by Sandi Lynn
“We’re looking at places to live. We may move here.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“I didn’t know you lived here. Aren’t you working for your father anymore?”
“No. Things weren’t working out.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. You’re working here?” she asked with confusion as she looked around.
Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
“Actually, I own it.”
“Wow. That’s wonderful. We heard amazing things about this place and had to come check it out for ourselves. Little did I know that my daughter owned it.” She smiled.
“Hi, Anna, I’m Paul. It’s finally nice to meet you,” her husband spoke as he extended his hand.
“Hi, Paul. It’s nice to meet you.”
I hated them. I wished they leave.
“Wow, look at you. I can’t believe I’m going to be a grandma.”
The fuck you are.
I gave her a small fake smile.
“Are you married?” she asked.
Like she couldn’t tell from the rock on my finger. Oh, that’s right, I wasn’t wearing it because my fingers were so swollen.
“Yes. I’m married to a wonderful man.”
“I would love to talk to you, Anna. Is there any way we could do that?”
She was the last person I wanted to talk to. But all I could hear in my head was Dr. Stark’s voice telling me that I needed closure with my mother and the only way to get that closure and be free from the hate and anger I harbored my entire life was to talk to her. I just didn’t think the time would be now. If I rejected her, I’d only be screwing up my therapy. Plus, I was happy and in a better place now than I had been my whole life. I could handle her and a conversation. No problem.
“I guess so,” I said.
“Why don’t the two of you do it now?” Paul smiled. “Go grab some lunch. I’ll head back to the hotel for a while.”
“Is now okay with you?” she asked.
“I guess now is as good a time as any.”
I wasn’t sure a restaurant setting would be such a good place and it was a beautiful warm sunny day out, so I suggested we go talk in Central Park and grab a couple hot dogs. I couldn’t help but stare at her. She looked a lot healthier than the last time I saw her. We had the same eyes and the same smile.
“What happened between you and your father?” she asked.
“You mean the father that never loved me? The father who sent me all the way across the country to boarding school so he didn’t have to deal with me? The same father who disowned me and fired me from the family company because I didn’t want to marry the man he thought I should?”
She slowly closed her eyes.
“Anna, I’m so sorry.”
We took a seat on one of the benches in Central Park.
“You should be,” I spoke in a harsh tone. “And now that you’re here and we’re talking after all these years, I want the answer to the question I had ever since I was five years old. Why? Why didn’t you get the help you needed after I was born? How could you just abandon your child? Your flesh and blood? The person you carried inside you for nine months?”
“I can’t answer that because I don’t know. I did see a doctor once. Your father forced me to and he put me on medication, but the medication made me worse. My depression deepened and I felt like everything was hopeless. Your father grew angrier with me every day. You were constantly trying to get my attention and I was so absorbed in my own head and dark world that I was afraid of what I might do to you.” She pulled up her sleeves and turned her wrists over where scars lay on her skin.
“I couldn’t do it anymore. I felt like such a failure to you and your father and I didn’t know how to help myself, so I tried to take my own life. Do you remember?”
I sat there, thinking as hard as I could.
“I was five years old and I remember Dad screaming at the nanny to get me out of the house and take me away until he called her. I never knew what happened that night. It was never talked about, and when the nanny brought me home, you were gone.”
“Your father had me committed to a psychiatric hospital. While I was in there, he filed for divorce. I was granted supervised visitations, and I was ridden with guilt. That’s why I didn’t show some of the time. But when I finally worked up the courage to come see you and I looked into your eyes, I saw your hatred towards me. You knew I abandoned you and you weren’t having any part of it. That’s when I knew you’d grow up to be a strong independent woman with a strong will and mind. After that, I stayed away because I knew that was what was best for you. I don’t blame you, Anna, for hating me. I hate myself too for what I’d done. After a few years and being on medication, I met Paul and he wanted children. I talked about you all the time and he was the one who convinced me to go see you in Connecticut. When I contacted your father to tell him I wanted to see you, he told me he sent you away. My heart broke and I needed to make sure you were okay. But, when I got there, you refused to see me.”
“I couldn’t see you. I hated you,” I spoke.
“And rightfully so.”
“The only reason I’m talking to you now is because my therapist told me that I needed closure with you.”
“You’re in therapy?” she asked.
“Not so much now, but I was, because I almost lost my husband.”
“Why?”
“Because I told him I was never having children. That’s what you and Dad did to me!”
“Anna,” she softly spoke as tears filled her eyes.
“So I went to therapy for my lifelong issues and he helped me realize some things. He helped me realize that I’m not you and that I’ll never be you.”
“I want you to know that I never once stopping loving you or thinking about you. My two children know about you and they know what I did. I talk about you all the time.”
All of a sudden, a severe cramping overtook me as I placed my hand on my belly and doubled over.
“Whoa!” I yelled.
“Anna, what’s wrong?”
“Just a cramp.”
“Have you been experiencing them all day?”
“Yes, but they’re just Braxton Hicks. I think I just need to go home,” I spoke as I got up from the bench.
We began walking towards the entrance of the park when another one hit me.
“Holy shit!” I yelled as my mother took hold of my arm.
“That was too close, Anna. I think you’re in labor.”
“I’m not in labor, Mother. I’m not due for another two and a half weeks.”
“You were born at thirty-seven weeks. Babies come when they’re ready. They don’t care how many more weeks are left or have passed.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Wes
My meeting finally ended, so I pulled out my phone on the way back to my office and noticed I had three missed calls from Anna and a voicemail. I brought my phone up to my ear to listen to her message.
“Wes, just so we’re clear, I’m going to kill you when I see you for not answering your phone! I’m on my way to the hospital. I’m in labor. Get there as fast as you can.”
“SHIT!” I yelled as I ran out of the building and hailed a cab.
The driver pulled up to the entrance of the ER and I threw some cash at him and told him to keep the change. Running through the doors, I saw Franco standing at the nurses’ station.
“Franco, where is she?”
“I just got here myself. I’m trying to find out.”
“Where is my wife? She came here in labor. Her name is Anna Carter.”
“Your wife has been taken up to the OB unit, Mr. Carter. Take the elevators up to the fifth floor and the nurses will take you to her.”
“Thank you. Come on, Franco.”
We took the elevators up, and when we stepped off, I rang the buzzer on the door.
“May I help you?” a female voice spoke.
“My wife is up here in labor. Her name is Anna Car
ter.”
The door buzzed and Franco and I went inside.
“Mr. Carter, I’m Casey, your wife’s nurse. Follow me and I’ll take you to her.”
We followed the nurse down the hall and into Anna’s room. The moment I saw her, I ran to her bedside.
“Sweetheart.” I kissed her forehead. “I’m so sorry. I was in a meeting.”
“I figured.” She squeezed my hand.
“How are you, Momma?” Franco smiled as he grabbed her other hand.
“I’m okay. But once a contraction hits, you might want to run.”
“Wes, there’s something—”
“Anna, I brought you some ice chips,” a woman walked into the room.
“Holy Mary mother of God,” Franco spoke as he stared at her. “That’s Anna’s mother.”
“What?” I looked at Anna.
“It’s a long story.”
“Franco, isn’t it?” She smiled. “Look at you. You’ve grown up into a handsome man.”
“Hello, Anna’s mother. Long time no see.”
“I didn’t know you and Anna were still friends,” she said.
“Anna and I will be best friends until the day we die.”
“You must be Anna’s husband.” She extended her hand to me.
“Yes, I’m Wes Carter.” I lightly shook her hand. “May I ask why you’re here?”
“I was wondering the same thing,” Franco spoke.
“My husband Paul and I were in the cupcake shop. I had no idea that Anna owned the place. We went to talk in Central Park, and she went into labor.”
“Are you living in New York?” Franco asked.
“No. Not yet anyway. We’re here looking at places to live.”
“Oh,” Franco said as he looked over at Anna.
I looked at Franco and tilted my head towards the door, gesturing that he take Anna’s mother out of the room so the two of us could talk.
“Anna’s mom, why don’t you come with me and we’ll go get a nice cup of coffee. Tell me what you’ve been up all these years.” He smiled as he placed his hand on her arm.
“Sure. Okay. And please, call me Carla.”
They left the room and I looked at Anna, leaned in, and kissed her lips.
“Are you all right? Is she the reason you went into labor? Did you get yourself all worked up?”
“No, Wes. She’s not the reason. I guess those weren’t Braxton Hicks I was having all morning. And, I’m fine. We talked. When I went into labor, she had a security guard get me a wheelchair and she wheeled me out of the park and got us a cab. She was yelling at the driver to step on it. For the first time in my life, she took care of me.”
“That’s good, sweetheart.” I pressed my lips against her forehead. I still had my concerns.
After eight hours of labor, our daughter, Aubrey Paris Carter, was born at six pounds, ten ounces. She was beautiful and looked exactly like Anna. I was going to have my hands full with her and the boys. I could already tell.
I sat by Anna’s bedside as she breastfed her for the first time. I had a family. A beautiful family who were my entire reason for breathing. I stepped out of the room and called Dr. Stark to tell him the news and to also tell him that Anna’s mother was in town.
“Dr. Stark,” he answered.
“Dr. Stark, it’s Wes Carter.”
“Wes, how are you?”
“I’m good. Anna had the baby.”
“Excellent. How is she doing?”
“She’s good, but there’s another reason I called. Her mother is here with us. They went to Central Park to talk and Anna went into labor.”
“Hmm. Okay. I’ll come by the hospital and pay Anna a visit, in case she wants to talk about it.”
“Thanks, Dr. Stark. I appreciate it.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Three Months Later
Anna
The love I felt for my daughter was so overwhelming, I didn’t think it was possible. I sat on the bed with my back against the headboard and my baby on my legs. She was alert and awake as I talked to her and told her how much I loved her.
“There are my two favorite girls in the whole world.” Wes smiled as he walked into the room and kissed us both.
“How was your day?” I asked.
“It was all right. I spent most of it missing the two of you.”
“Is that why you’re home so early?” I smirked.
“Actually, it is.” He smiled as he picked up Aubrey. “If you need to rest, then rest. My daughter and I are going to spend some time together.”
“I pumped some bottles today. Don’t forget, it’s your turn to get up with her tonight.”
“I haven’t forgotten, sweetheart. We’ll be downstairs if you want to join us.” He kissed my head.
Wes was the perfect father. In fact, he was too perfect, and I feared little Miss Aubrey was going to be incredibly spoiled by him. But not only by her daddy, but also by her uncle and godfather, Franco.
After Aubrey was born, I continued my therapy sessions with Dr. Stark, and I continued my yoga and meditation. Everything I feared all these years about having children was for nothing. Now I couldn’t imagine my life without her.
My mother and I slowly started to get to know each other. She was a different person now than when she had me and I realized that everyone deserved a second chance. She was good with Aubrey and I could tell she loved her. I had finally met my half-siblings. I had a sister and a brother. Allie was twenty-one and Michael was nineteen. Wes was afraid that all of this was too soon and that I’d be overwhelmed, but I wasn’t. All of a sudden, I had this instant family and I embraced it.
When I think back to the chain of events that led me to Wes, I knew he was the one I was meant to be with for the rest of my life. The natural forces of the world made sure we met in Paris, and they also made sure it didn’t end there. One night in Paris was all it took to change my life forever.
“Anna, can you take her please?” Wes asked as he walked into the room and handed her to me. “She’s been changed and now I need to do the same.”
I looked at his shirt and couldn’t help but laugh.
“Did she?” I asked.
“Yes. How does one child have that much poop in her? She exploded all over me.”
He took off his clothes and went into the bathroom to clean up. Once he changed, he climbed on the bed next to us, hooked his arm around me, and placed his finger in his daughter’s hand while she wrapped her tiny fingers around it.
“I love us.” He smiled as he looked at me.
“I love us too.” I kissed his lips.
“When can we start working on the next one?”
“When can you stop asking such silly questions?”
“Right.” He grinned as he kissed me.
Books by Sandi Lynn
If you haven’t already done so, please check out my other books. Escape from reality and into the world of romance. I’ll take you on a journey of love, pain, heartache and happily ever afters.
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Millionaires:
The Forever Series (Forever Black, Forever You, Forever Us, Being Julia, Collin, A Forever Christmas, A Forever Family)
Love, Lust & A Millionaire (Wyatt Brothers, Book 1)
Love, Lust & Liam (Wyatt Brothers, Book 2)
Lie Next To Me (A Millionaire’s Love, Book 1)
When I Lie with You (A Millionaire’s Love, Book 2)
Then You Happened (Happened Series, Book 1)
Then We Happened (Happened Series, Book 2)
His Proposed Deal
A Love Called Simon
The Seduction of Alex Parker
Something About Lorelei
One Night In London
The Exception
Corporate A$$
A Beautiful Sight
The Negotiation
Defense
Playing The Millionaire
#Delete
Behind His Lies
Carter Grayson
(Redemption Series, Book One)
Chase Calloway (Redemption Series, Book Two)
Jamieson Finn (Redemption Series, Book Three)
The Interview: New York & Los Angeles Part 1
The Interview: New York & Los Angeles Part 2
Rewind
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Second Chance Love:
Remembering You
She Writes Love
Love In Between (Love Series, Book 1)
The Upside of Love (Love Series, Book 2)
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Sports:
Lightning
About the Author
Sandi Lynn is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who spends all her days writing. She published her first novel, Forever Black, in February 2013 and hasn’t stopped writing since. Her addictions are shopping, going to the gym, romance novels, coffee, chocolate, margaritas, and giving readers an escape to another world.
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