The Monroe Legacy - G.3. Chapter 20 - Slipping Through My Fingers

If Gray slept any better in the year which followed it was only because he was too exhausted to stay awake any longer. Between Flynn's cries, Lillia's shrieking gaggle of friends, worry about Casper and his dreams it was a wonder that he got any sleep. 

Rachel looked just at tired and they were talking more seriously about selling the restaurant, though it had long been their dream the funds would allow them to send Casper to a school where his needs would be met, they could both work shorter hours too if they worked for somebody else.

The decision was made for them when a celebrated European chef moved to the city and approached them offering more money that they had dared hope for. By the time Flynn turned one the paperwork was final and Gray and Rachel were saddened but quietly relieved. The restaurant had been like their fourth child and just now they could barely handle three. Rachel picked up a breakfast shift at a local brasserie whilst Gray was interviewing for a couple of head chef jobs at upmarket restaurants.

Their new flexibility had partly been set up with the idea that they could help Eva with childcare and enable her to go to college part time, but Eva had other ideas. When Rachel brought up some Afternoon classes and her availability to babysit, Eva kindly but firmly refused.

'Flynn is my son and I want to teach him what he needs to know. I don't want to be one of those teen moms who lets their parents handle everything.'

Rachel shrugged  'Eva you're a great mother and Flynn is a wonderful boy but you deserve more than a high school diploma and endless play dates.'

Eva smiled fondly at the woman she had come to view as both a mother and a best friend.

'I know I do Rach, and I'm not giving up on me. Hayden gave me two good things; Flynn and the idea that I can do better than community college. I'm studying while Flynn naps, every day I learn more and realise how much more I'm capable of. Once Flynn is in school, I'm going to go to an Ivy League College, I'm going to chase a dream that I didn't even know I had until it was threatened.'

Rachel could see the steel and determination in the young mother's eyes, not even 21, Eva had dealt with more than most people did in a lifetime and she was so strong, she hoped that her children would grow up to be as courageous as their big sister.

Lillia certainly wasn't a shrinking violet, every day she seemed to become more popular, the play date requests were  constant but Gray found that his daughter refused most of them, she rarely socialised without the Flowers in attendance. 

When his daughter returned from her first unsupervised shopping trip, an eleventh birthday treat with Rachel on standby in the coffee shop, he was staggered by the change effected by a day and a hundred dollar gift card.

Gone was the little girl who had brightened up his dark moods when Eva was missing. Gone was the big-sister lookalike who wanted nothing more than pink stripes in her hair and to play soccer every day.

This Lillia was a beautiful teenager and a complete stranger to him. Standing slightly self-consciously between her chattering, giggling friends she looked for a moment like she would rather be anywhere else, her shoulders tight and her eyes flickering from side to side. As Daisy began to talk about some cute guy at the mall, Rose nudged Lillia unintentionally and the mask snapped back down. The threesome were soon tucked up in their customary places on the sofa and chattering away as only teenage girls can, everything bright, exciting and wonderful.

Gray wondered if he'd ever see that quiet, sweet natured girl again or whether this sparkling, larger than life character was who his daughter had always been waiting to be.

Gray hoped that maybe a little of Lillia's social ease would rub off on Casper but if anything the constant presence of the Flowers in their home seemed to cause the shy child to keep more to himself than ever. Gray and Rachel tried to make him as comfortable as possible, limiting Lillia to hosting her friends once a week and continuing to build the structures that Casper's behaviourist insisted would help him learn to manage his obsessive behaviours and feel secure in social interactions.

Sometimes they felt as if they had turned a corner, he would come willingly to dinner and voluntarily talk about his latest potion idea or something he'd noticed at school (while quiet he was very perceptive). But the next day he would get frustrated with not being able to find the book he wanted or find himself in a situation at school he didn't understand and then he would shut down, withdrawing to the comfort of Tia's company and his books.

Casper's move to Oakfield Prep school in the Autumn helped in some ways, the class sizes were small and they had tutors who had worked extensively with autism spectrum disorders as well as the academic faculty. Casper's intelligence was quickly spotted and found space to flourish here, he also loved the fact that everyone was in uniform and it was like Harry Potter!

After a term, Gray was a little disappointed that Casper hadn't made any friends, or even mentioned any of his classmates by name. Rachel kept reminding himself what their doctor had said, there was no "cure" for Casper, no linear path for improvement or change, he was a perfectly normal kid who found different things of value and different things intimidating from his siblings. It wouldn't do to measure him against anyone else's ideas of success and failure, he'd create his own rules.

For now they could celebrate that Casper would reach his academic potential and that he was continuing to bond with his family. These things alone were a huge triumph.

Despite the financial stability that selling The Lonely Cactus had brought them, Gray and Rachel missed that restaurant. The new owner had changed the name, refurbished and although it stood in the same place it always had it was no longer the place they'd dreamed of. Rachel had ideas to become stakeholders in the little bistro she was now working at but Gray felt as if he had to secure the children's futures before he could decide what was next for him. Eva was already a woman and a mother and Lillia was growing so fast. Even Caspar seemed to be an old head on young shoulders and the time had come to plan for them first and himself second, running any kind of restaurant was crazy difficult.

Gray had though that choosing his heir would be impossible, as if he were choosing a favourite but actually in the end it had been simple. His mother had told him that she hadn't struggled in the end, he'd never believed her but now he understood. There was one of his children who would both benefit the most from the legacy and who needed it most. One who would use this opportunity and this challenge to see themselves more clearly.

As Eva's 21st birthday was approaching he decided to wait on the announcement, she'd had so many milestones missed or overshadowed by other events that she deserved the day to herself. Even little Flynn was well-behaved and quiet as they sang and lit the candles.

After thinking a while on her wish, Eva made it, hoping only for happiness and success for her and her son. Later that night she walked out in the garden alone, she couldn't escape the feeling that everything was going to change now. She was an adult, she had a son, it was terrifying but also exciting. 

Eva was so caught up in her thoughts that the voice from the gate made her jump.

'Hey. Happy Birthday Evie.... You haven't changed at all.'

Her heart racing she turned slowly and locked eyes with Hayden. Eva felt those old butterflies stir even as she strode towards him, jaw set and eyes blazing.

'What the hell are you doing here.'

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Read on in Chapter 21 - This Wonderful Mess We've Made

The Monroe Legacy - Generation 4 Heir Vote!!

Hello lovely readers!

The time has come for Gray (and therefore you all) to pick his heir. For those of you who have already chosen you'll find the poll at the bottom. For those of you who have yet to read or decide - here are the biographies to help you out.

Eva Leonie Monroe

Age: 20

Traits: Insane, Hates the Outdoors, Dramatic, Computer Whiz, Loner

Skills/Hobbies: Getting in/out of trouble. Hanging with Lillia. Anything on a computer. Piercings.

Lifetime Wish: Jack of All Trades

Bio: Eva's childhood was a rocky one, her mother Aisha used her as a tool to manipulate her dad into marriage and when it failed to win his attention she took Eva and ran leaving Gray with no idea where they were or even if they were alive. Reunited with her father at 13 with a caseload of issues and anger, Eva has come a long way.

Summer-school pending she should have the grades for college though a poorly timed love affair may set her back by nine months or so...




Lillia Hallie Monroe

Age: 9 (aged up for pic)

Traits: Athletic, Brave, Slob, Workaholic

Skills/Hobbies: Sports! Swimming, soccer, athletics, cheer and hanging with besties Daisy and Rose

Lifetime Wish: tbc.

Bio: Supposedly the "low maintenance" child, Lillia is Gray's oldest child with wife Rachel. Whilst she's very popular Lillia struggles academically but since dropping some of her elite sport is doing better. She spends most of her time with her two friends Daisy and Rose (collectively known as "The Flowers"). Recently she seems to be changing, gone is the carefree sporty Lillia, she spends a lot of time following Daisy around and keeps trying to drop swimming for ballet, apparently swimming will make her thighs too fat...

Can she maintain her status and her friendships without losing herself and what she believes in?



Casper Jude Monroe

Age: 7

Traits: Genius, Loves the Cold, Shy

Skills/Hobbies: Science, reading Harry Potter, making potions, chatting with Tia (imaginary friend)

Lifetime Wish: tbc.

Bio: Casper is the youngest Monroe and the only boy. He struggled from a young age to connect with other people, relying instead on Tia, his imaginary friend. Starting school revealed him to be exceptionally intelligent but highlighted his social problems. He was recently diagnosed as suffering from Asperger Syndrome and is now receiving the best care his parents can afford. He's few months into treatment and there are signs of improvement though there's still a long way to go, Casper's relationship with his family is improving but he still spends a lot of his time with Tia,

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Voting is now closed - see how it panned out below (though the final tally is inaccurate after voting errors)

Choose the Generation 4 Heir of the Monroe Legacy

Eva Leonie Monroe

Lillia Hallie Monroe

Casper Jude Monroe

Poll Maker

To all of you who have been so wonderful sticking with me so far I want to extend a warm and heatfelt thank you! I never dreamed when I wrote that first chapter that I'd get this far with this may people taking the time out of their lives to read and talk to me about my story.

Special thanks to Celtygirl, Lovesstorms, Dandylion, LegendofSim, LateKnightSimmer, Britt & Alex it's your comments and loyalty that force my lazy ass to get writing when all I wanna do is curl up and sleep. It's your stories which inspire to to write better, edit more, think more creatively, be clearer and photgraph better. Going back to my first post I could see how far I've come as a writer and thanks for that rests firmly with you.

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Read on now - Chapter 20 - Slipping Through My Fingers

The Monroe Legacy - G.3. Chapter 19 - Losing Sleep

Gray had started to have a recurring nightmare which jolted him awake in a cold sweat most nights. He would be in a stormy sea and his three children were each in a separate lifeboat, the lifeboats were filling with water and Gray was rushing  between them, trying to help them bail them out.

The second he got Eva's boat half empty, Casper's would be half full, Casper would be able to breathe again but Lillia would be struggling to stay afloat. It was awful. Though Gray wouldn't tell her what the dream was about, Rachel would hold him as he calmed down, stroking his back until the panic subsided but the dream wouldn't go away. There was no point getting it analysed for hundred of dollars because Gray knew exactly what the dream meant.

Each of his children needed him badly, but he could never seem to get to them all at the right time to make things right. The past few months had been crazy, a rollercoaster or good, bad and unexpected and for the first time Gray was feeling like he was aging. He was coming up for 45 but he felt so much older, as if the fatigue of all the years of searching for Eva, of rebuilding his life and of coping with life's twists and turns had fallen on his shoulders at once.

After the dream he often sat and thought about his grandmother's legacy, his responsibility to pick an heir. At the moment it seemed an impossible choice, he felt he would soon be ready to pass the legacy on but he didn't know if any of his children would be willing or able to take it on.

It seemed that the news that he was to become a grandfather had made him feel like one.... he still couldn't believe it was true.

A nervous looking Eva had cornered him  with a shell-shocked Rachel at her side. After stumbling for a while over her words she looked him in the eyes and said with all the confidence she could muster.

'Daddy, I'm pregnant. It's Hayden's and I'm keeping it.'

Gray's mind skidded to a halt as he struggled to process, looking to Rachel for confirmation which was given with a tiny nod. Eva continued, a strange serenity coming over her now the initial confession was out of the way.

'I know this wasn't the plan I'd made for my life but I can't change it now. I know what it's like to grow up feeling like you weren't wanted and I wont do that to my baby. For now that means my focus is on being a good mother. I'm excited, scared too, but college can wait, this is what I want now.'

Even as Gray struggled with the urge to hit something, preferably Hayden, he could see that Eva was at peace with her decision and so he did the only thing he could manage at that moment and hugged his daughter tightly.

In the gesture he tried to put all the positivity he could find and all those significant things that it would take them months to express. Gray knew without asking that Rachel would support Eva's decision, that his daughter was going to need them both especially when Hayden failed to respond to Eva's calls.

Eva had managed to reach him once and told him the news, he'd been quiet and when he did respond his voice sounded... off somehow. He promised to call back once he'd processed and told her not to worry. That was the last she had heard, emails bounced back, his phone was permanently off and a call to Cambridge University told them only that he had moved and not provided a new address or number. A trip to his parents house on the outskirts of town showed it shut up - local gossip said they were house hunting abroad.

After a few days of tears, Eva steeled herself, pasted on a smile and announced that if Hayden didn't want to be involved then she wouldn't try to force the issue. 

Gray's threat to go to England and drag him back was firmly refused, as Eva's belly grew so too did her determination to surround this new life with positivity and love. She proudly displayed her bump, glowing with happiness and  ignoring the nasty looks of judgemental neighbours. As much as Gray wished things had happened differently he couldn't deny that this unexpected challenge had helped his daughter overcome her past like nothing else they'd tried, Eva was a new person.

Although Eva's pregnancy was going well she did now rely more heavily on Rachel and Gray. She was determined to finish her summer school work so that she'd have the grades when she wanted to go back and go to college. Rachel was helping her study, taking her to Lamaze classes, refitting the nursery and working full time.  This left Gray to make sure Casper had all the support he needed, driving him to sessions, enforcing his rules at home and researching Asperger, even now they were only beginning to understand the challenges Casper would face.

On the positive side Casper did not have any learning problems, with his diagnosis had come an attitude adjustment from the school which was now working with the Monroe's to find better ways to teach him. Gray was daily grateful for this, he knew from parenting forums for kid on the autism spectrum that many school's weren't prepared to adapt, some going so far as to suggest that the autistic child might be better off in a specialist school.

Gray and Rachel were fast learning that the best thing they could do for Casper was to treat him normally but implement structures to help him handle those things he struggled with, primarily social interactions. When things were going well in school, his mood would high and he would be able to talk fairly animatedly about the things he was learning, the only indicators that anything was different from any other child being his refusal to make eye contact and a nervous fiddling with his hands.

It was when things went wrong that it was difficult. Any unexpected change to his timetable, any failure to understand his lessons or an uncomfortable or unusual situation would be met with either total withdrawal from the situation or a tantrum. In a sense the tantrums were easier to handle, Gray, Rachel and Eva all learned how to calm him, their behavioural therapist taught them breathing exercises and chains of events to normalise these situations. As stressful and upsetting as this could be these tantrums over fairly quickly and not altogether dissimilar from the tantrums of any other six year old.

The withdrawals were harder and tended to be the things that attracted unkind attention from the other kids. When Casper became uncomfortable or disinterested with a social situation he would often just turn away from the others involved and start softly conversing with Tia. This behaviour could last all day and to an onlooker looked like a small boy ignoring reality and interacting instead with thin air. 

Casper's belief in Tia was still so strong that it was very hard to reason him out of these moods, it was easier just to wait for him to re-engage with reality, any confrontation tended to worsen the situation and cause unnecessary stress.

It was a slow process but their doctor was pleased  with Casper's progress and with the family's adaptation to the diagnosis. Whilst it all looked good on paper and against the possible worst case scenarios it was still so new that to Gray and Rachel every set-back felt as if they'd failed. Even the small triumphs came a price, Lillia was more than ever being left to fend for herself.

Gray often talked to Rachel about how fortunate it was that Lillia had such a good group of friends to rely on. The Flowers and their families had really stepped up to help the Monroes after Casper's diagnosis. Lillia was always welcome for dinner and to stay at both Rose and Daisy's house, Jet drove her to swim practice every Saturday and Daisy's family were taking her to holiday camp with their kids for the summer.

She seemed happy enough, she always had a smile on her face, her GPA was a solid B and she always had a friend at her side. Lillia seemed excited by Eva's pregnancy, always wanting to feel her little nephew or niece kicking and keeping a chart of how long was left until the due date. On ,the surface she seemed to be a contented little girl and if it wasn't for tiny flashes of something less healthy, Gray wouldn't have been too worried about his middle daughter.

The first flashpoint he would afterwards recall was Lillia's decision to give up soccer and take up cheer. Logistically it made sense, she could carpool with Rose and Jet would give them dinner and take them to practice which clashed with Casper's sessions at the behaviourist. It struck Gray as odd that Lillia would drop out mid season, she went from shooting goals every night outside to ignoring it completely, from being full of stories from the pitch to not mentioning those friends at all.

Her motivation was revealed by accident on a rare night where the Flowers were playing at the Monroe house. The three girls were playing video games and didn't hear Gray come in behind them.

'Aren't you glad you don't have to hand out with those tomboy weirdoes at soccer anymore?' asked Daisy.

'I guess so...' was Lillia's less than convincing reply.

'You look so much prettier in a cheer uniform' was Rose's .contribution.

'And you won't get those ugly footballer thighs' finished Daisy. She and Rose burst out laughing, Lillia giggled a little awkwardly and Gray could see her shoulders stiffen in discomfort.

Having overheard this when she asked the next month to drop out of swimming and take up ballet Gray said no. He might not be able to spend as much time with his daughter as she deserved but he would do his best to protect her. His intentions rather backfired as Lillia continued swimming but acquired a "teenager attitude" to it and to him. Gray often overheard her moaning to Daisy about her parents making her do things she hated but as long as her coach kept feeding back that she was happy and positive when she was actually at practice and away from her friends, he was determined to stand firm.

With even his most easy-going child dealing with the challenges of growing-up it was really no wonder that Gray couldn't sleep. Each of his children desperately needed his love and support and between work and life's curveballs he felt like he was barely doing the minimum for each of them.

The night that Flynn Jefferson Monroe arrived and he saw that incomparable love that a parent has for their child in his daughter's eyes he swore he would find a way to better protect and provide for his family, whatever else life threw at them.

He'd begin by figuring out the heir, once that was decided he could work to make sure that whatever happened, each child would be left with the money and support they needed from their father. He would do right by them.

Choosing the heir would be a test, but he was determined to do it right. Should it be Eva? After her horrible past she'd found such strength and happiness and was just finding her way as a young woman when she discovered she'd also be raising a child alone. He knew she had the resilience for the task but he wanted her to have freedom to choose her path, she'd had so many other choices taken from her.

Lillia was still something of a mystery to him, she was driven and talented but she also let people push her around. Perhaps being his heir would give the confidence to stand up for herself and make her own way in life. Perhaps it would have the opposite effect, would she spend her life trying to live within some perceived template of what the heir had to be.

Or maybe Casper, he had an uphill battle ahead of him with his condition but Gray refused to disqualify his son based on a medical condition. Every indicator pointed to Casper having a bright future, the only question in Gray's mind was how the legacy might  affect his son. Casper was already incredibly goal focused and perhaps being the heir would provide motivation and value to otherwise scary and seemingly unnecessary social interactions. Or would it have the opposite effect and put pressure on something Casper might never feel comfortable doing.

There were so many things to consider, Gray wondered how he would ever choose.

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Read the next chapter now - 20. Slipping Through My Fingers

The heir vote has now closed but you can see how it played out here.  Heir vote post

The Monroe Legacy - G.3. Chapter 18 - Denial and Diagnosis

The five weeks Eva and Hayden had together before he went away seemed to exist in an impossible time bubble. Even as the days seemed hours long and their parting raced towards them unstoppable and heartbreaking, their feelings deepened naturally and gradually, as if they'd been together for months or years rather than days.

After only a fortnight Hayden told Eva he loved her, something he'd never told anyone, not even his high school girlfriend of three years. Once the shock had worn off Eva admitted to him what she'd known but refused to admit for months of tutoring. That she loved him too.

Glowing from this long imagined revelation the pair were inseparable, Gray and Rachel looked on fondly, remembering those early days they'd spent together. Hayden was a nice young man, he brought out the best in Eva and clearly adored her, besides how much trouble could he cause in five short weeks?

Those five weeks were gone too soon and despite Hayden's protestations that they should wait and make it special, the high emotions and passionate mood of their last evening together taught Eva that sex could be so much more than a quick fix. Even as they lay exhausted, just breathing together and falling softly into sleep Eva couldn't believe the closeness and safety she felt in Hayden's arms. She could still feel his hands on her, see the wonder of his expression as they'd finally given in to their bodies. It had been more than what Eva had felt missing with all the guys before him, she felt as if somehow it had changed her.

Though Hayden's departure was hard on them both it was better than expected. Before they had fought to convince themselves it was a fling which meant it would be over once Hayden left. Last night had shown them that this was something with a future. Knowing that they'd be together again tempered the sadness of parting with the hopes they had for that future.

Eva's final results were in a few days later and having just fallen short of what she needed she had summer school to distract her from the space that Hayden had left. Lillia had less to fill her days, her sister was preoccupied, her parents working and her brother off in his own world. She had passed well enough that school was on hold for a couple of months and with no athletics and soccer out of season she spent most of her time with Daisy and Rose.

The three girls were not so little anymore and would start middle school at the top of the social ladder, they were pretty, popular and had big personalities. Rose was the definite ringleader, she spoke for the group, started the trends and made the plans. Daisy was the trendy one, she came from a very wealthy family and was always in the best outfit, judging the dorky kids and restyling Lillia and Rose's hair. Lillia was the back-up girl, swim practice kept her busy enough that she wasn't with the others every time they hung out and without really noticing she found herself following them more than she walked her own path.

But follower or not, being with the Flowers was fun. They had pool parties and slumber parties, Rose and Daisy giggled about boys and Lillia laughed along though she didn't exactly see why Austin Carter was so exciting. Other girls wanted to hang out with them, even the older kids, and that made life exciting. Lillia was barely home that summer between swimming and her friends and when school started back not much changed.

Gray tried to keep an eye on Lillia, noticing her gradual transformation from the little girl who idolised her sister in to a self-consciously trendy tween but he never saw any cause for concern. The Flowers seemed like sweet girls and he was glad that one of his children was having the normal school experience. Eva's rocky start and Casper's strange behaviour gave him enough to worry about.

Casper's school experience became less simple as he moved into class with a less understanding teacher. It turned out that his old one had been quite lenient over Tia's "involvement" in class activities but the new teacher was old-fashioned and would have none of Casper's flights of fancy.

Casper responded in kind by fighting the teacher. When Tia didn't have a space on the coach to a field trip things came to a head. Casper wouldn't get in the coach, screaming and shouting that Tia would love to visit the science museum and discover more about his potion table while the teacher refused to let him on until he had apologised.

A horrified Gray arrived at the scene, shocked to see his son almost unrecognisable in his fury, wildly gesturing at the empty air beside him. After a meeting with the principal Gray drove his now exhausted son home, troubled by what he'd seen and knowing that he and Rachel couldn't ignore this any longer. A conversation weeks before with his brother Jet, who had had his own imaginary friend in childhood had confirmed what Gray had long feared, that Casper's relationship with Tia was more dependent than even his brother's had been, and that relationship had been co-dependent enough to merit Jet's transferral to a specialist school.

Determined not to send his son away Gray made an appointment with a leading child psychologist and after many weeks of consultation and tests they finally had a diagnosis. Rachel cried when she found out, it was such an unknown and unexpected concept and sounded like a sentence to a difficult life. Gray felt strangely relieved to have a name for Casper's problems, perhaps this wasn't something they could simply fix but at least they now knew what they were dealing with.

Aspergers explained a lot of Casper's more outlandish behaviour. A high functioning autism it is often accompanied by above average intelligence and difficulties deciphering and handling social situations, Casper's obsessions and loner ways were textbook symptoms but without the Tia outburst it might have gone undiagnosed for months or even years.

Through the imaginary friend wasn't a common behaviour, it was certainly not unheard of and hinted at Casper's condition being borderline rather than severe. His interactions with Tia were more developed than his interactions with the wider world and his therapist felt this was hopeful and possibly transferable to a certain degree . She believed there was a good chance that with proper treatment and behavioural therapy Casper would be able to live a full and independent life with his condition.

That said, the next few years would not be easy. Casper's destructive and disruptive behaviours would have to be managed, he'd need coping mechanisms for those parts of life that would always be a struggle for him. Most of all he would need those who loved him to be patient, to help him find his way but also let him be himself.

As they began to work with their son on making sense of the world Gray and Rachel thanked heaven that they had each other, any time either of them broke down or lost faith the other was there to carry them through. They began to notice tiny changes sooner than they'd thought, all of their reading about the condition allowed them to decipher some of Casper's actions. Gray tried hard to engage with Casper's interests and after a long afternoon as potion ingredient measurer was rewarded with a fleeting pat on the arm and a feeling of closeness he hadn't realised until that moment he had never felt. For a few hours Tia was noticeably absent.

With Gray and Rachel's focus leaning towards Casper and his needs, their daughters tried to work out their problems alone. Lillia had started to notice a less pleasant side to hanging out with the Flowers. There was a controlling and sometimes bullying influence that her friends used to get what they wanted. Without an outlet at home to express her discomfort she found herself going along with it. Home was in turmoil and at least with The Flowers she knew her place in school was secure.

Eva's crisis was rather more urgent. She'd ignored the niggling doubts for as long as she could, burying herself in schoolwork  and long emails to Hayden but almost three months after his departure she knew that if she didn't find a way to face it then she wouldn't be able to hide for much longer.

As the strip turned pink Eva buried her face in her hands, everything had finally been on track, her future had been bright and now it was going to change permanently. Hayden was half way round the world, she wasn't even nineteen and she'd always been so careful but there was no escaping it.

She was going to be a mother.

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Read on now - Chapter 19 - Losing Sleep