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But the ie that would remain imprinted on her retinas for the rest of her life was of his face The face of the hostile stranger she’d er she’d never see again

One

“Bagha…bagha…”

Car the nursery’s new curtains She looked down at Mennah, listened to her chirping her latest “word,” her heart in a state of expansion

She’d gotten used to feeling her heart filling her whole chest, her whole being, since she’d given birth to her daughter

She’d dearding the doctor’s gru that he had to close said woh, had placed the s moht, her flesh and heat and reality, Carmen had been afraid she wouldn’t survive the explosion of eht na and hard She’d found the perfect one, what this baby was, in her father’s ift was latching chubby fingers onto her playpen’s railings, hauling herself up to a standing position She then tried to stand unsupported and landed on her diaper-padded bottoh from Carmen’s depths

“Oh, Mennah, darling, you’re in such a hurry”

And she was At only nineunsupported for al for al another milestone

Carmen slotted the last hook, cliel grinned at her, good nature bri her newly acquired set of teeth, her die of e to her eyes

Could she have been so blessed?

Mennah held up her ared at once, bent and cradled the robust little body that was her reason for living Mennah mashed her face into her mother’s neck, and Car Mennah loved fierce hugs Carmen bore down on the flare of love, rocked Mennah in her ar in the raven silk of her locks H around was totally gone

Suddenly Mennah pushed away, looked up expectantly “Bagha bagha”