Page 148 - The Letter By Ann Newhouse

without a fight. From what Seki told him girls were second class citizens in her country. Penny promised to make a garden in remembrance of her by planting her favorite tree and flowers so that when Shalma grew up she could sit and talk to her mother whenever she wanted.
I decided to do a few paintings from the photos Paul took when he met her, maybe he could hang them in her room when she was older. Penny was planning on retiring completely when Shalma came home so that she could be there for them absolutely.
Paul sat by his daughter’s incubator admiring the tiny bundle lying within. Her eyes were closed as he gazed at her wishing them to open so she could see him. She was so tiny, so frail and so beautiful just like her mother. He smiled to himself wondering if she would have the same rebellious attitude as her mother. Would she stand up for what she believed in? he hoped so, until then he would have to guide her and love her unconditionally. His smile grew bigger as she flashed her eyes at him, her beautiful eyes, so dark almost black just like her mother’s.
Penny had persisted on having a bed placed in the baby’s room at the B&B insisting she would be on call day or night. The hospital had arranged for a nurse to accompany baby Shalma home and stay for a couple of weeks to make sure she would cope ok and gain enough weight. She had already taught Paul a lot on how to look after his daughter while he was in the hospital and she had been gaining weight at a good pace. We were all very excited to see her do all the normal things babies of her age could do. Paul would tell us how she would smile when he picked her up, snuggle into his