But very quickly she realised that it wasn’t an animal but a package.
A tiny box wrapped in lilac paper with a little purple bow on it.
Picking it up, she studied the gift and found a little tag with her name written on it.
She sat cross-legged on the floor, wondering how long it had been there. Since Christmas Day obviously.
Smiling at the familiar lilac packaging, she carefully untied the bow and opened the box, an action that was by now almost ritualistic.
Inside was silver charm in the shape of a fir tree with a tiny diamond chip in the middle of the star. She turned it over; on the back was inscribedHolly’s 1st Christmas.
She felt a tear slide down her cheek, warm and inviting.
Another little gift of love and hope.
Wiping her face, Holly unclasped her charm bracelet and attached the tree in the best available space – the hourglass, the first charm she’d received all those years ago on one side, and on the other, a little charm in the shape of a dove.
Fitting really, Holly smiled, thinking back to the particular day she’d received that one.
55
[Ahead]11 September 2001
Holly openedher eyes and yawned widely. Stretching out her arms and legs, she turned and faced the window, where bright sunlight was already peeking through the slats of her blinds.
She looked at the clock and smiled: 7.30 a.m. Just enough time to get ready for work and grab a decaf green tea at Starbucks on the way to work.
It was then that Holly realised that someone else was awake too. A determined kick came from inside her ever-growing tummy. There was no denying it, her baby was definitely healthy, but she was worried that with each passing day she resembled an elephant more than a woman. She wondered how big she would be when she reached the full nine months.
‘OK, little man, I know you’re awake, just hold on a minute and let your poor mother get her bearings.’
She put her feet on the ground and stood up, her protruding abdomen stretching out in front of her. She had to admit, pregnancy had been an experience. Not that anything bad had happened, it was more that she felt constantly in awe of what was taking place in her body, and she couldn’t believe that soon she would have a son to call her own.
Some of her friends had been perplexed by her decision to find out the baby’s gender beforehand, arguing that it took all the surprise out of the main event. But Holly insisted that, even though she knew that much, she would be surprised just the same. After all, how many times did you get to meet face-to-face a person that you had a hand in creating? The wonder and magic of that thought alone was enough to get Holly through until the day her child was born.
And she had to admit that she was happy she was having a boy, she thought, going into the bathroom to freshen up. She hadn’t talked to Nick in months; the last time had been when she had officially moved the rest of her things out of his place, and she had no intention of doing so anytime in the future. After all, what was the point? He’d made it clear he wanted no part of this baby. And that was fine by Holly. Her child would be hers alone, and she was dedicated to the idea of making him into a man who was strong, considerate and courageous – instead of a materialistic commitment-phobe who only thought of himself.
Holly smiled at the notion as she came out of the bathroom and lumbered to her closet to search for something to wear. It was still ridiculously hot in the city and while she appreciated summer stretching into September, she would be happy when she was able to breathe a bit easier when she was walking around on the hot concrete of Manhattan. She hated being covered in sweat by the time she got to work at nine a.m.
‘So the sundress it is again,’ Holly said as she stepped into a light summer outfit that had served her well this past season. While she had stocked up on maternity clothes as her bump grew ever bigger, the one indulgence she resisted was buying her beloved vintage. After all, no point in spending all that money on clothes that would definitely not be required for very long. She did have the financial future of a baby and herself to think about, so best to be wise in her decisions.
She stepped into a pair of sandals and wiggled her toes. Yes, much easier than heels.
Holly grabbed her handbag and put some earrings on. Her charm bracelet jingled as she put it on and deemed herself ready to go.
Moments later, she was on the streets of Manhattan.
Darting into a Starbucks on Church Street, she was happy to find that the line wasn’t that long, allowing her to stay on schedule. She smiled contentedly and took her place at the back.
Seeing many regulars, several of whom greeted her and asked how she was feeling, she felt peaceful. Anyone who ever said New Yorkers were rude, loud or self-involved had obviously never lived here. Holly believed that many of her neighbours and the people she regularly saw out and about around the neighbourhood were some of the nicest and kindest in the world.
‘Here’s your green tea, ma’am,’ the barista smiled. Throwing a dollar in the tip jar, Holly thanked her and waved goodbye.
She glanced at her watch as she started walking up Church Street headed towards Greenwich Village. She was ahead of schedule, for once, and she felt quite proud of herself. So many women had told her that they seemed to become flaky and all over the place when they were pregnant. But not Holly – if anything, she had become more organised.
The baby gave her another sharp kick as she finished this thought and she patted her tummy and took a small sip of tea.
‘Yikes!’ It was red-hot, and Holly stopped for a moment and rubbed her lip. ‘Damn, I should remember to ask them to put some ice cubes in next … ’
