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Like Letters Written in the Sand, Part Eighteen
“Anna-leis, I can’t promise you a child, that this adoption will happen, but I can promise you I am going to fight to make it happen, and I can promise you that I’ll love you until my last breath, and beyond that.” Clarence promised, as he held Anna-leis supporting her as she stood.
“I know.” Anna-leis said. “And I am grateful, but I don’t know what I was expecting, this all of this is harder than I imagined. I thought I would be stronger by now.”
“There’s more than one kind of strength sweetheart.” Clarence said, breathing in the scent of Anna-leis favorite shampoo.
Anna-leis nodded, but honestly she didn’t feel strong as people pried into her life, asking invasive questions. She could handle being asked questions about what happened to her, it wasn’t easy to talk about, but she could. The questions about her childhood were far more invasive.
Clarence wrapped his arms around her, letting her lean into him, as they stood, the day was beautifu, and it felt good to be outside. But even the most beautiful of days could not wipe the scars of Anna-leis past, it couldn’t give her a better childhood, but he could give her a beautiful now.
“Am I ever going to move past my childhood scars?” Anna-leis asked, resting her head on Clarence’s shoulders.
