by Jen Atkinson
Dakota
10 years later
I wait for the superintendent to say my name. Dakota Sunday. I have waited for this day it seems my whole life. Graduation day. While my classmates are anxious to be rid of high school or wish for peace from their nagging parents, I wait because watching my family filled with pride and love is better than anything else I could ask for. When I walk across this stage today, I walk for myself and for my mom. We’re both graduating today.
I find her face in the crowd—it isn’t hard as she came three hours early to claim the front row. She watches me back, not caring that Zach Parker waves peace signs to the chuckling crowd. My mother is the strongest woman I know. I’m not sure she’d ever have figured that out if it weren’t for Aiden. He sits next to her, patting my baby sister on the back. Daisy is eleven months old, and my brother, Landon, is five. He sits next to Mom, holding her hand and probably wishing for his iPad that Mom refused to let him bring. Mom holds a hand to her chest, a tissue clutched in her fist, tears brimming at her eyes. This day is as big and as wonderful for her as it is for me.
Dad and Mindy are in the front row, too. My dad’s son, my seven year old brother, Ethen, sits next to Landon. The two boys separate Mom and Mindy, though the two have learned to get along over the years. I don’t think Mom would ever want to spend a Christmas with the Zaleski’s, but she seemed genuinely happy when Dad said he, Mindy, and Ethen could come to my graduation.
There are friendly faces in the crowd, people I’ve come to know and love in the last ten years, and I am grateful for them all. I think Virgie is here too. She and Grandma Daisy surely look down from heaven wishing me a congratulations and, in Virgie’s case, a vida con amor.
Mom almost missed out on a life with love. She didn’t want it. She didn’t believe she deserved it. She only wanted me and to make me happy. I’ll never forget the day I watched her exchange vows with the man who changed both our lives. Aiden Carter didn’t let her scare him away. He stayed when things got hard and he loved us the best he could. And that has made all the difference.
Mom worried for years that she’d never be enough, that I’d somehow miss out on life and all that I deserved. But I think I got exactly what I needed—her.
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Acknowledgments
Emma.
Your story literally told itself. You talked to me half the time… you seemed to say—Okay, Jen, I know you need to finish this trilogy, but once that’s wrapped up, here’s how it’s going down…
I am so grateful to a loving Father in Heaven who has given me inspiration, a bit of talent, and more friends than I deserve. I could not have completed this project without the help of my loving God and all that He’s given me.
A huge thank you to Samantha and Heidi.
Sam, thank you for reading this book in its infancy stages, for saying again and again—Emma is my new favorite. You seem to know what I need to hear, and you so graciously sacrifice your time to help me. I love you, dear friend. I feel blessed to have you in my life every single day.
Heidi, thank you for always making time for others, not just me, but so many. Service is certainly your love language (wink wink), and I feel so blessed to have been loved by you! Thank you for reading this story and sharing your thoughts with me. And of course, thank you for always helping me figure out where to put a comma. Love you!
Thank you to my beta readers, along with Sam and Heidi, Becky, Jessica, and Fara! Love you three and thank you for reading and sharing thoughts.
I am so thankful to the fans who’ve read and shared my work! It means so much to me. I love getting your notes and reviews, they are truly precious to me.
I am thankful to my sweet little family! To my husband and my children, your support means so much to me. Thank you for all the love!
About the Author
Jen Atkinson is a born and raised Wyoming girl who believes there is no better place on earth. She loves reading a good, clean love story as well as a young adult dystopian.
Jen lives next to one of Wyoming’s many mountains where the wind regularly whips through her hair and bites at her cheeks. Her greatest loves are her four children, Timothy, Landon, Seth, and Sydney Belle, as well as her husband Jeff. She is the author of several clean romance novels, a YA trilogy, all of which you can find on Amazon!
Also by Jen Atkinson
YA Romance
The Untouched Trilogy
Untouched
Unknown
Undone
Clean Romance
Am I 30 Yet?
Surviving Emma
Coming Soon:
Then Came You
Knowing Amelia