nd. Three small boys with identical blond hair and startlingly blue eye

spered Julian, the youngest, his hand

air, her own heart pounding a nervou

r beneath her f

k about her "immoral behavior" pushe

nt, confirming Alistair Sterling's claims.

-way ticket and a check into her hand. Their faces were tight with disgust. The

ecome a l

sidered having an abortion, but after thinking it ove

her own fles

s fate. No matter how difficult it is, she

adoptive father had hissed.

ct her child's future, she left this c

ey had unleashed a torrent of abuse. She had lost her v

ad boarded a bus heading

nt woman to live on her own. Finding a job is the biggest chal

to work; she

to give birth, and also pay for formu

urant. Afraid of getting fired, she worked harder

lnutrition and exce

down in a blizzard. She had tried to

her. A recluse who had turned his back on the world, but not on her. In that cabin, with

ountain had been their sanctuar

Max, her fiery, protective middle child. And Julian, her sweet, sen

return to the city

at all. She still hadn't forgotte

register the children's births, she'd accid

d looked at her paperwork, then at her, with a confused frown. The process was complicated, sh

fled, because she had never been served papers, the

d to do the one thing she had spent six y

r: find the man who was a my

. The anonymous bastard at JFK who had assaulted her.

mouths are full of

would make her the happiest and most noble wo

e

devastat

s, she thought he had ruined her life. But then she would look at Leo, Max,

e divorce. Then, she would find

everie. He tugged on her sleeve. "You're th

nd forced a smil

chest. "Don't worry, Mom!

ies receded. She had h

voice firm with renewed purpose. She took t