Chapter 18
Meanwhile, in England.
The morning light was soft, diffused, stretching across the sky like an afterthought.
Aurora–no, she should call herself Aurora Campbell now–stood before the old castle estate, still feeling a little dazed. She had
come to another country, and in the most unexpected way, had found her birth parents,
It had all started on the plane. The woman sitting next to her, an elegant lady with an air of quiet sadness, had looked at her one
too many times. Out of politeness, Aurora had greeted her,
A conversation followed, casual at first.
The woman was an American expatriate, who settled in England. She was returning from a trip to America, a trip made with a single purpose–searching for a lost daughter,
Twenty–six years ago, she and her husband had been in America for business when their daughter was born. It had been New
Year’s, and they decided to stay an extra month, just until she was old enough to travel. But on the eve of their departure, the
baby disappeared.
They searched. Called the police. Asked friends to help. A whole month passed with no trace, The authorities told them the child
had likely been trafficked, and the chances of finding her were slim,
Their visas expired. They had no choice but to leave,
But they never gave up. They left friends behind to continue the search. Every year, without fail, they returned to America and
stayed in the same city, hoping. Hoping that one day, somehow, they would find her.
People told them to let it go. Twenty–six years was too long. They should move on.
But they couldn’t.
This time, once again, they had come home empty–handed.
Then, on the plane, the woman had seen Aurora. Felt something, a pull. So she had looked at her, again and again, unable to explain why.
Aurora had felt it too. Something warm, something unspoken.
And so, she told the woman her story.
