Wednesday, 31st March
Vancouver Parish Orphanage, 2:00 p.m.
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Whenever Neil entered the orphanage where he had grown up, he couldn't help thinking back of the many years spent there. In the beginning, when his mother had left him without a word in Father Thomas's parlor, he had felt dejected, always hoping for his mum to go back for him. How many afternoons, after doing his homework, had he spent at the window in the big playroom, oblivious of his schoolmates’ voices and laughter, with his eyes fixed on the path that led from the gate to the front door. He couldn't accept, he couldn't even conceive of his mum leaving him behind, of his mum abandoning him…. Then Father Thomas had started to talk to him about his father, a policeman, John McKinley, who had died in a shooting a couple of months before his birth. His mother had never mentioned his father to him, and she lived with a man who obviously resented Neil's presence… Neil had become more and more attached to the image of his brave father. He had started to dream of becoming a policeman: this was his way of distancing himself from his mother and from the disillusionment, the bitterness she had left him, and concentrating on the memory of a father who would have certainly loved him if he hadn't died before he was born.
Little by little, Neil had started to have a good time with the other boys and girls, to enjoy going to school, but also playing and having fun. He was nice and pleasant to speak and play with, but he was also very sensitive and caring and, when a child needed help or comfort, he was always the first one on his or her side… Father Thomas had started to rely on him, when he had a difficult or restless child, and Neil was almost always able to soothe, to comfort, to calm…
When he had left the orphanage to go to college and then to the police academy, he had felt lost without the comforting and encouraging presence of Father Thomas. Neil often went to talk to Thomas, and then to play volleyball with the children. That was a way to keep in touch, and he loved so much to stay with children, to play with them…. Even when he had entered the Emergency Response Unit, he had seldom missed volleyball training with his young athletes, and he had been able to enroll his team in tournaments and games.
Neil walked along the long corridor that led to the priest's parlor. He knew every corner, every floor tile of that corridor. How many times he had gone to talk to Thomas while he was living in that orphanage. Now he stopped in front of the big mahogany door. He had insisted on talking to Thomas about Carol. The priest had tried to dissuade him, to encourage him to go on with his life and to stop looking for her, to stop waiting for Carol to go back to him… Why? He loved Carol so much…She couldn't have done such a terrible thing that he wouldn't be able to forgive her… And that child, Amy… He had to know if maybe…
Did he really want to know the truth? He knew Thomas too well not to perceive in his voice that what he would have to tell him would make him suffer…. He knew that Thomas wanted to protect him from something that could only hurt him… Wasn't it better to go on with his life?
He raised his hand to knock on the door, but he stopped. He was a sniper, used to facing all kinds of danger, but now he was afraid of facing the reality, the truth about the woman he loved. What did Thomas know that he didn't?
He gathered his courage, and he finally knocked… he heard footsteps, and then the door was opened… Thomas, who had been a father for him, appeared with a pained expression on his face. He put a hand around the tall policeman's shoulders and let him enter. He closed the door carefully behind them, and Neil braced himself for what he would learn in a few minutes.
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Father Thomas was waiting for Neil in his parlor. It was the first time the policeman had gone to see the priest since he had left for Rosary. How Thomas missed that tall, handsome man, so calm and sensitive!
When he had seen him enter his parlor with his mum more or less thirty years before, and he had heard that woman try to justify herself for leaving her son there, he had watched the face of the poor child, who kept looking from his mum to him, trying to understand what was happening. Thomas had looked at him with sympathy, wondering how he would be able to explain to a four-year-old child that his mother had left him. It broke his heart to see Neil at the window, waiting for his mum, day after day… Then Thomas had looked at the documents Neil's mother had given him, and he had discovered that Neil's father was a policeman who had died on duty. He had started to talk to Neil about his dad, his courage and his generosity and Neil had started to look up to his father and to dream of becoming like him.
When he had left to go to the academy, Thomas knew that Neil had chosen a risky life, full of danger, but he also knew that he would become a good policeman, not only skilled and courageous, but also caring and honest. How many times he had prayed for Neil’s safety when he had joined the Emergency Response Unit, how many times he had feared for his life… That shooting, the long days in hospital outside the operation room with his rosary in his hands and tears coming to his eyes… The recovery, long but constant… the sense of relief…
Then Neil went to him to talk about the Commissioner’s proposal. Thomas felt lost at the thought of Neil living thousands of miles distant… But they talked almost every day and Neil had told him that he had found a small but affectionate community, a volleyball team of little orphans to train, a woman who had helped him to overcome that sense of rejection he had always felt in front of a motherly figure. Neil had described Anna to him, he had talked about her sensitivity, her wonderful family, the terrible loss she was trying to accept, even if it is so hard for a mother to lose her son, even more so if in a tragic, violent way…
Thomas, more than anyone else, was aware that Neil had something weighing on his heart, something that tormented him, a constant worry. And Thomas couldn't help reflecting that he was the one who had encouraged that relationship, who had promoted a friendship which then had changed into mutual love. He had thought that two orphans like Neil and Carol could comfort each other, that they had so much in common: the curiosity, the intelligence, the desire to know, the love for all school subjects, the plans for the future, the longing for a family, the family they had not had…
When did everything start to go wrong? Where had Carol lost her way? It was not Neil's fault, he was sure of that: Neil had always been in love, always eager to protect his girlfriend, always ready for her when she needed him…
Thomas sighed deeply when he heard a gentle knock on the door. ‘God, help me to find the right words’ he silently prayed as he opened the door to let Neil in.
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Neil looked at the priest, who was silently inviting him to sit on one of the big chairs in front of his desk. Father Thomas drew the other chair near and sat down. For a few moments the two men looked at each other in silence. In front of their eyes, they both had the image of a young lively beautiful girl, with auburn hair and emerald green eyes, always smiling, always happy… That was an image from many years ago…
Neil broke the silence: “Thomas, I know that if you knew where Carol is now, you would certainly tell me, but …. I can feel that you know something more… especially about the time Carol started to drift away from me. Please, Thomas, I need to know!”
Thomas gave a deep sigh and looked at the troubled eyes of the policeman. He put a hand on his arm and tried to choose his words carefully, aware that there was no way he could avoid making Neil suffer…
“Neil, how many times did I try to warn you? How many times did I tell you that Carol had to come completely clean before coming back to you?” Neil was looking at him with tears in his eyes. “I know, Neil, that you would have done anything to help her, but she had to show you that she wanted to change, that she was worthy of your love….” There was desperation in his voice. Neil kept on shaking his head: “You are trying to tell me, Thomas, that I shouldn't have let her in my life again almost four years ago? But she had come out of rehabilitation, the doctors had told me that she was better, that she was clean from drugs, but that she needed something to hold on to, something to encourage her to stay on the right path….” Tears were rolling down Neil's cheeks now, as he recalled the pleading expression on Carol's face. “She begged me to take her, to keep her with me, because she was sure that with me by her side she wouldn't go wrong again… And that time, those fifteen days we spent together traveling in California were perfect. Thomas, she was the Carol I loved, she was the happy, lively woman I have loved since I was a young boy.”
Thomas didn't know what to say, because it was clear that Neil loved Carol and that even at that moment, after three years, he would forgive her immediately if she came back into his life. There was no way of convincing him that the Carol he loved didn't exist any more, that something had broken in her life and in her spirit, that a person like him who wasn't as involved as Neil could see it clearly.
He looked at the young man and told him softly: “Neil, when you went to the police academy, I insisted that she should go to college… She was so good at school, so eager to know, to learn…. She found that job in that bar, and from that moment something changed… You perceived that, didn't you?”
Neil nodded slowly: “What went wrong, Thomas? I know I was starting my job as a policeman, and she had always approved of my choice, but… I can’t help wondering if maybe I should have been more careful, more caring…”
Father Thomas interrupted him immediately: “No, Neil, I told her, and I am telling you once again that she was lucky to have you, that you have always been the most loving and caring man, ready for her at any time… The fact is that she found some people on her way, some guys in that bar that put some ideas in her head… that led her astray, and she was not able to go back on the right track… But you must never, NEVER” he repeated with emphasis, “think you did something wrong because when she was in the rehab center she recognized that it was all her fault, that she had been too weak….”
Neil looked at the priest and reflected that sooner or later he would have to tell him that he had done something more than simply taking her back after the rehab period. He had never had the courage to tell Thomas, because he knew that the priest was right when he told him that he should have waited until she was completely clean, until she had a job, a project for her life, until she could look in the eyes of her handsome man without feeling shame and remorse… Instead, Neil hadn’t been able to ask her to tell him the truth about her sudden disappearance, about her acquaintances…
Neil asked pleadingly: “Thomas, I know that you have always wanted to protect me from knowing something that would hurt me, but …. Do you know the names of those bad guys? Do you know where she might be now?”
“No, Neil. I heard that she was involved with some criminals who went to that bar regularly, that she was seen going around with drug dealers… But that was before the rehab period, more or less ten years ago… I don’t know where she has been for three years now... What I am telling you is …. I know it is hard to accept, Neil, and I hate myself for saying this about one of the most intelligent girls I have ever had in my orphanage, but, for your sake, stop looking for her, please, Neil!”
Neil bent his head and started to sob softly. Thomas waited for a few moments for Neil to calm down. When Neil looked up and met the priest’s gaze, there was desperation in his beautiful blue eyes. He took out his mobile phone and scrolled through the photos. He held up the phone for the priest to see, and he waited for his friend's reaction. Father Thomas took the phone in his hands, he enlarged the photo with his thumb and his index finger and gasped. He looked at Neil questioningly, then he looked once more at the photo.
Neil said: “This is a photo that was enclosed in the file about the finding of a little girl at the station in Fredericton. That girl is now at the orphanage in Rosary. She is more or less ten years old. Noone has been looking for her since September, when she was found, frightened, beaten and raped by the people who had been keeping her. Thomas, I don't know if the photo is clear enough, but even Billy has noticed her eyes…” Thomas was completely stunned and unable to say anything. “Thomas, do you know when she was found?”
The priest shook his head, fearing what Neil would say next. “On September 16th, the day after that phone call from Carol that was abruptly interrupted, the last time I heard her voice…” Thomas would have liked to say that certainly that little girl had nothing to do with Carol, but those eyes, that little straight nose…. He was trying to concentrate on the period more or less ten years before…
Neil asked: “And do you know what the name of the girl is?” Thomas was looking at him with a pained expression, and he shook his head, even if he already knew the answer. “Her name is Amy, Thomas, like Carol's mother…. You remember that we always said we would call our first baby Amy or John, don't you?”
Father Thomas nodded slowly, trying to hold back the tears…
Neil went on: “Thomas, I remember clearly. Eleven, ten years ago, I kept looking for her and calling her on the phone, but she seemed to have vanished, just like now… She had told me that it was my fault, that I had preferred my job to her, even if she had always approved of my choice. But I have always hoped she would come back to me, you know…” Thomas was listening intently. He knew very well that Neil was a very handsome man but he had always been faithful to Carol, he had never accepted the passes at him made by many women, even attractive and charming women. “Thomas, I know that this poor child is not mine, but… she was involved in my first case in Rosary because the murderer, a woman, took her as a hostage until Billy and I rescued her. Nobody had ever been able to touch her and to comfort her, even Father Luca, Anna's son, had never been able to talk to her or even take her hand ....” He stopped for a moment and Thomas looked at him expectantly. “Thomas, all the people there were shocked when they saw her put her head against my chest and cry. She had never cried! When we were alone she told me that someone wanted to kill me. She is worried about me, Thomas. She didn't recognize Carol's photo but she is very confused, and I think her memory is blocked by some kind of shock or by some drug they gave her...”
Neil paused for a few moments, while Father Thomas was thinking of his words. He looked once again at the photos, at that frightened little girl curled up on a bench at the station. He felt pity for a poor child who had already experienced so much violence in her life.
“Neil,” he said with a voice choked by emotion, “I can assure you, I have never heard of a child or of Carol being pregnant…. If she really is this girl's mother, why did she hide it from you when she came back to you? She knew you would have protected the child. Why did she let her live the life you have just described, inconceivable even for an adult… I can't believe Carol, even the Carol of the last few years, even the Carol who used drugs and went out with criminals… Oh, my God, Neil! Doesn't the girl remember anything?”
Neil could see that the priest was feeling the impact of what he had just learned, he put a comforting hand on the priest's arm and he said: “She remembers a woman who lived with his dad, but she doesn't call her mum. She remembers that they talked about me, but then her memories get confused…. But she asked me to go to her everyday, and I am doing it. She embraces me, and she lets me cuddle her. She doesn't talk much but she always warns me and makes me promise to be careful…”
Thomas now was really worried and perplexed, worried about Neil because he knew that Carol had not simply lost her way, that there was something bad and wicked in her behavior but he couldn't force himself to tell what he knew to Neil. He felt perplexed because now a child was involved and, looking at the photo and knowing the child’s name, he was sure that Amy was Carol's daughter….
“Neil, you must protect that poor child, and you must be careful, because your life may be in danger… Please, Neil…” he added looking into the troubled eyes of the policeman.
Neil looked at him, and this time there was determination in his voice when he said, standing up from the chair: “If Carol really had a daughter and never told me anything and let me protect her… Thomas, this is something I could never forgive, even if Carol tried to justify herself….A mother doesn't let her child live like that and experience the violence Amy has seen since she was born! I can't accept it!”
Thomas nodded slowly and followed the policeman with his gaze while he walked down the corridor towards the stairs, after embracing him silently.
He closed the door carefully and went to sit behind his desk. He buried his face in his hands, and then he whispered: “Please, God, help Neil accept what he will sooner or later discover, and forgive me for not being able to tell him the whole truth about Carol. There is another person involuntarily involved, a person that is very dear to Neil. Why did Carol behave like that? Why did she allow a stupid sense of jealousy to guide her? Why did she allow that feeling to take control over her life and to destroy it? Why did she make Neil suffer so much?”
The three people he loved most were involved and were bound to suffer, and Thomas felt helpless, because he didn't know how to assist them. He took out his rosary, and he started to pray silently, while, from the window, he watched Neil leave the orphanage…
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Rosary, Anna’s Trattoria, 2:30 p.m.
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Anna had just finished cleaning up after lunch service in her trattoria, and she was enjoying a cup of coffee, sitting at one of the tables and reading the newspaper, when she heard a knock on the door. She wasn't surprised, because everyone knew that, when they needed to talk to her, they simply went to her trattoria after lunch, and they would almost certainly find her still in the cozy dining room of her little restaurant. She was always ready to comfort, to give advice, to soothe fears and anxiety, and all the people in the community loved her.
She looked through the frosted glass door and saw the shape of a fairly short woman. She opened and said immediately: “Hello, Louise, how are you?”
Louise was a little older than Anna, in her early sixties, she was short and a little plump. She had short curly dark hair and dark eyes, and she was a good friend of Anna’s. Two years before, she had lost her daughter in an accident, and now she lived with her son-in-law and her granddaughter. When Anna had lost her young son Luca, Louise had been at her side, and she had been a great comfort for Anna.
Louise embraced Anna with affection and said: “Oh, I am alright, and you, Anna? You still have a strained face. Can you sleep better now?”
“Yes, Louise, I sleep much better. And thanks for the delicious tisane you brought me. I am making a habit of drinking a cup before going to bed, and it's helping me a lot.” She added quickly: “But come in and sit down. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
Louise sat down at the table where the newspaper had been left open. Anna folded it and laid it on a chair. She went to the kitchen of the Trattoria and, a few moments later, she came back with a cup of steaming coffee and a bowl of sugar on a little tray. She put the tray delicately on the table, and she sat down next to her friend. Louise drank silently for a few moments. She looked around, and her eyes stopped at the photo of a handsome smiling man in a clerical shirt. She sighed and instinctively took Anna’s hand.
Anna blinked back the tears and said softly: “It’s so hard, Louise. I still can't accept Luca's death. He was so kind, so gentle…”
Louise answered: “I know, Anna. My daughter has been dead for two years now, but sometimes, when I am alone at home, I can still hear her voice.” She paused for a moment and then she added: “I think it's impossible to accept the death of your children, it's an ordeal that only faith can make it easier to accept, but it is very hard…”
They remained in silence for a few minutes, absorbed in the memories of their dear ones, then Anna said: “How is Daisy? Is she happy with her studies? I often see Lisa who is so enthusiastic about her studies to become a teacher …”
“Daisy has always dreamt of becoming a chef, since the times when she cooked with her mum…” Louise had to stop, overwhelmed by the memories of many serene moments spent with her daughter and her granddaughter, “Now the teachers told their students that they should find a place where they could do their training, since it is an integral part of their course.” Having already understood what her friend would ask her, Anna interrupted her, saying: “Louise, I would be glad if she came here to do her training period. Bruno is a wonderful cook and he can teach her a lot. He is also a pleasant guy… And, since on weekends we are always fully booked, Bruno needs a little help, I think ..”
Louise smiled at her friend, and she was visibly more relaxed when she said: “Thanks, Anna! I hoped Daisy would be able to do her training here. Her teachers offered to find her a place in a big restaurant, but, you know, since her mother's death she has been so reserved, so taciturn…” Her voice trailed off, and Anna perceived that Louise was worried about her granddaughter.
She asked solicitously: “Louise, I know that it was hard for Daisy to lose her mother… But, is there something else that worries you?”
Louise looked at her dear friend and said: “You know, Anna, that Daisy has never spoken about what happened to her when they lived in Fredericton. Her father has always refused psychological help for his daughter, and he has forbidden her to talk about it, but …. Sometimes I see that she is scared about something… When she wakes up in the middle of the night, agitated and frightened, it takes a while to calm her down… I know that my daughter tried many times to convince Luke to take Daisy to a doctor, to someone who could help her, but he was adamant. And I have tried to talk to him once or twice but he immediately stopped me, saying that Daisy is his daughter, and that she is old enough to decide what to do…”
“And Daisy? It is true that she is eighteen now, and she can decide what is good for her. What does she say?”
“She is so eager to please her father, so afraid of his judgment that she told me that Luke is right, that it is better for her to forget about what happened… But I know that sometimes she tries to talk to her dad. I have heard parts of discussions between them, and I can see that she is upset and unhappy… ”
Anna could see that her friend was really worried. Putting a hand on Louise's arm, she told her softly: “Louise, you mustn't worry so much. When she is here with me, I will try to talk to her, ok?” Louise smiled at her and nodded gratefully. Anna went on: “And I think Lisa, Daisy and Denise have gone out once or twice with the new policemen in town, haven't they?”
Louise couldn't help smiling when she said: “Yes, Daisy was so thrilled. They met … oh, I don't know the names, but I think they met the inspector, too, because Daisy said that they recognized him from having seen him on TV. He was with two other agents, and Lisa introduced them to Daisy and Denise. Daisy said that they were very kind. They had a good time. I think they are planning on meeting next weekend….”
Anna was listening intently, and she said: “I think they are really good men, especially the inspector. What I wanted to tell you is that I have noticed that he is very good at gaining the confidence and the trust of the people. Maybe Daisy will be encouraged to talk to him. He is very reliable and reserved…”
Louise felt a little more confident and commented: “Yes, I have noticed that people stop to talk to him after the Sunday Mass, that the children love him… Maybe he will be the right person to talk to Daisy… and even to Luke…”
Anna didn't say anything but she decided to talk to Neil about Daisy…
After a few more minutes of pleasant chat, Anna told Louise that Daisy could start her practice the weekend after the next when the lessons at college stopped for the Easter break, Louise thanked her dear friend once again and left. Anna went upstairs to her flat.
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Vancouver, David and Sue Johnson's home 7:30 p.m.
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Neil arrived at his colleague's home, hoping that an evening spent with dear friends would cheer him up and distract him from his constant worry about Carol and Amy.
David Johnson was one year older than Neil, and they had gone to the Academy together. David had always admired his tough handsome colleague, even if, when Neil had decided to join the Emergency Response Unit, they had parted ways for long periods. They had always kept in touch and, when David had proposed to Sue, almost four years before, he had immediately asked Neil if he would be his best man. When Neil had asked him to join him in Rosary and to become one of the instructors in the training center, he knew that for David it would be difficult because his wife was an elementary school teacher in Vancouver. David had surprised him by saying that he was willing to follow him, and that Sue would leave Vancouver at the end of the school year to join him in Rosary.
When he rang the bell, Sue came to open and embraced the policeman affectionately: “Hi, Blue Eyes!” she said. She always used that nickname when she talked to Neil. She always joked about Neil’s handsomeness. David trusted his colleague completely, because he knew that Neil, even if he was really handsome and attracted the attention of many women, was absolutely no flirt, and he believed firmly in the value of family.
Neil smiled at the beautiful woman in front of him: she was almost as tall as her husband, with soft brown hair and brown eyes, a charming smile and a slim, attractive figure. He said: “How are you, Sue?”
“I am fine, even if you have taken my husband away from me…” She winked at Neil jokingly and let him enter into their dining room. David came towards him and said: “Neil, how is everything going on in Rosary without me?” He had left for Vancouver the previous Saturday, after the arrest of a woman and a man, who were responsible for the murders of various old women across Canada in the last few years. This had been Neil's first case in Rosary.
“It is quite peaceful, actually, David…”
The couple invited Neil to sit at the table, where everything was ready for their dinner. Sue was an excellent cook, and she had prepared delicious food.
While they were eating, Neil noticed that Sue and David frequently looked at each other, as if they wanted to tell him something important, but, for some reason, they couldn’t find the right moment. Neil was really good at perceiving emotions and feelings in the people he talked to, and this had been a great help in his job.
When they were starting their desserts, he grinned at his two friends and said: “Come on, David. What do you want to tell me? I can see that you are both excited about something…”
David and Sue exchanged a glance and David started: “Yes, Neil. When I came here last Sunday, Sue was waiting for me with great news. We want you to be the first person we tell our little secret…”
Neil looked from Sue to David and back to Sue. He was sure he knew what they would say next, but he didn't want to spoil that moment for them, and so he waited, feigning suspense and surprise.
Sue said: “Neil, I think the idea that David was going to live thousands of miles away created the right atmosphere and made us both particularly romantic…” she paused and looked at her husband with adoration.
She turned back to Neil and added: “We are expecting a baby, Neil.”
Neil stood up immediately and went to embrace Sue. He knew how many times they had tried to have a baby, until the previous year, when Sue had had a miscarriage. In his friends’ eyes he could see excitement but also worry.
He asked immediately: “How are you, Sue?”
They sat down again, and Sue looked at him but her smile was a little forced now.
“I am ok, Neil. Tomorrow I have an appointment for a scan, but my gynecologist has already told me that, since I had a miscarriage last year, I will need rest, and I will have to stay at home from school…” Neil saw that she was worried, he took her hand and said soothingly: “The doctor is right, Sue. It is better to take every precaution.”
David tried to ease the tension by saying: “And the positive thing, Sue, is that if you stop teaching, you will come to Rosary, and we can wait together for our child.”
Neil nodded and asked: “When is the baby due?”
“More or less in the first days of November.” Sue answered.
David looked at Neil and said: “Neil, we wanted to tell you the good news before anybody else, and we wanted to ask you to be our child’s godfather.”
Neil looked at his friend, and he had to wait for a few moments before answering, so that his voice could be steady, because he felt flattered and emotional.
“Sue, David, it will be an honor for me. You know that you are two of my dearest friends, and I am really happy for you. It will be wonderful, Sue, if you can come to Rosary in a few days, because you will be with David and,” he added, smiling sheepishly: “I will feel less guilty for having ‘separated what God joined together’”. David and Sue started laughing at his mentioning the words of the wedding ceremony.
Then Sue said, looking at the handsome man: “Neil, we have already thought of the names for our baby. If she is a girl, we will name her Marylin like my mother” she lowered her gaze for a moment, because her mum had died little more than a year before after a long illness. She recovered immediately and smiled at Neil: “If he is a boy, we will name him Neil!”
Neil shook his head and looked embarrassed, but David added: “Neil, you know that if it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't be here now, and this baby would never be born…”
Neil looked at him and said: “David, you are not obliged to give the baby my name. It is true, that day I was able to save your life, but we are policemen, and we are used to covering each other's back, aren’t we?”
“Yes, Neil, but you could have been killed that day, and you were the one to go to the emergency room. You were the one who left for Italy a few weeks later, still bandaged and aching …”
“I said then, and I repeat now, David: I would do that again if it meant saving your life and sending you back to your wife and to your mother…”
David had tears in his eyes at the remembrance of what Neil had told his superior that day: “David has a family to go back to…” meaning that he, on the contrary, didn't have parents or a wife. He remembered that Father Thomas had scolded him, saying that every person's life is precious and dear for someone, that everyone has someone who cares for him or her….
Sue smiled and said softly: “Neil, we have decided to call our boy Neil, and we won't change our minds, so it's useless to discuss it. And then,” she added jokingly, “I think that Neil Johnson has a good sound, doesn't it?”
They all laughed and spent the rest of the evening talking about their jobs and the couple's plans for the future…
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