KIRSTEN woke in the cool light of morning. She felt oddly disorientated, as if she were still asleep and dreaming.
She reached out a hand to the space next to her, but Cal had gone.
The shrill sound of a baby’s cry filled the air and sleepily Kirsten pushed the covers back and picked up her dressing gown.
The nursery at the front of the house was painted yellow and it seemed filled with golden sunlight. Kirsten went across to the cot and looked inside at the four-month-old baby.
As soon as Pippa saw her mother the tears stopped. The cute little legs in the pale yellow sleepsuit kicked and she laughed and gurgled, plump little arms outstretched as she waited to be lifted from her cot.
‘What was all that noise about?’ Kirsten asked, smiling. ‘What were all those crocodile tears about?’ She reached out and touched the tiny fingers, gently holding them as she looked into her daughter’s eyes, so big and blue, just like Cal’s.
‘What a big noise for a little girl,’ she said teasingly, and then lifted her out to hold her in her arms.
The door opened behind her and Cal came in. ‘What’s all the commotion about?’ he asked with a grin.
‘I think she knows it’s her big day today.’ Kirsten said, and turned her attention back to the baby. ‘You know something exciting is going to happen today, don’t you, darling? Today you’re going to be christened—Philippa Jordana McCormick.’
‘It has a good ring to it, doesn’t it?’ Cal said, reaching to kiss the top of the baby’s head.
‘A very good ring.’ Kirsten smiled at her husband. ‘Happy anniversary, by the way.’
‘Happy anniversary.’ Cal reached across and kissed her, and for a while the three of them were held close. ‘Who would believe that it’s two years today since we got married again?’
‘The happiest two years of my life,’ Kirsten whispered tremulously. ‘Thank you, Cal.’
Pippa gurgled and wriggled between them impatiently. ‘I think she’s trying to tell us that we don’t have time for this,’ Kirsten laughed as she pulled away from him. ‘And she’s right. Mum and Dad will be here soon and I’ve got a million and one things to do.’
‘Well, they can all wait,’ Cal said firmly as he took his daughter from her arms. ‘Because your present is downstairs and I’ve gone to such a lot of trouble to get it here without you knowing that everything else is going to have to wait.’
‘What is it…?’ Intrigued, Kirsten followed him out into the corridor and down the elegant curving staircase. Then watched as he opened the front door.
A brand-new shiny red car sat on the drive.
Kirsten looked at it in stunned amazement.
‘It’s an automatic,’ Cal said with a grin. ‘If you’re going to drive to the church I can’t stand one more crunch of those gears in that old jalopy.’