“She lifted her hand and placed it on his chest, the exquisite little heartbeat radiating through her touch. Helen smiled, realizing she had found in this soft bundle something strong—unconquerable, even. Something greater than any obstacle they might face as they made their way through the dark night. It was his soul, the unspoken words inside him that he wasn’t quite ready to tell her, but oh, they were there.” StrengthBabyWordsObstaclesMotherhoodGentleHeartbeatUnspokenNewbornUnconquerable Book:The Ocean's Daughter : Source: The Ocean's Daughter :
“She had thought it would be easy from there. It wasn’t. It was simple, but not easy. There was joy, but terror, too, as though stepping back from a ship’s helm and letting the journey go. It sounded romantic enough until being dashed to pieces against the rocks. It was the loveliest tiny moments that would drench Helen in happiness, like when Lyric was nestled in the crook of her arm, resisting falling asleep. Helen had brushed a finger down the child’s nose. Her drowsy eyes had fluttered yet followed Helen’s finger, going cross-eyed just as Helen reached the nose tip. For a moment, the joy and love saturated everything.” LoveJoyTerrorMotherhoodChildMoments Of LifeFoster CareFoster ChildFoster Parent Book:The Ocean's Daughter : Source: The Ocean's Daughter :
“Making a home, she realized immediately, was much more than having the dust cleared and the lawn trimmed. For years—decades, even—she and her brothers had taken for granted the way their mother tucked extra blankets around them on nights that turned especially cold or how their father set down his tools and bent over to look them in the eyes when they spoke. Or better yet, handed them a tool and let them work alongside him. As children, they had been oblivious to all their parents did—perfectly, contentedly oblivious. But she wasn’t anymore. She felt it all. Like a forehead kiss when thought to be sleeping, the love was there whether noticed or not. All give, no take. However, the thing about abundant love is that it needs somewhere to go.” LoveHomeMotherFatherDaughterMotherhoodParentsChildGiveAbundant Book:The Ocean's Daughter : Source: The Ocean's Daughter :
“How apart she felt, how apart she had felt for years, and she wished it was a feeling she could get used to. But it wasn’t. One by one, everyone else her age had married and had children, yet for her, the years of her twenties had slipped away, waving at her like hands from a leaving train. As they all moved on, she was left standing on the platform, absolutely alone, surrounded only by the smoke that stung her eyes and throat. It was no different now.” WaitingMarriageLonelinessLonelyAgingMotherhoodAbandonedLeft BehindSingle LifeSingleness Book:The Ocean's Daughter : Source: The Ocean's Daughter :
“Now through her aching, Helen felt a flicker of peace as though Mum was there, placing a hand on Helen’s shoulder and saying, “Come now. The world is always a brighter place on a full stomach. Help me—it will go faster that way.” In the stillness of the kitchen they used to work, Helen’s light hair and Mum’s dark bent over the bowl. Mum would not prod or fill the silence with chatter, but used the recipe to call Helen back to herself. She would pop a currant into her daughter’s mouth, or gently instruct her to smell the cinnamon, and for Helen, the world would come into focus.” MotherFoodAnxietyDaughterCookingCalmMotherhoodSensesCalmnessPanic Attack Author:Corinne Beenfield
“She peered at the small girl and though it seemed the child wasn’t listening, her grip on Helen loosened, leaving her feeling like a balloon about to soar away, frantic not to be lost into the open sky. Helen pinched her eyes shut as pain washed over her, tightening her body. It was different from other pain she had known. This time, she had a living, breathing someone to fight for, someone waiting on the other side of that agony. Opening her eyes, Helen set her jaw. A child, by their very existence, doesn’t come into a woman’s life without pain. It takes effort. Her fingers squeezed the small girl’s and the child’s chin lifted until their eyes met.” ChildrenMotherEffortFamilyMotherhoodChildRefugeeWorld War 2EvacuationFoster Child Book:The Ocean's Daughter : Source: The Ocean's Daughter :