‘I never realised you relied so much on fundraising.’ Sybil had checked on Gus in the other room and hovered in the doorway between his play area and the kitchen. ‘I probably had heard it before but maybe it hadn’t registered until now, not until Lena came here and my ears kind of opened for anything involving The Skylarks.’
‘Sometimes it works that way.’ Nadia smiled. ‘It’s happened with patients we’ve rescued plenty of times. Everyone assumes the air ambulance is all part of England’s healthcare, but it’s only when you or someone close to you really needs the help that you piece it together and realise exactly what it takes for operations such as ours to keep going.’
‘I already donated online. The day after I got Lena and I knew her story – well, as much of it as we can know right now. It’s only a small amount but it’s a regular monthly donation.’
‘Then thank you from all of us,’ said Nadia. ‘We are extremely grateful. We have such wonderful support from companies, from members of the public like you. And not being totally government funded has its pluses. We make our own decisions; we do what we feel is best for the patients we will treat. None of us want that to change and our wonderful fundraising team work hard to keep us going.’
‘When I was on the website, I read about the dinner dance coming up.’
‘Our annual fundraiser.’ Nadia adjusted Lena in her arms as she started to make a fuss. ‘This year, the venue is on the coast; it’s stunning. You’re welcome to buy a ticket; there are a handful left.’
‘I’ve got too much on this year, the logistics would be a nightmare, but maybe another year if I can plan well in advance.’
‘We have a lot of events, not just that one; plenty are kid friendly. If you’re a regular supporter, you’ll be down to receive our newsletter so keep an eye out.’
Nadia stood up when Lena wouldn’t settle. ‘Do you think she might be hungry?’
When she turned, Sybil was one step ahead of her. She’d already plucked a made-up bottle of formula from the fridge. She put it into the bottle warmer. ‘Would you like to do the honours?’
‘I would.’ She sat down again and sure enough, Lena quietened as soon as the bottle was within her tiny grasp and its contents began making their way into her tummy. She looked up as she drank the milk, her wide eyes transfixed on Nadia.
‘It’s good that you visited,’ said Sybil. ‘It’s better to have lots of people looking out for a little one rather than just me.’
‘Do all your foster children find families eventually?’
She tilted her head side to side as if saying it could go either way. ‘Some are slowly reunited with their parents or a parent, but that will depend on whether they’re suitable or capable of doing the job. Some children are placed with another family on a permanent basis. But we can’t always do that in every case.’
‘What happens when they’re too old to be in foster care?’
‘They’ll be supported as they move to independent living but it’s still so young to be going it alone.’
‘I knew nothing at eighteen.’ Nadia gazed at Lena, who was still looking up at her, her little mouth perfecting a tiny ‘o’ shape as she drank.
‘Me neither.’ Sybil cut up an apple for Gus and called him through to the kitchen where he hopped up onto a chair at the table to eat his next snack.
Once Lena finished her bottle, Nadia burped her and then reluctantly moved to hand her back to Sybil. ‘I’d better get going – back to work for me.’
‘Well, thank you for stopping by.’ She took Lena from her arms and Nadia bit back the feeling that she was losing something all over again.
This was crazy. Lena wasn’t hers; she had nothing to do with her.
Sybil, with Lena in her arms now, walked through the hallway to the front door.
‘Thank you for letting me visit.’ Nadia didn’t miss one more chance to hold her hand out to Lena, who wrapped her forefingers in her grasp. ‘I like to hear how patients are doing and this little one might not be a patient as such but…’
‘You have a good heart, Nadia.’
‘Take good care of her.’
‘I can promise you that.’
Nadia drove to the airbase but she didn’t get out of the car straight away. Instead, she closed her eyes. She could still smell Lena’s delicate fragrance as if it had clung to her clothes, her hair, everywhere to serve as a reminder. She couldn’t get the thought of the baby’s grasp around her fingers out of her mind, the way she’d made eye contact the whole time she guzzled her milk as though she and Nadia were each other’s world.
Nadia only came out of her trance when Bess rapped on the window.
She tried to put a smile on her face but the minute she got out of the car, Bess asked, ‘What’s wrong?’
Nadia shivered when the sun went behind the cloud. ‘Nothing’s wrong as such, but I’ve just seen Lena. I mean, she’s fine, but I can’t stop thinking about what might have happened had we not found her.’
