Page 3 of Skylar

“So she’s okay?”

“For the moment,” her mom said. “But we’re already thinking of possible future treatments should the initial ones not be as successful as we hope.”

“So she’s having treatment soon?”

“Yes. She’ll be going into the hospital in Coeur d’Alene next week for chemo.”

Skylar didn’t know what to say. It was news she’d never even considered that she’d hear about Shiloh. And she had no idea what it meant long term for the beautiful little girl she’d chosen to carry to term, even though the baby’s father had wanted her to“get rid of it.”

“Is there…” Skylar paused, taking a deep breath and trying to swallow the emotions that threatened to choke her. “Is there anything I can do?”

“Yes. First, I think it might be good for you to come home,” her mom said.

“What? Why?”

“It would mean the world for Charli and Blake to have you here.”

“But no one knows I’m Shiloh’s birth mom,” Skylar reminded her. “So it would seem kind of weird if I came home, when presumably Cole won’t be coming home.”

“Well, that’s the second thing.”

“Cole is coming home?”

“No, but we would like you to contact Aiden,” her mom said, rendering Skylar speechless. “And I think we need for you to consider letting the rest of the family know that you both are Shiloh’s birth parents.”

“Nope.” The panic she felt rise at both those suggestions momentarily chased away the fear that had filled her at the news of Shiloh’s cancer diagnosis. “No. Never.”

She’d always held close the information that she was Shiloh’s birth mom. No one but her parents and Charli and Blake knew the truth. And she’d wanted it to stay that way forever.

When her mom didn’t answer right away, but continued to stare into the phone, Skylar said, “Please, Mom. Anything but that.”

“It’s important, Skylar Grace,” she said. The use of her middle name made Skylar cringe. “It could make all the difference for Shiloh.”

“What do you mean?”

“One option for possible future treatment is a stem cell transplant, which means we need to find someone who would be a match with Shiloh. Close family members are the best chance, but other relatives are also a good possibility. Which is why we need to test Aiden, his family, and ours. I think it would be impossible to do that and still keep her parentage secret.”

Skylar closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. When she opened her eyes again, she stared out the window at the skyline of Las Vegas.

This was the last thing she wanted to do. The moment she’d handed Shiloh over to Charli was supposed to have been the end of her role in Shiloh’s life beyond being an “aunt” to her.

She’d brought the baby safely into the world, but then it was Charli and Blake’s job to guide Shiloh through her life, caring for and protecting her in Skylar’s absence.

And shewasabsent. She only saw Shiloh once or twice a year, and for just a day or two at a time. It had been the only way she’d been able to distance herself from the feeling of being Shiloh’s mom.

“Think about it, please, sweetheart.” Her mom sighed, the weight of the situation clearly pressing down on her. “We are trying to do what we can to help Shiloh, Charli, and Blake through this.”

Skylar still resisted agreeing to contact Aiden. All she could do was promise to think about it.

“Love you, sweetheart,” her mom said. “Take care of yourself.”

“You too, Mama.”

“We’ll be praying for you.”

Her mom always said that, and Skylar never knew how to respond beyond saying, “Thank you.”

After she hung up the phone, Skylar put the food and water back in the fridge and pulled out the bottle of wine. She couldn’t deal with this news without a little fortification.

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