My Love for Books: Emma’s Secret by Steena Holmes

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Emma’s Secret by Steena Holmes

CHAPTER ONE

June 20

I found her.

I was driving in a neighborhood that I’d never visited before. I had been headed somewhere else, but now I can’t remember where. I’m not even sure how I got to be in that part of Kinrich—I rarely go there anymore unless it’s to my special spot on the lake. Jack thinks I was there for groceries, but I prefer going to Hanton for my shopping, even though it is farther away.

Call it fate or divine intervention or just a deep awareness. If my mother were here, she’d say it was God’s angels directing me, but God turned His back on me a long time ago. Or maybe it was the other way around. Either way, it was destined that I was to be there, at that time and place, for a specific reason.

My poor little girl was wandering all alone. I don’t know how she got to be so far from home or why she was alone, but I’m so glad I saw her as I drove by.

My sweet little Mary has come home!

No, not Mary. Her daughter. My second chance.

Such a brave little girl to be out by herself. She kept telling me that she wasn’t alone, that her small stuffed lion was watching over her. As I buckled her into the backseat, she introduced me to her little toy, which she called Tiger. What a sweet little girl.

She didn’t talk much; only cried a little before she fell asleep. The poor thing must have been exhausted.

Jack was confused when I brought her home. She looked so much like Mary, almost her twin. Of course, we never knew Mary had a daughter; why would she tell us? Or rather, why would she tell me? But I can’t believe she’d let her little girl be out on the streets by herself. Jack wanted to call Mary, to find out why she never told us about her daughter, but I stopped him.

No. She’s now our little girl. Our second chance. God knew that she needed to be loved and that we were the perfect people. This is our gift.

She is our precious little Emmie.