Time: Present Day

Location: HereAfter

"When am I born then, am I French? Was I born in Paris?" Carter asked.

Carter jumped as he heard Amelia scream and felt her hand crush his, but it didn't hurt. It only felt emotionally draining, he watched as Amelia gave birth to him in the hospital in Paris.

Collette was there holding her right hand while Margot and Michelle gave encouragement from the side lines.

It was all over rather swiftly, a few good pushes, a slap from the surgeon, a cry and Carter was free.

It was weird watching your own birth, he would always have trouble explaining the feeling each time the story was told. If indeed he was ever called on to relate what was happening to him. He guessed other people had had the same experience and probably felt the same. At that moment a glow emanated from his hand that was being softly caressed by Amelia's. An emotional bond developed that was so much stronger than anything he had experienced on earth and then it dissipated. He realised with a touch of panic that his Mum had gone.

Teacher smiled at him and said "Don't worry Carter Cheval, she will return, for now she is required elsewhere and she needs to recover her emotional equilibrium, for her journey has been a difficult one and your story has highlighted something she must deal with in another space."

Carter watched as they placed his infant self on the young Amelia's chest.

It was now like he was in two places at once. His spirit soared as he realised who he was. He stared into his young mother's eyes and knew in an instant that she would never give him up, never abandon him in a foreign place, love him forever. Carter turned to ask his mother what could have happened forgetting that she was no longer there. Had she abandoned him, yet again, perhaps she could not face his obvious questions. He secretly chided himself for thinking ill of his mother, he would ask her about all this when he saw her again, and he would, Teacher had said as much.

Teacher looked him in the eyes, "I know," said Carter, "it will all become clear to me."

"And so you learn Carter Cheval."

Carter watched as the young Amelia took him home to her Aunt Margot's house.

It was a two storey in an inner suburb of old Paris. Amelia had been given one of the downstairs bedrooms to make it easier dealing with baby carriages and the endless washing that lie ahead of her. Her mother was arriving the next morning from Sydney. The baby arriving a week early had meant that Monique had missed the birth and the hurried change to flight plans meant that she was now coming alone. Jean would follow later once he cleared his court commitments.

Chapter 27 - A Child is Born.

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