Forsaken (The Found Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

point. Okay?” She watched as her daughter got a look on her face. She could see a storm brewing. It didn’t happen often. Nell was normally a happy baby, and once in a while she worked up a head of steam. Annie saw the frustration and hurt on her daughter’s face, and ached for her.
    “Oh my beautiful baby girl. I wish I could make this better for you, I don’t know what I can do. I don’t know of anyone else here. There’s nobody else.” She sat back in the rocker and hoped the storm would pass, resting Nell against the crook of her neck, settling them both in for the night. She knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep, but maybe she could lull her precious baby to sleep despite her sad heart.
    Long moments later, she heard, “Da.” Annie jerked. It was the first time she ever heard anything resembling speech from her daughter. She set Nell into the crook of her arm, as if she were feeding her a bottle, so she could get a good look at her face.
    “Baby girl, did you say something?”
    “Da. Sad.”
    “Holy lightning in a bottle. You just spoke!” Again Annie watched as silky hair spilled over Nell’s forehead as the baby nodded her head.
    “Did you just say your daddy is making you sad?” How in the heck was that even possible? But then again Annie followed her daughter’s movements with amazement. She was definitely nodding her head, and she had a heartbreaking look on her face.
    Annie got out of the chair, and placed Nell in her crib. “I’ll be right back, sweetheart.” Nell looked at her, so small and forlorn in her little red sleeper. “Give me a minute, sweets.”
    Annie headed straight to the bottom drawer of her dresser. Tucked away below her good lingerie was a framed photo. It was a picture one of Annie’s professors took when she and Seth were at her house. They were sitting outside under the desert willow tree in her backyard, but despite the shade she and Seth could be clearly seen. Professor Tucker managed to capture a moment when the two of them were looking at one another as if they were the only thing in the world.
    Holding the picture to her breast, she walked softly to her daughter’s room, amazed Nell had grown old enough to have her own room, no longer needing to be in the bassinet in Annie’s room. Time had flown and crawled all at once. She wasn’t surprised to find Nell sitting and waiting for her. She still had the sad look on her face she would do anything to erase. Was this going to help or make things worse?
    “Nell honey, I want to show you something. We can play the guessing game,” Annie said as she held out the photo.
    Nell slapped her hand down on the photo, “Da.”
    “Or, we don’t have to play the game,” Annie said ruefully. “Honey, you can’t know that is your dad.” Suddenly the muscles in Annie’s neck felt like they were set in concrete.
    “Da.” Annie watched as baby fingerprints appeared on the glass. This didn’t prove anything. Nell looked at her, as if she could read her mind, and slapped her hand on the glass again, this time on her image, “Ma.”
    “Holy hopping kangaroos, you do recognize your dad.” Nell nodded her head, and Annie left the photo with her in the crib, and went to sit in the rocker. What the hell? She should be elated Nell was finally talking, but then she really never doubted she would. Still how in the hell had she known about her father? How had she recognized Seth? And how was Seth making her sad? Annie shot off the chair and leaned over the crib to find Nell sitting up waiting for her.
    “Sweetness, come to mommy.” Nell held out her little arms, and Annie scooped her up, once again reveling in the smell and warmth of her baby. She took her over to the rocker and cuddled her close to her breast, gently patting her bottom. Annie was totally at a loss, what question was she supposed to ask?
    “Does your daddy make you sad, because he makes your mommy sad?” Both Annie and Nell’s heads turned at Shilah’s