26
Telling Jasmine what was happening to her father was the hardest thing Evie had ever had to do, but the child made it easier. The little girl listened solemnly, then said, ‘I’ll be like you. We’ll both have no daddy.’ Lip trembling, she was clearly struggling not to cry, and Evie’s heart lurched as she gathered her step-daughter into her arms.
‘We’ll have to be strong for each other and for Hughie,’ Evie said, stroking the little girl’s hair. ‘Sometimes I’ll be very sad and I’ll need you to cheer me up and sometimes you’ll be sad and I’ll try to cheer you up.’
‘What happens if we’re both sad at the same time?’
‘Oh, my darling!’ She squeezed the child tight against her breast. ‘We’ll have to hope that Hugh can cheer us both up.’
Jasmine nodded, her face grave. ‘Hughie’s always good
