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“I found my birth mother.”
Haven gasped so loudly that a few customers wandering the shoe department turned and gave her and Darcy curious stares. “When?”
“A couple of weeks ago.” Darcy placed a hand on Haven’s forearm. “Please don’t be angry. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I started looking for her in May, and I kept it quiet in case nothing came of it. I found her two weeks ago, and we’ve been talking almost every day since.”
Haven hugged her. “That’s amazing, Darce.”
The sales associate returned with the shoes, and Haven tried them on. After she paid for them, she and Darcy walked out into the mall.
“Tell me more about her,” Haven said.
Darcy filled her in on Robyn, her stepdad and biological dad, and her half-brothers. “I want to meet my brothers, but Robyn isn’t ready for that.” She frowned. “And I haven’t told my parents about Robyn yet because I don’t know how.” She sighed. “I almost told them last weekend, but I couldn’t find the courage.”
“What are you afraid of?”
Darcy looked down at her feet. “I don’t want to hurt them.”
Haven halted. “Darcy, you’ve always been close to your folks. I think they’ll understand.”
Darcy nodded.
“Let’s go into Bath and Body Works. I need some new lotions.” Haven took Darcy’s arm and steered her into the store.
The delicious scents of the store washed over Darcy as they weaved through the crowd to the display of new lotions.
“Does Carter know about your birth mother?” Haven asked.
“Yeah, and he’s been so supportive,” Darcy said. “He came over after midnight the night I first connected with her just to hold me while I cried.”
Haven clucked her tongue. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Meanwhile I still haven’t told him about the kidney transplant.”
Haven studied her. “Again, Darce, what are you afraid of?”
“I don’t know. There’s something holding me back. I’m afraid to tell him I love him too.”
Haven shook her head. “Darcy, it’s so obvious you two are in love. He wouldn’t have come over at midnight to hold you if he didn’t love you. Maybe you need to be brave and take the first step. Be honest with him.”
Darcy nodded. “Maybe I should.” But deep down, as much as she wanted to tell the truth, she worried that honesty with everyone she loved might come at a cost.
***
Carter sat at the kitchen table the following Tuesday evening, staring at a bank statement. If only he could pay off his loan early, then he could consider starting a life with Darcy.
Every time he spoke to her on the phone or met her for a date, he longed to be completely honest about his battle with kidney disease—but his pride held him back. Well, not only pride, but also fear of hurt, rejection, and loss.
The sound of a truck pulling into the driveway drew his attention to the back door. He’d been surprised when Shauna had texted to tell him that she and Gage were going out to dinner on a weeknight.
Lately Shauna had looked exhausted after work. She had dark circles under her eyes, and she seemed to yawn nonstop before she went to bed early. She also seemed to have an upset stomach nearly every day, and the smell of the chicken Gage had made last night sent her running out of the room.
Carter was worried about his older sister, but whenever he asked her if she was okay, she insisted she was fine.
He closed his computer and slipped the bank statement back into its envelope as the back door opened and Shauna stepped in from the garage. She seemed to glow as she laughed at something Gage said.
“What are you up to, Carter?” she asked with a grin.
He shook his head. “Not much. How was dinner?”
