Reunited with His Long-Lost Nurse

‘She’d put her ring in it, too.’ He’d nodded. ‘Along with a note about giving it to the one I loved.’

Talia shook her head incredulously.

‘You never said,’ she’d murmured.

‘I never thought there would be anyone like that for me. And then you burst into my life. Again.’ He’d grinned suddenly.

A relaxed, open smile that Talia had known she would never tire of seeing.

‘Thank you, Gloria,’ she’d whispered softly, loving the expression on Liam’s face.

It had been everything she might have dreamed about, had she ever dared to dream this big.

* * *

And when, the following year again after the wedding, she stared into the puckered face of her hours-old daughter, she realised that she still hadn’t woken up from that dream.

‘What do you want to call her?’ Liam whispered, awe laced through his voice as he gazed, mesmerised by his brand-new daughter.

He reeled off the three names at the top of her list. Beautiful names that Talia had loved from the moment she’d heard them. But as she stroked the tiny, flawless fingers of her baby she realised they didn’t suit her. They weren’t perfect enough.

‘None of them,’ she whispered, still wholly unable to drag her eyes from her daughter.

‘None?’ She could hear the frown in Liam’s voice and a gurgle of happiness bubbled inside her.

‘Her name is Gloria.’

Talia felt him tense beside her.

‘You’re sure?’

‘We’ll call her Glory for short.’ Talia smiled at the tiny bundle in her arms, who almost seemed to sigh with approval. ‘I think it suits her wonderfully, don’t you?’

‘Wonderfully,’ he echoed, as if slightly stunned.

And then he wrapped his arms around them, both her and their perfect new baby, and held them tightly, as if he would never let them go.

‘I love you, Liam,’ she breathed softly.

‘I love you, too.’ Emotion rang through every syllable and she knew without him saying anything that he was finally free. The very last seed of doubt planted by his vicious father had finally died, the moment Liam had laid eyes on his daughter.

‘I love you both,’ he repeated contentedly. ‘And I always will.’

* * *