PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
EPILOGUE
Maybe finding out the truth was the best thing that had ever happened to Mama's and my relationship. Somehow, we became closer. She became nicer to me and we held together the fragile thread that kept us as mother and daughter, in spite of the lack of blood. In both of our hearts we would always be mother and daughter. We'd spent too many years as such to just give it all up now. I stopped looking for more secrets of my past for a while. I decided that I needed to take a break from the emotional stress. Finding out that Rachael was my real mother, mother by rape rather than choice, was enough to last me awhile. But I vowed that I wouldn't stop looking for her until I found out what happened to her. I was praying that she was alive. Only she could tell me about the past honestly. I still felt as if there were secrets surrounding me. But I wasn't about to go diving into more; not for a little while, anyway. My grandfather still refused to talk to me, but had allowed Ella to throw me a small birthday party. Mama, Ella, Mitch, Damian, who had decided to stay there until the baby was born and take some responsibility, and even Jenny were there. And every one of them had got me a gift. Mama had given me the least expensive, but one of the most precious. It was a framed picture of her and me together when I was about five years old at Disneyland. Ella got me a new ring that said "special step-granddaughter" on it. I laughed. She was far too young to be my grandmother, but she was married to my grandfather! Damian bought me a new dress he said he thought would look good on me. Jenny got me a new sweater, make up and hair ties and clips for school. We were getting along a lot better, even if we did ignore each other at school. But Mitch's gift was the most special to me. It was a heart-shaped diamond necklace that read "Best friend" in rubies. I knew it was expensive, but he was proud to give it to me. I accepted it, knowing it would hurt him if I gave it back and told him it was too expensive. In December, Mama and Damian's baby daughter, Julianna, was born. She was beautiful with ruby red hair and green eyes. A week after she was born, Mama left. In spite of my relationship with her, she seemed as if she couldn't wait to get away from her mistake. I was disappointed in her, but didn't say anything. I would raise Julianna. But I wouldn't do it alone. Damian was my friend and would remain only that. But we would raise Julianna together. He loved the little girl that was his daughter, and it made me smile to see them together. He regretted the affair with Mama and Celeste, but never would he regret the baby produced from his and Mama's affair. Life had a way of bringing up surprises. Good or bad, no matter what, we couldn't stop the little unexpected surprises of life. But we could accept them and go with them. We just had to be strong enough to handle the stress. I knew now that I was. I would never be ready for the surprises, but I would be able to deal with them. And I would never, truly be alone. THE END
