Page 81 of Hopelessly Wild


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EDEN

I can’t believe he called his parents.

I take a moment to absorb the steps he’s taking for Rose and me. I wish he had given me the chance to speak with them but given their history, I understand he has to smooth out some personal issues first.

Inserting the AirPods in my ears, I glance to Rose, still sleeping in her crib, and dial my father’s number. It’s close to midnight in Australia so I disconnect the call. Dad will be sleeping. The only reason my friends called is because they received the photos I sent and were out late at the Shores nightclub celebrating Yasmine’s achievements in her new job. I miss them, but if I had a chance to go back in time, I wouldn’t change a thing. My future is with Rose and Samuel, wherever they lead me.

I type out separate messages to Mum, Dad, and Faith with images of Rose attached. At least they are aware we’re safe and well. Before I place my phone on the table, it sounds with an incoming call from Faith.

“Hey, you’re awake?”

She makes an exasperated sound. “I’m nocturnal and barely sleep, something you’ll know about soon enough. It’s great to hear your voice. I can’t lie and pretend I haven’t worried about you.”

“I’m fine, I promise. Did you get my message?”

“Yes. It came through in good timing since I’m feeding James. Oh, honey, Rose is just adorable.”

“She is,” I coo. “I’m sorry my messages were scarce, but you know I had limited internet in the village.”

“Yeah, I understood. Bloody hell, you had her seven weeks early. Is she okay? Where are you now?”

“In a hospital in Guyana. I’m not sure for how long. Everything is fine, so I assume we’ll be discharged soon. Not to mention beds are scarce, and I don’t want to take a bed from someone who needs it more than me.”

“Your baby was born premature. There are steps and precautions you need to follow. I guess they can discharge the mother, and you can visit.”

“What? I can’t leave Rose. If she stays, I stay.”

“Does your insurance cover you?”

“Samuel is paying. He won’t even tell me how much or anything. He said to just concentrate on Rose. Seriously, he worries more than our father.”

Silence.

“Faith, are you there?”

“Yeah. If Samuel is worried about something, then I think you should be as well.”

“He’s worried about many things and not only for Rose and me. Her sucking reflex is good, and she has no jaundice. Her breathing is fine, and her blood-oxygen level is great. Yet Samuel wants me to fly home soon. He has some loose ends to tie up here before he can join us.”

“That’s good news. When is your flight?”

A wave of nausea hits me. I shake my head as my thoughts mesh into a jumble as though I’m blocking out the idea of leaving him. “There are matters to organize first… Rose’s birth certificate, and we have to be cleared to fly.”

“So… three to four weeks? How quickly can Samuel make it happen?”

I chuckle lightly. “He somehow pulls strings in the medical world, only I presume this is a government department so it may take longer.”

“Where will you stay?”

“To be honest, I’m not sure. Wherever Samuel thinks is best. It may be here in Guyana close to the hospital. The next step is to make sure Rose thrives from my breast milk.” I hesitate in telling my sister I hope to return to Ulara to say goodbye to my friends one last time. I glance over to my bag and see Gran’s diary sitting on top. “I have so much to tell you, even more about Gran.”

“Gran?”

“Yeah. While here, I started reading her diary. When I return, I’m going to look up her friend, Brenda, and ask for the diary she gave to her for safekeeping. I think it’s an account of her stay in the jungle.”

“Whoa, do you think that’s a good idea? Seriously, it’s all in the past, and people have moved on.”

My hand rests on my chest thinking about Gran’s life. “She did some wonderful things, and we should be proud of her.” Tiny grunts come from Rose’s crib. “Sorry, I have to go. Rose is waking. We’ll talk soon, okay.”

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