Our Hearts Entwined Read Free

please?”
    Corey’s response was that of a glare; however he did comply and slid his book into the still open backpack at his feet.
    “Thank you,” Mia said again, before beginning her lesson.
    They were currently learning about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly taken from their families between 1909 and 1969 by the Australian Government, aptly named the ‘Stolen Generation’.
    “Can anyone tell me one of the reasons the government used to justify the taking of these children?” Mia asked her students after a quick recap of last week’s history lesson.
    Quite a few hands flew up and Mia selected Callie, signing her name so that the other students knew to turn so they could watch her answer.
    “Because white Australians didn’t understand Aboriginal culture and thought they were protecting them?” she offered.
    When the class turned back around Mia continued. “That’s right. ‘Child protection’ was touted as the number one reason as to why Aboriginal children were taken away from their families.
    “Anyone else?” Mia asked, looking around the room and feeling surprised when Corey raised his hand.
    “They were trying to breed them out,” he put in, not waiting to be called on.
    Mia was so surprised by his participation in the class that she didn’t want to pull him up on not signing his answer, so she signed what he'd said to the class, continuing with, “That’s correct, Corey. There are documents that tell us they felt that if they took the mixed-race children into white families, then eventually the Aboriginal race would die out entirely and become fully assimilated within the white culture.”
    The rest of the lesson turned into a wonderful debate about the moral ramifications of what the government did to those children and a promise that if they could get permission, she would bring in a copy of ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’ for them to watch during class next week.
    When the lights flashed to signal that class was over, Mia watched Corey with hidden interest as he gathered his things and got up to leave, waiting for Callie before he started toward the door. Mia smiled to herself when she saw him sign a couple of words, feeling so glad that he was finally starting to come around.
    Cayd’s voice saying, ‘Never underestimate the power of a pretty girl’, flitted through her mind and sent her heart beating wildly even now. It embarrassed her that she was still thinking about him when she had a perfectly good relationship with Eric.
    Eric treated her well, and they loved and cared for one another. Their relationship worked – so why couldn’t she stop thinking about Cayd? She felt that perhaps she wasn’t spending enough time with Eric and thought that if she saw him that night then it might push the fanciful thoughts about Cayd out of her mind.
    In all their time together, she had never once looked at another man the way she was looking at Cayd. There was something about him that wouldn’t leave her mind and she felt so guilty for it. She was always faithful, always caring. Her future was with Eric, she knew that. She just couldn’t seem to stop herself from daydreaming...
    She checked her watch, noting that she still had a few hours left in her day before she could even think about seeing Eric. It was recess, so she made her way to the staff room, hoping that keeping her attention on her work would help to push the images of the doctor out of her mind.

Chapter Four

    At exactly seven pm, a five-foot ten woman with long flowing golden blonde hair, stood outside Sofia’s restaurant in Burwood as she waited for Eric to arrive. Butterflies flew around nervously in her stomach as she stood, increasing their flutters the moment she spied him rounding the corner of the building. It was as if today was the first day she was really seeing him, and his beauty overwhelmed her.
    He was deliciously tall with firm broad shoulders, long limbs and a narrow waist. She felt