life seemed settled, but the woman found herself unable to conceive again. They visited the best doctors in London, but nothing helped. Gradually, they accepted their fate.
Honey, our business is thrivingbut who are we leaving all this to? Perhaps we should consider adopting?
I have something to tell you she whispered, voice wavering. It feels like fate decided to punish me. When I was eighteen, I had a little girl
He listened to her story, wordless, then gently suggested they try to find her daughter. The little girl had first grown up in a childrens home, before being moved to a boarding school. She was clever and beautiful, but one thing always kept would-be parents at a distanceshe was missing two fingers from her left hand.
That must be her, the woman whispered, leaving the orphanage. When she was born, the doctor said she lacked two fingers. I have to find her.
Every attempt to trace the girl led nowhere. Hope dwindled.
Every day, the woman prayed, pleading for a miracleto see her daughter again.
Her husband often knelt beside her in silent solidarity.
And then, the miracle arrived. They moved to a cottage in the countryside, renovations still in progress. One afternoon, Julia spotted the postwoman on the lane.
After exchanging greetings, the postwoman explained a batch of papers had been sent to their address, but she didnt know where to leave them.
All the papers are at our branchfeel free to come by any time for them.
Miss, what happened to your hand? Julia asked, noticing the young postwoman was missing fingers from her left hand.
I was born this way, she replied softly, Maybe thats why my parents left me.
In that instant, Julia realised all her prayers had been answered, for standing before her was her daughter.
What do you think?
