Martin Aitken

I’d lain awake hoping she would quickly go back to sleep again

“You go back to sleep. I’ll see to her. It’s your day today.”

Here we are, my little lovely,” I said as I carried her over to the high chair, took a yogurt from the fridge and began to feed her. At first she sat quietly, opening her mouth when the spoon arrived, swallowing and then opening again while looking into my eyes the whole time. There was such an unfathomable warmth and trust in her eyes, I thought, and such openness. Not a shadow, not a cloud