Chapter 1

I cradled our newborn baby girl in my arms, marvelling at the miniature perfection of her fingernails, as her tiny trusting hand clasped my thumb. I did not yet know the colour of her eyes, but she certainly had her mother's dark hair and complexion. She really was a beautiful baby. An hour previously Clare and I had both cried as she was born, and I felt myself becoming increasingly misty-eyed as I continued to gaze at her. She was perfect, perfect in every respect. No, that was not quite true; she was perfect in every respect apart from one detail. She was not my child.

"Isn't she lovely, Tom?"

I glanced at my wife, her long dark hair tousled on the white pillow. Despite looking pale and drawn, Clare was a picture of contentment. In truth she was tired, and it had not been the easiest of natural births, but now it was over. She'd had a little girl; she was a mother! She could hardly contain her excitement.

"Just think of all those lovely little clothes we can get for her." A frown crossed her face. "You're not disappointed Tom, are you? I mean because it's not a boy."

"Of course not Clare. How could I be? Just look at her."

"I'm glad we chose Laura. She really suits the name, doesn't she?"

She did, too. I could not take my eyes from our little Laura Wilson now all of one hour old. I wondered what the world had in store for her. I kissed her cheek before carefully passing her back to her mother.

Laura began to cry and I briefly entertained a fond delusion that she was missing me already. The actual reason was far more prosaic; she was merely hungry. The next moment Clare opened her bed jacket and our daughter was contentedly suckling at her breast. It was a moment to treasure forever. She had just finished feeding her when the nurse appeared. She took Laura from her and gently placed her in a crib alongside the bed.

"I think it's time you got some rest too, Clare."

I sat in the chair and watched over them both as they slept, Clare and Laura, my wife and our daughter, the two most precious things in my life.

I had known Clare for five of my thirty-one years. It was a chance encounter that had changed my life, a blind date fixed up by Ray, who was my closest friend. He and I played football for the same amateur side. He was a really likeable guy with a good sense of humour. He was not only very popular amongst his team mates, but also with women, who readily succumbed to his easy charm. He was certainly never short of girlfriends, but like a number of such men he preferred to play the field rather than to get too serious with any of them.

"Don't laugh Tom, but I think I'm in love."

We were having a lunchtime drink and I all but spluttered my beer over him.

"You've not been looking at yourself in the mirror again, have you Ray?"

"I'm being serious, Tom. You haven't met her yet, but you'll understand when you do. In fact you'll meet her tomorrow because we're going out in a foursome. I've fixed you up with her sister."

The following evening found us in a bar in north London. We were on our second beer and the girls had still not appeared.

"Here she is, Tom." A slender dark haired girl had entered. Unfortunately she was alone; her sister had not come after all. Not for the first time, I had been stood up. Ray went over to meet his date, aware and rather proud to see that everyone in the bar was looking at her. He was in his element, as he brought her to our table. As she drew close I could not fail to notice how pretty she was. She had nice legs too, but it was her warm smile that I found so appealing. My disappointment at being stood up was not lessened one whit by Ray's new girl friend being so attractive. If her sister had been only half as good looking as this one, I would have been on to a winner. She was a dream and I could readily understand how Ray had been smitten.

"Tom, this is Francesca."

She immediately corrected him. "It's Clare!"

I could not believe my ears. How could Ray, a ladies man if ever there was one, not remember the name of his new girl friend?

Ray turned to her, his incomprehension obvious.

"Fran is just coming... she's parking the car."

Fran had said she would bring her sister. She had just neglected to mention that her sibling was her identical twin!

I have read somewhere or other that you immediately know when the right person comes into your life. I had never given it much credence, but somehow I knew that Clare was the one for me. Not only was she stunning, but she also came across as a really nice person. She told me she was a teacher at the local infant school. She found it a very satisfying occupation, even if the pay was not that good. She loved little children, loved their trusting ways and took great pride when their reading skills developed under her tutelage.

We started going out together, usually just the two of us but sometimes as a foursome. That led to some confusion because in the early days Ray and I would struggle to tell them apart. However we did become aware of subtle differences as we got to know them better.