‘Baby hold on,’ she says.
‘She likes you,’ I say. ‘You’re her big sister. Can you sing to her? She’ll like that.’
‘Do Twinkle,’ Mia says.
‘You do it. She wants to hear your voice. I’ll help.’
We start singing, but soon my voice fades and stops.
Mia’s aura is changing before my eyes. Where the girls are holding hands, their colours blend. Mia’s is becoming gold again. Pure gold. Gemma’s sparkling light is moving up her arm, bleaching away the black stains.
Mia glances up at me.
‘Keep going, sweetie. She loves it.’
There’s noise drifting in from outside, a buzz of excitement rippling through the church. But I’m not going anywhere. I’m transfixed by what’s going on with my two girls.
Adam clatters into the chapel, with Daniel in tow. Daniel’s hand is wrapped up but they’re both in high spirits, arms round each other’s shoulders.
‘How are my girls?’ Adam says.
Mia looks up and beams.
‘They’re fine,’ I say. ‘Adam, something amazing’s happening.’ I leave the girls sitting together and run over to him. He lets go of Daniel. ‘Mia’s aura was marked,’ I keep my voice low, ‘but I think Gemma’s … cleaning it. When she touched her, the darkness started to go. Mia’s becoming gold again. Pure, shining gold. I can’t believe it.’
Adam puts his arm round me, pulling me in. ‘So Gemma’s got her own gift,’ he says, and a smile plays at the corners of his mouth. ‘I thought we’d be the ones looking out for her all the time. Perhaps she’s stronger than we both thought.’
‘Adam, her blindness saved her. Maybe she’s the most special of us all—’
I stop sharply. Hate the thought that’s come into my head.
‘What?’
I don’t know how to say it, but I know I have to ask.
‘Is Gemma safe with her sister? Has Mia’s number changed? What if she’s so powerful she doesn’t need to see Gemma’s eyes to take her number?’
I have to know.
Adam looks at the girls.
‘Mia,’ he says. ‘Look at Daddy. Are you singing to Gemma? Did you make her stop crying?’
Mia looks up. Her eyes are shiny with excitement.
‘Baby like Twinkle,’ she says. ‘Shh, baby.’
‘That’s right. Good girl.’
He turns back to me.
‘It’s all right. Her number’s the same.’
‘She’s still got mine?’
‘Yeah. Do you mind?’ he says, looking down at me and pulling me close again. I can feel his heart pounding in his chest.
‘It’s a good number, isn’t it?’ I say. He looks pained. ‘You don’t have to answer. I saw it in your notebook, before the Chaos.’
‘It’s the best number I’ve ever seen,’ he says quietly. He holds me closer and for a moment it feels like it’s just me and him here, no one else, not even the children. His mouth is next to my ear. I close my eyes and he whispers to me. ‘It’s bathed in love and light. If she keeps it, slipping out of this life will be so calm for her, Sarah, so peaceful. It’s the most beautiful end anyone could have.’
I open my eyes and tilt my head so I can see him. His eyes are closed but a tear squeezes through his lashes and trickles down his face.
‘What’s wrong?’ I say. ‘I couldn’t ask for anything better for her.’
His eyes flick open and more tears spill out. There’s anguish all over his face.
‘It’s your number, Sarah. It should be yours.’
I wipe his tears away with my fingers, then cup his face with my hands.
‘No,’ I say. ‘This is the way it should be. We’ll raise our family the best way we can, we’ll surround them with love. We’ll teach Mia to hold on to her number and Gemma can use her gifts to heal. She hasn’t got eyes, but just think what she might help us see. Who knows, our girls might have something to teach all of us. Whatever happens to you and me, there’s a happy ending waiting for both of them. There has to be.’
I turn away from Adam and look back at the girls.
Mia’s head is bathed in gold again. The only black spots are around her legs and they’re dissolving as I watch. Mia leans forward and lays her cheek against Gemma’s, and the last pinpoints disappear.
Epilogue – 2033
The girl sits on the beach. She draws pictures in the sand with her finger while the others run and chase in the evening sunshine.
Marty and Luke are playing with Gemma, taking turns to swing her round. She staggers drunkenly between the two of them.
‘Careful. Not too much!’ Her mum’s voice carries across the beach from the sand-dune.
‘That’s enough!’ her dad shouts.
The girl twists round to look at them, standing with their arms round each other. Behind them she can just see the patched-up roofs of the cottages and the bare rafters of the new houses being built. It’s been a long day but a good one. When lots of people work together, a house can grow from nothing in a few hours. Her dad’s good at getting people to work together. That’s why they’ve moved around so much. People like it when he visits.
But she’s tired of travelling. She wants to stay put, have a home, somewhere they can all live together for ever and ever.
She looks back at her drawing in the sand – a house and six people and a big sunshine in the sky above – and she traces some words underneath: HAPY EVA AFTA.
She hears the boys’ raucous laughter. Gemma’s properly dizzy now. She stumbles to one side, tries to right herself and careers off the other way.
The girl calls out to her. ‘Gem, come here! Gem, this way!’
Gemma turns towards her and smiles.
‘Come here!’
Gemma weaves her way unevenly across the sand, as the girl guides her in with her voice. When she’s a metre away, she launches herself forward towards the girl, diving through the air, arms held wide. The girl catches her and they tumble backwards in a heap of arms and legs.
‘Gemma, you big lump! What would you do if I didn’t catch you?’
Gemma flings her head back and laughs, then she moves her hands up to the girl’s face, tracing the creases at the corner of her mouth, the laughter lines by her eyes.
‘Mia,’ she says. ‘My Mia.’ And she kisses her full on the lips.
The girl wipes the saliva away.
‘Eugh, Gemma, that was a wet one,’ she says. ‘Shall we find Mum and Dad?’
‘Yeh.’
They disentangle themselves and stand up, holding hands.
The boys are miles away now, running towards the distant sea.
Mia and Gemma turn towards the dunes and set off walking. Their long shadows streak across the rippled surface of the sand, joined at the hand like cut-out paper dolls.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank everyone who has supported me during the writing of all three Numbers books:
David, for pointing me in the direction of the Frome Festival.
The Frome Festival, for encouraging me through their short story competition, and for matchmaking.
Friends and family who have hosted, and encouraged my writing, especially Mum and Dad, Ann and Peter in Spain, and Ann and Dave in Jersey.
Friends who have taken an interest in my writing, especially work-friends at Keynsham Town Council and Bath & North East Somerset Council.
Everyone at The Chicken House, who have done such a brilliant job, including Barry for all his wheeling and dealing, and especially, this time, Imogen, Rachel Leyshon and Chrissie.
All the lovely people involved in translating my books and publishing them outside the UK, especially those who have looked after me in various countries – Anja and Hilke in Germany, and Monique and Janetta in The Netherlands – and Elinor for making all this possible.
The wonderful librarians, School Library Service staff, teachers and journalists I’ve met who are so busy promoting and celebrating r
eading.
And finally, the readers, especially those who’ve written to me or come to see me speak. Your reaction to my books has meant the world to me.
Rachel Ward
April 2011
From the Chicken House
Rachel Ward’s Numbers series has fascinated the world. From Brazil to Beijing, the story of the teens that can see the date of your death has caught every reader’s imagination. Actually, it’s not about dying; it’s about how to live with the knowledge. That’s the secret – and it takes a rather terrifying last twist in this final book. Don’t close your eyes.
Barry Cunningham
Publisher
Copyright
Text © Rachel Ward 2011
First paperback edition published in Great Britain in 2011
This electronic edition published in 2012
The Chicken House
2 Palmer Street
Frome, Somerset BA11 1DS
United Kingdom
www.doublecluck.com
Rachel Ward has asserted her rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Produced in the UK by LibreDigital
Cover design by Steve Wells
British Library Cataloguing in Publication data available.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.
eISBN: 978-1-908-43506-4
Rachel Ward, Infinity
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends