Sometime after my 12th birthday the senior sister sent for me, Iwondered what I'd done wrong, but she smiled as she sat me down. Sheasked me if I woul... like to go and live away from St Phillips, with awoman who was looking for two teenagers to adopt, one boy and one girl.She told me that the woman was wealthy, had a lovely home and, sinceshe had no children of her own it seems she wanted to train a boy andthe girl to work in one of her shops with a view to becoming themanager and manageress. It was getting dark when we got back to the car but we made another stop in Pateley Bridge for tea. We had fish and chips and ate them out of the paper while sitting on a bench amidst a few other families who had been out for the day.It was a little after nine o'clock when we arrived back in Arncliffe.Norman, Cora and my dad were sleeping in the house in the two spare rooms, Mike, Ruth and the kids were using the caravan. It was good to see them getting on together. I had been worried how Ruth. قالى ليه انا لسه هنيكك تانى.. اقلعى الجيبة واعدى على اى كرسى ونبقى نغسله لما نخلص فاكملت خلع الاندر والجيبة وبقيت عريانه من تحت وقلتله بس انا كده هتأخر قالى يعنى مش عايزة تتناكى تانى وانتى بتقولى بقالك 3 شهور ماتنكتيش... قلتله لا عايزة بس خايف اتاخر قالى مرة تانيه وهروحك بتاكس يلا باه وقفيه وفى لحظه ادركت انى ماشفتش الزبر اللى صال وجال فى كل حته من كسى ونظرت اليه لقيت حجمه طبيغى مش سوبر يعنى واستغربت انه كان بيحك فى جوانب كسى جامد اوى وفبدات امسكه بايدى العب فيه قالى مصيه فبدات الحس راسه. Quite literally, his girl next door. Her ancestors had helped found their harbor town, and her extended family dotted the peninsulas and islands that ran along the coastline. Her family farm was one of the last in town, and occupied the land directly to the west of his family home. Maisie was also the girl—woman now—who had haunted his dreams for months. The dreams since he had broken up with Isabella—one part heaven, one part hell—made it impossible for him to classify Maisie in this, his.