the college from the library’s IP address. There was a risk she was giving away her location but blew off the concern.
After all her hard work and effort, it was a bit of a shock to discover she only managed mediocre grades—not that she should have been surprised. Finding out she was pregnant just as the term began and then going into hiding halfway through had a way of affecting her schoolwork.
The crushing weight of doing everything by herself without help and only minimal emotional backup swept through her. A feeling of solidarity with struggling women through the ages stiffened her spine. She wasn’t the first girl to get swept away by love and end up alone and pregnant, and she most definitely would not be the last.
It was tough, and a lot of days sucked, but everything would be worth it when she finally got to hold her little girl for the first time. She also wasn’t without resources and had the security of knowing that whatever happened, she had enough saved up and squirreled away to give her some breathing room—if she needed it.
When she was finished, Summer packed up her stuff and slid the flash drive into her purse. Standing, she placed a hand in the small of her back as a deep ache brought her up short.
“Ow.”
What the hell was that?
Imagining way too many desperate scenarios, she shut down the negative thinking and focused on how she felt.
After she did a mental full-body scan, her anxiety lessened. Everything felt normal except for some discomfort in her back and along her side. It wasn’t new, and she’d mentioned it to her doctors at the clinic. They told her increased back curve and posture changes due to the weight distribution of her hugely pregnant belly were the likely causes.
Time ceased to matter after Arnie had vanished from her life. It was as though her mind just couldn’t wrap itself around life without him in it. As a result, autumn seemed a long way off, and the wait for her October due date felt like an eternity.
The summer season was in full swing with soaring temperatures, sunny days, and blue skies, but she cared little for the weather forecast. Every day was the same. Every day she was still alone.
Waddling from the library, she made it to her car right before melting. The heat didn’t usually bother her, but having a baby oven strapped to her belly raised her body temperature. She struggled into the Hyundai’s driver’s seat, started the engine, and waited for the A/C to cool her down.
Tink sent an elbow or a foot stabbing into Summer’s side. She rubbed the tender spot and made a deal with her energetic daughter.
“Mommy needs you to chill for a little bit, okay? We have a few more errands, but after that, I promise we’ll go home and get in the pool. How’s that?”
Summer took the fluttering in her belly as a sign of pleasure. Tinker Belly loved the water. With a pool steps from her back door, she made good use of the opportunity to swim. The weightless feeling helped ease her aching back, and she’d noticed how the baby seemed to settle and calm.
Since there was every possibility that she and Arnie made their baby the night he ravished her in the bungalow’s pool and made fierce, passionate love to her on a lounger, outside under the stars, she couldn’t pretend surprise that their daughter was drawn to the water.
As the temperature inside the car dropped to an acceptable level, and the baby stopped dancing in her womb, she belted in and headed out. When she got home, the first thing she planned to do was call the clinic and make an appointment. Afterward, she and bump could spend the rest of the afternoon floating.
18
Remembering to keep his pinky extended, Arnie tipped the pink teacup toward his mouth three times, making sure to add the appropriate sipping sounds.
Nicole Foster smiled at him across the kid-size table set with a cheap plastic tea party set. “More?” his charming companion asked as she lifted the baby blue teapot and poured.
He had a baseball cap on, turned backward, and a neon yellow boa of feathers wrapped around his neck. At Nic’s insistence, he donned several pieces of plastic jewelry to complete the look. He especially liked the red heart-shaped clip-on plastic earrings—his tea date thought they made him look like a pirate.
Sitting at the small, low table presented several challenges. His