Prologue

How was it possible to love anyone this much? Eighteen-year-old Alice Hutton gazed down at the bundle cradled in her arms. She'd never set eyes on anything so utterly perfect, the little button nose and rosebud mouth. Gently, she stroked her daughter's doll-sized hand and marvelled at her perfectly formed fingernails, so reminiscent of tiny seashells. In an instant, the small hand grasped her finger, squeezed tightly and sent a tidal wave of joy flooding through her chest. Oh my days! Alice felt certain her heart would burst at any moment. The fear that had crept over her in the run-up to this day had been engulfed by the overwhelming feeling of love that was now surging through her, infiltrating every fibre of her body and pushing the exhaustion of a sixteen-hour labour out of the way. Her baby was less than an hour old and yet she'd already managed to generate such powerful, almost primal, feelings it took Alice's breath away.

She rested into the stiff pillows of her bed, too wired for sleep despite the hospital's soporific warmth that belied the frosty January night. All was quiet on the maternity ward except for the background hum of medical equipment, the occasional voice from the corridor or the swift steps of a midwife walking by. It was almost midnight. Alice and her little daughter were the only ones awake in her bay, while the three other newly delivered mothers and their babies apparently slept soundly.

She may not have succeeded at much in her eighteen years, except for being a huge disappointment to her parents – and if what they'd said to her the last time she'd seen them was to be believed, she'd really excelled at that. Her now ex- boyfriend Johan hadn't been too impressed with her either for that matter, not that she cared what he thought now. But, despite the great list of failings and faults that had been hurled at her by both parties, there was one thing she was determined to do well. She knew it wasn't going to be easy, that the road ahead would be rocky, but Alice was going to do all in her power to be the best mum she could possibly be to this gorgeous little cherub, so warm and snug in her arms. She didn't need her parents, and she most certainly didn't need her waste-of-space ex-boyfriend. In fact, Alice decided, she didn't need anyone. She'd make a new life for them both, somewhere where nobody knew them. And she'd prove them all wrong; she'd make a success of herself, make her little daughter proud. Alice felt her determination soar. If there was one thing she had by the bucket-load, it was determination.

Buoyed by her new-found resolve, Alice smiled down at the two navy-blue pools blinking up at her. Speaking softly, she said, ‘Hello there, little one, welcome to the world. I'm your mummy.'

She closed her eyes as she leant forward and pressed a gentle kiss to the baby's forehead, breathing in the delicious smell of newborn. Her heart swelled with emotion, triggering a lump in her throat, the burn of tears misting her eyes. Blinking them back, she said, ‘I'm afraid it's just you and me, and I know I might not seem like much right now, but I promise you this, I'm going to take good care of you and make sure you have the best life possible. We don't need anyone else. We're going to take on the world, show them we can do it. Just you see!'

With a sigh, she glanced out of the window. Though the light pollution of the city of York had watered down the Milky Way, it gladdened Alice to see that the stars were still visible, quietly twinkling away in the night sky.

It was while she was gazing up at the stars that a name came to her.

‘Stella,' she said quietly, before repeating it as if trying it out for size. ‘Stella.' She recalled reading that the name meant star, which sounded appealing and somehow appropriate in this quiet moment. She moved her gaze to her little daughter, as a smile spread across her face. ‘That's it! That's the one!' she said softly as excitement tingled through her.

Though she'd drawn up a list in the knowledge she was having a girl, Alice had struggled to settle on a first name. Nothing seemed to appeal or feel right. Unlike her baby's middle name, which had taken no thinking about at all. Alice had already decided it was going to be May in memory of her beloved maternal grandmother to whom she'd been close until her death four years earlier. But as her due date had inched ever closer, a first name had remained impossible to choose.

Until tonight.

‘Stella May Hutton. Perfect!' Alice smiled happily, dropping a soft kiss to her baby's brow. ‘My little star.'