Page 117 of The Stolen Child

‘A convent,’ Sally repeated, surprised, but found she was not upset by the suggestion.

‘Yes, I hope this is the last place the police will go looking for a stolen child. There is a community of twenty nuns there. It was where I spent my early years as a noviciate. I lived in that convent for almost ten years after I took my vows, before I settled into my life at Sunshine House.’

‘Do the nuns there know what I’ve done?’ Sally asked, her voice rising an octave at the thought that she might arrive in Ronda to a trap, with the police waiting for them.

‘They know the truth, most of it at least. That you were in my care in Sunshine House and that now you and your baby son are hiding from an abusive husband. As far as they are concerned, you arrived here on the same flight as I did last night.’

How little Sally knew of the woman who had, without a moment’s hesitation, agreed to help her. Who was capable and brave beyond Sally’s wildest imagination. She needed some of Sister Ailsa’s courage, because a new fear had begun to snake its way into her mind.

‘What if Zach wakes up and doesn’t remember me?’

Sister Ailsa sighed. ‘It’s unlikely that he will, Sally. He was six months old the last time he saw you. So, he’ll need some time to adjust to your care. But he’s young, and he’s where he should be. As long as you love him and show him that, with your actions and your words, he will soon know only you as his mother. What do I always say?’

‘I need to have faith,’ Sally said, smiling as she stroked Zach’s cheek gently. His face was no longer flushed, now that he was out of the warm Spanish sun. And then he began to stir again, but this time he opened his eyes wide as he took in his surroundings. Sally whispered endearments to him, but he jerked in her lap, looking around him for clues as to where he was.

‘There, there, it’s okay, my darling,’ Sally said, feeling tears sting her eyes as he worried and fretted in her arms.

‘Mama,’ he cried out, wriggling fiercely as he tried to escape her.

‘Give him a bottle,’ Sister Ailsa suggested. ‘That will settle him.’

‘He’s scared of me,’ Sally said tremulously as tears threatened to fall.

‘Stop that now, girl,’ Sister Ailsa admonished. ‘You’re his mother, and it’s up to you to be strong for the wee bairn now. Give him his bottle. Show him he has nothing to fear from you, and he’ll respond to that kindness. It’s all I could ever do for the girls when they arrived to me over the years. You included.’

Sally sucked in deep breaths until she had control of her emotions again. Then, grabbing one of the prepared bottles Elsie had stashed in the canvas bag, she shook it and gently placed the teat in Zach’s mouth.

‘I’m your mama. I’ve always been your mama. Kimberly, well she was your other mother. Just for a little while. But you are back now with me, where you are meant to be. And I love you so very much.’

Zach watched her with those big blue eyes, and the comforting taste of his milk and her soft voice soothed his tears away.

Sally had ached for the chance to feed her child again, to feel the weight of him in her arms and hear the gentle sucking of the teat as he hungrily drank. The wonder and majesty of this simple moment took her breath away. Zach’s hands reached up to clasp the bottle.

Sally swore to herself that she would not stop showering him with love until he realised he had nothing to fear from her – that he was loved more than any other child could be.

Zach napped again in her arms, lulled by both the bottle and the gentle movement of the car. Despite herself, Sally dozed off too, waking a few hours later when she felt the car grind to a juddering halt.

‘That did you good. You were exhausted,’ Sister Ailsa said approvingly. They were parked in a supermarket car lot, underneath the shade of a tall oak tree. ‘We need to stretch our legs. And we need to eat. It’s past nine now. How about I go into the shop to buy us some breakfast? Because I suspect the wee fella might have a present for you.’

Sally wrinkled her nose as a smell drifted towards her. Laughing at her joke, Sister Ailsa left Sally to change Zach’s nappy. He kicked his legs with delight, feeling the air on them.

Sally thought that by now the Murphy family would be awake and have discovered that Zach was gone. To her surprise, she felt only sadness at this. Any satisfaction she’d felt yesterday had now dissipated. It appeared that having her son back in her arms again had mellowed her anger.

While they awaited Sister Ailsa’s return, Sally took Zach for a walk to stretch his legs. His eyes lit up with delight when a small starling bird landed a few feet from them. He began to run towards it, laughing as it flew away.

‘You’re fast!’ Sally said, running after him. ‘You have to hold my hand. Okay?’

He looked up at her, and nodded his assent as he placed his little hand in Sally’s. ‘Let’s go find some pretty leaves,’ Sally suggested.

And together they happily began searching the ground underneath the tree for nature’s treasures. When Sister Ailsa returned, she confirmed that there had been no mention of Zach on the news yet either. After a hearty breakfast of freshly baked baguettes, cheese and Parma ham, followed by a gooey custard pastry, washed down with freshly squeezed orange juice, they all felt much better. Sally laughed joyfully, seeing her boy tuck into solids for the first time – for her, at least. Sister Ailsa had bought him many choices, but he clearly loved bananas and yoghurt more than anything else.

‘Can you be parted from him, for a little bit, to take a turn driving?’ Sister Ailsa asked, smiling indulgently, while she watched Sally make choo-choo train noises as she spoon-fed Zach.

Sally frowned. The thought of letting Zach go, even to the arms of Sister Ailsa, whom she trusted with both their lives, pained her.

‘I feel revived after our food,’ Sister Ailsa continued. ‘I’ll drive for another hour or two. But you’ll have to take a turn at some point. I’ll need to take a nap. I’m afraid I’ve not slept much since you called.’

‘I think Zach would like a cuddle from Sister Ailsa, wouldn’t you, darling?’ Sally asked him.