ADORABLE

She’d never wanted children – but then Grace came along

- Susan Wright

Hannah had so much to do that afternoon. She was having a barbecue in the evening, and there was a lot of food to prepare. But once Grace had drifted off to sleep in her cot, she sank down onto the rocking chair and wondered why she’d ever thought she didn’t want to have a baby.

She’d been adamant for most of her life that she never wanted to be a mother – but Grace was adorable, and Hannah couldn’t have been more smitten with her if she’d tried.

Her heart felt as if it would burst every time Grace looked up with her beautiful, trusting eyes, and there was nothing she enjoyed more than holding her until she fell asleep.

In fact, she quite often held Grace for much longer than was necessary. She just wanted to be with her all the time, and Grace wasn’t going to be a baby forever.

As Hannah gazed at the sleeping child, she thought how much she was going to enjoy teaching her to talk. She’d already read up on the best way of going about it, and she’d told her husband how much she was looking forward to it just a few nights before.

‘OK,’ Craig had said.

‘I don’t think she’s going to be talking just yet, though.’

‘No, but it won’t belong. What do you think her first word will be?’