Against the Odds (Fighting to Survive #2)(36)
"Another woman — who was fat, came up to the counter and said, 'I'll take four chocolate-chip cookies and no diet books. Obesity is its own reward.'
“Right after that, another woman came into the store and said, ‘I’ll have one of your extra-extra-extra large chocolate-chip cookies. I like those because they are diet cookies.’
“I said, ‘Diet cookies? Uh, these have lots of sugar and butter.’
“She said, ‘Yeah, but I can write in my diet diary that I ate only one cookie.’
“Another woman — who was thin — was watching us. After the customer left, she walked over to me and said, ‘I heard that sugar will kill you.’"
“I told her, ‘That is absolutely correct. Sugar is slow poison. If you eat sugar for 70 or 80 years, you will die.’”
“I don’t believe these things really happened. You’re lying, aren’t you?”
“Yep. Through my teeth.”
The dark cloud is gone, at least for a while.
I say over my shoulder as I walk away in the direction of my office, “There may be an order that needs to be put away, Ace.”
“I’m on it, Sweets.”
When my book order and the deposit is finished, I call Mom to see how the baby is doing. Gracie spends very little time at the hospital alone. Between our parents and us, she has visitors often. I’m grateful so many people love and care for her. It’s also reassuring to know that if something were to happen someone would be there. I would live there if Robert let me. He feels I need the rest and the time away to keep my thoughts clear. He’s right. The time away lets me take care of myself, so that I can take better care of Gracie.
Drake Sinclair
As soon as I found out the other parents’ names that were involved in the baby swap, I started researching them. Their employment, residents, family, children, friends — everything I could. If there was any possible chance that Madison would spend any amount of time with them, I had to learn all I could about them. When I felt that I didn’t know enough, I hired a private investigator.
The P.I. has proven to be very competent and worth every penny. I walked into his office yesterday for a follow-up meeting and was shocked. Can you imagine my surprise when he told me that Madison’s biological father, Bobby Grether, was a drug addict?
It seems that he had an impeccable record up until the death of his daughter — my daughter — Jamie. Sadly, the loss of his daughter sent him into a drug and drinking binge that lasted almost a year. I plan to use this information to keep Madison. He will never take Madison from me.
Chelsea has been sad ever since we learned that our biological daughter has passed away. Although we didn’t know her, it doesn’t matter, she’s still gone and she was a part of us. It would have made it easier to learn this before our meeting. The day we showed up bearing gifts for the little sweetheart. Learning that she was dead almost sent me into a rage that would have landed me with a life sentence.
Chelsea and I talked to Madison and Caden about what’s been going on. Of course Madison knows, but she really doesn’t understand, and Caden — he’s just too young. I think I prefer it that way. While Chelsea is heartbroken over the loss of our biological daughter, Madison and Caden are sad because a child has passed away. They know about death all too well from when their grandmother died from bone cancer a few years ago. They know death is permanent and irreversible.
Chelsea and I decided to go to the cemetery to visit Jamie. As soon as we learned that she was our daughter, we didn’t need to know her to love her. The Sinclairs have a very strong family bond. We support and love our family, unconditionally.
After church, we took the children to the store so they could buy something for Jamie’s grave. When we all left the shop, we each found something special for her. One the drive to the cemetery, Chelsea is quiet. I don’t know if she is worried the Grethers will be there, or if she is just saddened about that fact that we will never get to know our daughter. It pisses me off some drunk couldn’t stay sober enough to drive. My daughter would still be her today if it weren’t for him.
It takes me several minutes to find the exact spot where Jamie is buried. I have been here before, scoping it out. When I see the large black, teardrop-shaped tombstone, I know it’s hers. It is stunning and it is the exact same one I would have chosen for my daughter. The teardrop shape of the stone speaks volumes. It lets me know that Jamie was loved and that they mourn her loss every day. I feel good knowing my daughter was loved, even if it wasn’t from me.
I park the car and open the children car door first. They each have their gift in hand and wait patiently for me to open Chelsea’s door. She has her monogrammed tissue in her hand. The monogrammed tissues were a wedding gift to her from my mother. Chelsea always carries one with her.
We walk in a single file up to the grave. I stop when I see Jamie Sue Grether written is gold letters. Chelsea cries and Madison holds her hand to offer her comfort. Caden stands still; he doesn’t realize this is his sister’s grave. I hold Chelsea close and let her mourn. One by one, we walk up and leave the gifts we bought for Jamie. I go first. I kneel down on her grave and try to explain who I am and that I’m sorry I never had a chance to know her. I tell her I love her before I place a dozen red roses on the base of the tombstone. I chose red roses because red means love. I don’t have to know her to love her.