Anja

I swallow the lump in my throat and then take a long breath.

“So the mother I remember wasn’t my real mother?”

“No,” Drake shakes his head. “She was not your mother. We understand that she died in childbirth.”

“Yes, she did.” I look down at my hands. “It was the worst day of my life. I’ll never forget that day as long as I live.”

He takes both my hands in his, and I wonder how he could possibly know that the Amanda I knew died in childbirth. Then I realise he must have been checking up on me throughout the years; that’s why he’d know.

“I know how much it must have hurt, Anja. To lose someone we love is not something we ever get over. All we can do is move forward.”

“That’s easier said than done. There are still days when I wonder why we had to lose her. Leopold was never the same, and Brody, his son, reverted into himself. Then there was this tiny baby who needed so much attention. But I honestly believe that Dania saved Leopold from following Amanda into the next life.”

Drake nods hi