Nikki was heartbroken, and tears welled up in her eyes. “Are you all serious? You’d rather give the baby to a stranger than to me? Even after you know I can’t have a child. Trish! This is your baby. Please!” Nikki pleaded again as the tears ran down her face.
Trish looked away, and her mother hung her head.
“I’m afraid that’s for the best, dear.” Sophia sighed. “I’m sure you’ll find another baby you and Josh can adopt…”
“This is unbelievable!” Nikki exclaimed. “Mom, I expected this sort of behavior from Dad, but not from you. And Trish! I’m your sister. How could you do this to me?”
“I’m not doing anything to you, Nikki,” Trish fired back. “It’s not my fault you can’t have children, but I can’t give you mine.”
“No. You’d prefer to give it to a stranger,” Nikki said as the pain washed across her. “Mom, talk to him. I know this isn’t you.”
That was Nikki’s last-ditch effort to get someone to be sympathetic with her. They all remained silent. She was sorely disappointed, and the tears flowed from her freely. She wiped her hand across her face and sighed.
“You know what? It’s fine,” she said as she picked up her purse. “I am your blood, and you’d do this to me. I want nothing more to do with any of you.”
She walked away, and none of them tried to stop her as she slammed the front door shut. Tears blinded her as she ran to the car and got in. She leaned her head against the steering wheel as grief overcame her again. She relived the moments when she discovered she couldn’t have children, and she lost track of time until her phone rang.
She slowly turned her head and saw that it was Josh. She hit the answer button.
“Hi,” she said weakly.
“Hey. When are you getting back?” he asked.
“I’m on my way,” Nikki replied as she turned the key in the ignition.
“Okay,” he replied as he hung up.
Nikki dried her eyes and clenched her jaw as she stared with disdain at the home she had once loved. She put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway, and as the car glided onto the empty street that was once so familiar to her, she looked one last time at the house she was sure she’d never see again.
ChapterOne
The smell of fresh, roasted coffee filled the air, reminding Nikki she needed to take a break.
She’d been working on stories all morning, coming up with fresh approaches to a column her father had established many years ago.
She rubbed her eyes and walked to the kitchen, anxiously looking forward to the smooth, dark liquid.
The phone rang just as she was pouring the coffee, startling her and causing her to spill some onto the counter.
“Sheesh!” she exclaimed and tapped her earbuds. “Veronica, this had better be good.”
Veronica, her editor, giggled. “Would I call you otherwise?”
Nikki took a sip of her coffee. “I can think of many times when you have.” Nikki chuckled. “What could you possibly want from me at six thirty in the morning?”
“I don’t know. Maybe a fresh piece of gossip I can send to the printer? How’s it going?”
“Uh, I don’t know how my father did this for so many years,” Nikki wailed and sat at her desk again.
“Well, you’ve been doing the very same thing for the past twenty years, and you’ve been awesome.” Veronica applauded her.
“You don’t need to grovel.” Nikki laughed. “I’m working on something. Or some things. We’ll see what I come up with when I get there. But let me get back to work, please. Why areyouup anyway?”
“I’m always up. You keep me busy,” Veronica replied.
Nikki laughed. “See you later, Von.”
She sank into her leather chair and stared at the computer screen. She wore her plush bathrobe like she did every morning. It was something of a routine for her—get up at five, brainstorm, research, drink coffee, brainstorm some more, and then go to work. By the time she clocked in, she’d already done half a day’s work.
