Prologue
Even though it was a brilliant July morning with birds singing their melodies, the sweet smell of honeysuckle drawing bees to their nectar, Summer’s eyes stung from the tears threatening to escape as she peered out of her bathroom window.
“Oh, no, this can’t be true. It’s not true.” Summer whispered to herself as her hand shook uncontrollably. Trying to convince herself she was hallucinating, Summer closed her eyes tight then reopened them again focusing on the bathroom vanity. There was no mistaking, the home pregnancy test strip screamed in her face a big, fat, pink, positive sign. It was confirmed. Summer Jackson was pregnant. A baby. What am I going to do?
A wave of nausea swept through her so fast she barely had time to jump up off the toilet to lift the lid, to empty the contents of her stomach, which she had just consumed twenty minutes earlier.
Summer flushed the toilet then staggered to the sink where she rinsed her mouth and splashed cool water on her face before patting it dry with a hand towel. Slowly she sat on the floor, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Rocking back and forth, she stared at the ceiling as tears spilled down her face. Her right temple pounded as she remembered the last time she’d been with Nicholas ‘Nick’ Stiles.
Summer believed the evening would end as usual; they would go back to his place for some serious loving. Over the past few months of their relationship, she found herself helplessly falling in love with him. Tonight was the night she would confess her love. Nick was her everything, all she wanted in a man. He had been the one she had given her virginity to without hesitation.
Instead of confessing her love, Summer sat stunned in a dark car in front of her townhouse. She was dazed as Nick informed her he was leaving in two weeks for several months to set up a new division of a trucking company. One of many business enterprises he was involved in. “Summer, it’s best if we don’t see each other after tonight.” Nick’s tone had been cold and distant.
Summer had sensed Nick’s distant demeanor all evening, but she never expected him to drop a bomb such as ending their relationship. From where she stood, everything was fine. Struggling to control her voice, Summer wanted to know, “Best for whom Nick?”
Becoming irritated, Nick responded harshly. “Look, Summer, I told you from the door that my work comes first. That I’m not into long-term relationships, let alone long distance ones. I thought you understood, when it’s over, it’s over.”
Nick’s words had been so cold, so blunt, Summer winced with every syllable. She had understood what he said, however, his actions told her something different. They told her that he’d changed his mind about having a long-term relationship especially since they’d been exclusively seeing each other for nearly a year.
Without saying another word, Summer grabbed her purse which had fallen to the floor and exited his vehicle. Once inside her townhouse she leaned against the door sliding to the floor before bursting into tears. One month later, here she was again, on the floor crying. This time because she was carrying a baby belonging to a man who no longer had any use for her, let alone a baby.
Summer knew what she had to do. First thing Monday morning she was calling her Gynecologist’s office to schedule an abortion.
Chapter 1
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Five Months Later
Twisting and turning, placing pillows under her back and then taking them out. This went on for two hours. Becoming frustrated, Summer glanced at the red digital numbers on the clock. 1:30 a.m. Grabbing the remote control from the nightstand she turned on the television and pulled herself up in bed. Saying a prayer of thanksgiving because it was a very early Saturday morning, unlike the night before when she had to get up in five more hours to get ready for work.
Flipping through the channels, Summer smiled to herself as she acknowledged the reason for her recent restless nights. Tenderly she placed her palm on her rotund, seven-month belly. It always amazed her how her baby seemed to be in tuned to her touch as she felt the tiny life inside of her move, then settle down from her touch.
Every time Summer felt movement in her womb, a flash of guilt stabbed at her. Guilt over the fact she’d almost terminated the life growing inside of her. Summer shuddered whenever she thought about the day she walked into the outpatient procedure office with the goal of ending her pregnancy. Thank God the nurse on duty was a woman she’d gone to nursing school with. Ginger immediately sensed how distraught Summer was. The genteel woman convinced Summer to go home and think about what she was about to do. “I just don’t want you to make a decision you’ll later regret for the rest of your life.”