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Who would make Holly’s Christmas special?
The sudden question flitted through Ella’s mind with the speed of light, causing her to stare down at the little angel in her arms. Not her—she wouldn’t be around to be Holly’s mother. Yevgeny had a wealth of tradition that she would never have expected. But where would the mother figure in Holly’s life be?
Yes, she would visit—but would that be enough? Ella shook her head, her throat tight. Why was she worrying? Yevgeny loved the baby, and he’d clearly forged a strong bond with Holly. What did it matter that Holly would have no mother figure? She would have a father who loved her.
“Ella?”
She looked up.
“What are you thinking?” he asked softly.
The tightness in her throat made it impossible for her to speak. She shook her head instead.
“You love her, don’t you?”
She hesitated, then nodded. It was true. Holly had crept into her heart against Ella’s will and twisted herself around it. She bit her lip, struggling to hold back the tears that threatened.
“You’ve come to a decision,” he prompted.
The tears spilled over. She nodded. Only once. Then her face puckered up. Ella knew she was going to disgrace herself by sobbing all over Yevgeny.
She found her voice. “I think I’ll take her upstairs and put her to bed.”
His hands clenched hers. “You’re running away.”
“No!” She simply wanted to get herself under control. Ella rose to her feet, and his hand slipped away. “I won’t be long. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
* * *
When Ella came back to the living room, Yevgeny’s gaze fastened to her. He’d settled himself on the sofa, and she hesitated a moment before perching on the opposite end. She turned so that she was facing him, and drew her bare feet up onto the seat.
“You’ve decided you’re going to keep the baby,” he said.
Ella blinked at him. There was loneliness in his eyes. Was he giving up? “No, I haven’t changed my mind.” At least not about that.
“No?”
This was so hard. “I love Holly.”
There, she’d said it. Now for the next bit...
“But my keeping Holly would not be in her best interests.” Ella got restlessly to her feet.
“Because you’ve got your mind fixed on wanting her to be raised by a family?”
Because she’d make a terrible parent. “That’s part of it, but not the only reason I can’t do it.”
She’d reached the Christmas tree. Ella leaned forward and scooped up a wrapped scroll.
“I’d planned to give you this tomorrow, on Christmas Day. But now is as good a time as any.”
She handed it to him. He took it with reluctance. “Open it,” she said.
He drew out the document she’d rolled up and secured with gold ribbon. “What is this?”
Even as he pulled the ribbon loose, Yevgeny stared across at Ella.
She sighed. “It’s my consent to the adoption.”
He glanced down. “Why give it to me...”
The moment his voice trailed away Ella knew he’d seen his name. “It’s in your favor.”
When he looked up, the brilliance in his eyes made her want to cry. But this time with joy...and relief.
She was doing the right thing.
“I can’t offer her a big sister—or a mother,” he said. “But I can offer her a home, a garden, a place to call her own.”
“I think Holly will be very fortunate to call the house we looked at together home.”
“But more than a home, I can offer her every bit of love I am capable of giving. And I can offer her an aunt and an uncle—” he hesitated “—and a tummy mummy who are all her family.”
The sweetness of his words caused her to smile.
“What about the other family?” he asked.
His concern caused her heart to melt. “I’ve already told Jo—she promised to let them know.” At least she’d never told them they were getting the baby. To hold out hope then snatch it away in such circumstances was more than Ella could bear.
Mixed up with a sense of sadness at the goodbyes she needed to say to Holly once Christmas was over was relief that Yevgeny wouldn’t be taking her away. He wouldn’t whisk Holly away to Russia—or London. He would be working and living in Auckland. He was buying a house with Holly in mind. She’d seen the room that would be Holly’s. She would be able to visualize Holly safe in her home, keep her in mind in the months—years—that lay ahead.
Ella knew she would see the baby and, thanks to Jo Wells, Yevgeny knew how important it was to her that this be an open adoption.
