I swallowed down the shock at how young she’d been, which meant she was only thirty-two.
“That look on your face was the same one I had when I found out I was pregnant. Anyway, I barely had time to tell Jake.”
“My father?”
The dusting of blush on her cheeks sparkled in the light. “Yes. Jake Townsend, star quarterback, bright future, a girl magnet.” She trailed off as she looked everywhere but at me. “I was so naïve then. After I told Jake, he wanted nothing to do with me or my pregnancy. All he cared about was football.”
“So you got pregnant and decided to just give me up because he didn’t want me?” My anger held steady.
She jerked her head, the area under her eyes wrinkling. “Not at all. My parents were the ones adamant about giving you up. I protested until I was blue in the face, but my dad wasn’t budging. But in my last month of pregnancy, I convinced my mom to let me keep you. I knew as soon as you were born and she saw you, she would change her mind, and she did.” She paused, tears filled her light-brown eyes, and her chest rose. “Then I came home with you tucked into my arms. I’d never been so in love or excited in my life. You were the most beautiful baby I’d ever seen, and I couldn’t wait for Jake to meet you. I knew as soon as he saw you, he would fall in love.” She lowered her gaze briefly. “Then I came home from school one day, and you were gone. My parents had been working with a local adoption lawyer during the time I was pregnant, and I didn’t know. Their plan all along was to give you up. I’d never been more traumatized in my life.”
“How old was I?” I was riveted to her every word as the anger swirling in my gut directed itself at her evil parents.
“Three weeks old. I never got a chance to introduce you to Jake, either.”
How sad. I couldn’t imagine how she must’ve felt when she’d gotten home and found her baby gone. I also wasn’t sure I was a fan of my bio father for not wanting anything to do with her. My adoptive parents had always taught me to take responsibility for my actions. God, I missed them.
Then a lightbulb came on in my head. I shouldn’t be angry with Ashley. Maybe at her parents, but in the end, if they hadn’t given me up, I never would’ve met Randall and Candance Lawson. I couldn’t imagine my life without them. For seventeen years, I’d had the best darn parents, the most love any mom and dad could give a child, and they shaped me into the young woman I had become. If Mom or Dad had been with me, they would have told me to give her a chance.
Heavy footsteps pounded somewhere in the house, and then Mr. Dyson came into view. “Oh,” he said to Ashley. “Take your time.”
She scooted to the edge of the cushion. “I’ll be a second.”
More footsteps clamored behind Mr. Dyson before Grady and Colton appeared.
Colton took in the scene, then prodded me with his eyes, wanting to know if I needed him.
I smiled to let him know I was okay.
Mr. Dyson then waved the guys out of the kitchen and into another room. “Give them some space.”
I abandoned my seat and joined Ashley on the sofa. Candace Lawson would forever be my first mom and the woman who’d loved me unconditionally, and Nan was definitely my second mom and would always hold that spot, but maybe having a third mom wasn’t so bad.
Regardless, I sensed that opening the door for Ashley and me to get to know each other wouldn’t hurt. I figured it would be nice to know my lineage at some point in the future. I also could see how hard it was for her to tell me that story.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that.” I really was. “Can I hug you?”
She flung herself at me. “You never have to ask that.”
My muscles tightened. I wasn’t quite ready to open myself fully to her, but she looked like she could use a hug. “Did you try looking for me?” I untangled myself from her.
She ran a finger under each eye, clearing the mascara that had smudged. “For years. My parents made it so they didn’t know who adopted you. They didn’t want to know and felt if they did, I would eventually get them to tell me. But a year ago, on my mom’s deathbed, she finally directed me to a file my dad had kept on the adoption. But the only thing in that file other than your baby picture was the attorney’s name. Sadly, the attorney closed up his practice after a fire gutted his office. I tried to track him down, but I kept running into dead ends. Even if I did speak with him, he was bound by attorney-client privilege, and I wasn’t his client.”
“Then Mr. Wilson found you,” I said.
“Yeah.” She flicked a strand of my hair off my forehead. “I like the name Skyler.”
“You didn’t name me?”
“I did. I’d always liked the name Melanie. But I like Skyler better. The name fits you.”
The door burst open and Georgia came in. “There you… oh.” She ran over and extended her hand. “I’m Georgia, Skye’s bestie.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ashley said, taking Georgia’s hand.
“And you’re beautiful,” Georgia gushed. “Just like Skyler.”
Ashley laughed. “Thank you. You have
