Chapter thirty three

Chapter 33

As though unable to bring herself to drop the baby, Amber still held her, a peaceful smile spread across her face as she kept rocking the baby even after she had fallen asleep, humming what had to be a lullaby to her. Needing to talk to my friend alone though, I asked Amber to wait for me I the car. It was going to be dark soon and it was a talk that needed to happen. If we wanted to get back to the palace in time to greet my parents, it had to happen now.

Reluctantly, Amber dropped the baby back into the cot, even gentler than when she had lifted her earlier before leaving. I hoped she’d remember the way which we had come through and not get lost. We sat in the nursery, Marcus and I, baby Evie sleeping in her cot just a few feet from us while her father sat folded himself forward in his chair, his face resting in his palms.

“Did you name her?” I asked. With the way he shied away from the baby, I had actually expected her to not be named yet.

“We both did, Emily and I. Evie