Wonderful Mother
“I’m sorry,” a woman said, interrupting Hermione’s book browsing. “Do I know you?”
The witch spun around and came face to face with an older version of herself. The realization amazed her, stunning her to silence.
“I’m sorry dear. I didn’t mean to intrude on your browsing.”
Hermione felt a hand come to rest on her hip. “I say the same thing almost daily,” Harry laughed. “My wife is quite the reader and loves discovering new bookstores.”
“Oh, is this the first time in our shop? I’m Monica,” the older woman said, introducing herself.
“Harry,” he said in greeting, reaching for her hand to shake. “This here is my wife, Hermione. And yes, this is our first time in your shop. Actually, this is my first time in Australia.”
Hermione recovered from her shock and allowed her political skills to take over. “I visited here shortly after my graduation and was never able to stop thinking about it,” Hermione explained, rubbing the swell of her stomach. “Harry insisted that a getaway before our first child arrived was a necessity. Australia is even more beautiful than I remembered.”
Monica smiled. “How incredible to add a child to your lives. My husband and I never had any children – maybe in another life, it was meant to be for us. You’ll be a wonderful mother.”
Hermione blinked away the tears that welled in her eyes. “Thank you. I learned from the very best.”