Page 60 of All You Need Is Love

“Shannon, you are amazing. Everyone in this town knows it. You make things beautiful. You care about others before yourself. You give and give and give and never expect anything in return. You have a gorgeous soul.”

Oh, sheesh. Here came even more tears. “I don’t see any of that.”

“Girl! You need to stop believing those lies. Embrace the truth. You, Shannon Baker, shine brighter than anyone I know. You always have, and you don’t need to be a mom or a girlfriend or anything but who you are to have an amazing impact on this town and all the people who love you … simply because you’re you.”

The warm words thumped against Shannon’s ribcage. But also the harsh truth. Had she been using the impending adoption as a way to find meaning? If so, she was a rotten excuse for a human being. But she did love Noah—of that she was certain.

And as for Marshall …

“I just feel like such a mess.” She sniffled, wishing for a tissue but too exhausted to get one.

“You think everyone else has it together? We don’t. And if you spend your life comparing what you think you see in other people to what you know you see in your own, then you will always be miserable. Looks can be deceiving.” Ashley’s hands waved as she talked, true to her passionate self. “I know you’ve always compared yourself to Quinn, but guess what? She’s just really good at putting on an act. Why else would she have lied about having a boyfriend?”

“I’ve wondered that too. But she’ll never tell me, even if I wish she would.”

“If you really want to know, maybe it’s time to be vulnerable first.”

“What?” Hadn’t Shannon done enough by asking Quinn at the bridal shower? Pleading with her, really?

Ashley nodded. “In the name of healing, tell her how her actions make you feel—how they’ve always made you feel. It’ll rock the boat, sure. Might even crack it down the middle. But maybe that’s what it’ll take to rebuild things between you. And who knows? Maybe you’ll finally realize that you and Quinn aren’t that different after all.”

Could her cousin be onto something? Shannon’s hands trembled at the thought of confiding anything in Quinn.

Whirl, clack, whirl, clack, clack, clack.The fan slowed and sped, slowed and sped.

Then—at last—smoothed out.

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