Emily seated herself on the bed beside her daughter, gently pulled out a neatly wrapped present from under it, and gave it to her. 'I hope you'll enjoy this, my love. I had one at your age,' she shared.

     Rachelle gently opened her mum’s present. 'It’s stunning, mum,' she beamed, embracing her. They'd given her a diary with black and red covers, its golden letters spelling out 'Rachelle Elizabeth De-Mont'. 'I’ll cherish this forever,' she promised.

     ‘I’m glad you like it darling, it’s for writing down your inner most thoughts and feelings. Everything you don’t want anyone to know but you can’t keep inside of you,’ Emily continued to say.

     ‘It really is a beautiful thoughtful gift mum,’ even though at the time Rachelle didn’t fully understand how valuable this gift would be.

     ‘Now come on, get yourself dressed I think that you might have some guests waiting for you downstairs for breakfast,’ Emily stood up, kissed her daughter on the forehead before leaving the room.

     When Rachelle got to the dining room her aunt, uncle and cousin were all waiting for her along with her brother Nathaniel and the girl in the photo. Rachelle couldn’t believe how much her brother looked like their father, though obviously her brother’s hair was still a very distinct dark brown and he most definitely had his eyes, she had always thought them to be sinister looking and soulless as they were a very brownish-black and not at all like hers which were a pale blue just like their mothers. As Rachelle walked towards them her brother stood up, hugged her before wishing his sister a happy birthday. He then introduced her to Anna his girlfriend, a petite little thing with mousy brown hair and green eyes, who she noticed once everyone was seated didn’t really say too much. In fact, Rachelle had realised that she had not said one syllable when they had been introduced, she had just smiled and nodded at her.

     For the first time Rachelle seemed to be enjoying herself here at the house, it hadn’t been the norm for everyone to fuss over her and she had received some beautiful gifts this morning, the dairy from her mother, perfume from her aunt, uncle and cousin, and a lovely turquoise silk scarf from her brother and his girlfriend. But the best gift she had gotten this morning came from her father…silence, pure golden silence. Perfect! Rachelle expected nothing less, he had mumbled some kind of happy birthday to her as they passed each other in the hall before he disappeared back into his study for the day.

                                                                                                                       April 15th, 1934

Dear Diary,

     What a lovely gift from mother today, this is one birthday I will look back at with fondness. This has been a somewhat strange visit, although mother is trying her hardest to make things pleasant, I feel that I do not have one thing in common with anyone here. Years apart have made it difficult to communicate at times which is why I was taken by surprise tonight when mother asked me if I would like to stay on a more permanent basis. I cannot for the life of me see how this could possibly have a good outcome, especially where father is concerned. I told her that I would consider her request as I do not think I want to give up my life I have with my aunt in far north Queensland. Besides, it was her choice under father’s influence that sent me away to live with her sister. This is not a decision I intend to take lightly.