“For years, this trip had been our dream,” Turia revealed poignantly.
“After a tough day in the hospital or in rehab, full of setbacks and doctors and bandage changes, I would lie back and say to Michael “One day we’ll be sailing around Tahiti and all will be OK”. ”
Turia went on to say that one morning the couple had sailed into a harbour and headed to the only restaurant there – and that’s where Turia spotted a young woman with a “beautiful little baby on her hip”.
“She stood in the doorway to the restaurant, a beautiful little baby on her hip. She didn’t speak English, but I spoke enough French to work out that the restaurant was owned by her father-in-law. ,” Turia wrote.
“We’d just exchanged this basic info, when someone yelled at her from the kitchen and she thrust her baby into my arms. “Je reviens dans un moment” she said.
“This baby was bloody adorable. Tahitian skin the colour of coffee, big dark eyes, long blond hair. He was content, and he was happy.
“He looked at me with his big brown eyes and I looked at him with my big green eyes. He giggled, I laughed. He touched my face with one of his teeny tiny fingers, and I kissed him on the forehead. It was love at first sight.
“His mum came back into the room, and I asked her what her baby’s name was. “Hakavai”. As soon as she said his name I made a promise to myself - if I ever have a little boy, I’m gonna name him Hakavai. ”
And that is what Turia did.
“Before we left, I took a photo of Michael holding this other baby Hakavai, and I made it the screensaver on my phone.
“Every time I looked at it, it reminded me to have hope. Now, that photo has been replaced with a picture of my own Hakavai. ”
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