A Long Way from Home: Part 2 of 3. Cathy Glass
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Название: A Long Way from Home: Part 2 of 3

Автор: Cathy Glass

Издательство: HarperCollins

Жанр: Биографии и Мемуары

Серия:

isbn: 9780008275914

isbn:

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       Copyright

      Certain details in this story, including names, places and dates, have been changed to protect the family’s privacy.

      HarperElement

      An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

      1 London Bridge Street

      London SE1 9GF

       www.harpercollins.co.uk

      First published by HarperElement 2018

      FIRST EDITION

      © Cathy Glass 2018

      Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2018

      Cover photograph © Elly De Vries/Arcangel (posed by model)

      A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

      Cathy Glass asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

      All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

      Find out about HarperCollins and the environment at

       www.harpercollins.co.uk/green

      Source ISBN: 9780008275891

      Ebook Edition © February 2018 ISBN: 9780008275914

      Version: 2018-01-15

      Contents

       Cover

       Title Page

       Copyright

       Chapter Ten: All New

       Chapter Eleven: Exhausted

       Chapter Twelve: Another Worry

       Chapter Thirteen: Good Girl

       Chapter Fourteen: Settling In

       Chapter Fifteen: Bad Parenting?

       PART II

       Chapter Sixteen: Foster Care

       Chapter Seventeen: First Night

       Chapter Eighteen: I Haven’t Got a Home

       Chapter Nineteen: Memories

       Moving Memoirs eNewsletter

       About the Publisher

      Chapter Ten

       All New

      No words can describe how Elaine felt at that moment as she stood in the corridor outside the courtroom holding her daughter’s hand. Disbelief, euphoria, relief and panic combined as she stood immobile, staring after Ian. Then realization and responsibility kicked in. She was a parent and needed to behave like one. She looked at Anastasia, who returned her gaze, wide-eyed and confused. Did she understand what had just happened in the court room? Did she have any idea? She wasn’t crying or upset, so perhaps like her mother this was simply the end of a long and inevitable journey. ‘Are you all right, love?’ Elaine asked quietly, and Anastasia stared back.

      Ian reappeared, out of breath and clutching his phone. ‘I got two photos of her,’ he said.

      ‘How was she?’ Elaine asked.

      ‘Upset, as you’d expect, but she wiped away her tears and put on a brave face for the photograph. I think she was pleased I’d asked her and that we are going to keep her memory alive for Anastasia.’

      Ian showed her the two photographs he’d taken in the square outside the court house and Elaine’s eyes immediately filled. The woman was looking directly into the lens and trying to smile so that her daughter would have a positive image to remember her by. It felt uncomfortable standing outside the court room, looking at photographs as if they were on holiday. But these two pictures would probably be the most important either of them ever took. Elaine was pleased they were nice photos. A copy would go in Anastasia’s Life Story Book and another they’d frame and put on a shelf in her bedroom so she would grow up aware of her origins, just as the social worker had said.

      Seeing Ian’s mobile phone, Anastasia agitated to look and he showed her the photographs and then put it away. Phones and cameras weren’t allowed in the court house.

      ‘Well,’ he said to Elaine with a big sigh, ‘we’ve finally done it! Congratulations.’ He kissed her cheek, then stooped to kiss Anastasia’s. Her skin felt cold. ‘I don’t think she’s warm enough,’ he said to Elaine. ‘Perhaps put on her hat, scarf and boots.’

      ‘Oh dear, yes, of course,’ Elaine said, immediately concerned for her daughter’s СКАЧАТЬ