Page 76 of The Little Provence Book Shop

‘Hello?’ she said, lifting the device to her ear.

‘Adeline,’ Sophia said. ‘I forgot to give you something. I am turning back – is it OK if we meet quickly?’

‘Yes, of course.’

When she ended the call, Adeline saw Monique looking at her expectantly and felt her heart sink.

‘It was Sophia?’

‘Yes.’

‘Then it is a sign!’

Adeline gave a weak smile. ‘She’s just popping back to give me something. Could you mind Lili while I…’ She gestured to the door.

Monique shook her head. ‘No, I must come too. You were right. I was afraid before, but I should be brave, just as you are.’

Adeline felt herself stiffen. ‘Monique, I’m not sure that it’s…’

‘You think that she won’t want to see me?’

‘Monique,’ Adeline reached out a hand to her friend. ‘I just think she might not be able to understand exactly why you think… what you think. It might be better to prepare her. Or even do the test! We know she’s on the DNA site. It’d be better to have it confirmed, surely?’And I don’t want you to drive my mother away.

‘Pah! DNA!’ Monique scoffed.

‘Monique. It’s pretty conclusive.’

‘Yes. I understand. But not everyone needs this kind of proof.’

‘But it might make it easier.’

‘Non. She will know. If she is mine. She will know.’

Adeline’s phone flashed with a message. Sophia was already in the hotel foyer. ‘Perhaps let me go down at first, at least,’ she said. ‘She might want to talk to me privately.’

Monique nodded. ‘OK. But then I will come. I will wake Lili and we can come together. The whole family,non?’

Adeline smiled weakly. ‘Well, I’ll call you when we’re done.’

As the lift descended, she saw her expression in the glass. Not the nervousness from earlier, or the elation she’d seen in her expression when she’d travelled up to the room again. But a fear. A guilt. She wasn’t sure what Sophia would make of Monique. Wasn’t sure whether there might be something plausible in what Monique was claiming. But she felt strongly that she oughtn’t to let Monique see Sophia. Not today, this first time. Not yet.

She exited into the bustling foyer, her shoes sinking slightly into the soft pile of the carpet, and there was Sophia, standingjust inside the door, looking at her watch. Adeline raised a hand and Sophia glanced up and raised hers in return.

Hopefully they could make this quick.

‘Sophia,’ she said, smiling.

‘Adeline. I’m sorry to disturb you. It’s just that I meant to give you this, and with all the excitement, I forgot.’ Sophia said. She drew a small square item from her handbag and handed it to Adeline. It was a small double frame, with two photos displayed side by side – one black and white, the other a colour, slightly faded with age. Two pictures of young mothers, each holding a baby.

‘Oh,’ Adeline said. ‘Is that us?’ She pointed to the picture on the right where a younger, dazzlingly beautiful Sophia was holding a white-blanketed bundle, her slight smile doing little to hide the grief written on her face. ‘And this?’ she asked, pointing to the other.

‘It is my photo. It is me with my mother. My natural mother,’ said Sophia. ‘See how the photos look alike.’

‘Yes,’ Adeline agreed. ‘They really do.’ She felt the buzz of her phone in her pocket and felt again a pang of guilt and fear about what Monique wanted to do and what she herself hoped to prevent. She looked at the woman in the second photo, her face slightly turned for the camera. Was she Monique? She had the look of her, but it was hard to say. The photo was old, its resolution limited, and it had been taken so long ago.

Sophia smiled. ‘I have my own copy, so this one is yours.’

‘And your mother?’ Adeline asked, unable to stop herself. ‘Do you think you might find her one day?’

---