Nothing Short of a Miracle Read Online Free

heart.”
    Mindy’s tight squeeze had tears running down Gabby’s cheeks. She brushed at them wondering if she was turning into a permanent crying machine.
    “You go ahead and cry, girlfriend. It’s about time. Losing your sister and brother-in-law in a car crash just before Thanksgiving is shock enough. How you’ve managed to hold it all together so far is beyond me. And now to have Charles dump you…here, have a tissue.” Mindy swiped a couple tissues from the square box hidden in a red and white homemade crocheted Christmas Santa.
    Gabby took the offered tissue and dabbed at her swollen eyes and damp cheeks. But the tears kept falling.
    “I’m not sure I’m cut out for this. Maybe I should take a leave of absence next semester and get things sorted out.”
    “You’re tired. You’ve been on an emotional roller coaster for the past few weeks—round the clock feedings, diaper changes, shopping for baby supplies, studying for semester finals. Why, you haven’t had time to adjust to all the changes going on in your life. Neither has Charles. I’m sure once he’s had time to think about it, he’ll change his mind.”
    “I don’t think so. I just broke it off with him.”
    “ You. You broke it off?”
    Gabby smiled at the surprised disbelief on her friend’s too comical face.
    The tears stopped. Gabby sniffed, blew her nose, dried her tear-stained face, then took a deep breath. After today’s events, she wasn’t sure she could hold up under the stress much longer.
    A super soccer mom she’d never be.
    And she hadn’t even gotten started.
    Gabriella had worked hard on her degree—she had one more semester to go before completing her master’s. Too bad her history major wasn’t conducive to the care of one small infant. Maybe she should enroll in a Human Development class to get some much needed pointers on child rearing.
    Her career had been her priority for so long it was hard to think about switching gears now. Caring for a baby fulltime was making her life more chaotic. Her once orderly life had been thrown off-kilter.
    “You can do this. I know you can,” Mindy assured her. “You’re doing a great job already, and you’re going to be a wonderful mom. Heck, you already are. You don’t need Charles, or any other man, to prove that.”
    “You’re right, as usual. You amaze me how level-headed you can be sometimes.”
    “Right. So listen up. The semester is almost over. Another week. It’s the holidays. Stores are always looking for extra help this time of year.”
    “Are you kidding me? The way the economy is right now? And I’ll have to pay a babysitter.”
    “Don’t kid yourself. There are tons of shoppers out there. I don’t care what the economists say. I’ve seen them. Let’s check the want ads and see if there’s a part-time position available. Trish and I can pitch in and work around your schedule to help with Nina until you can get back on your feet and afford a real babysitter.”
    Gabby hated to admit it, but for a fraction of a second she’d balked at becoming responsible for the care of Nina after the accident. She’d been in shock. But it only took seconds to admit there was no way she’d turn her niece away. How could she? She was the only family Nina had left. But she hadn’t anticipated having to deal with all the legalities. Formalities, really. Tom and Karen’s life insurance was barely enough to cover their bills, including medical bills for Nina’s birth, and the bank quickly stepped in and assumed the home due to the steep mortgage lien against it. Tom’s father was deceased and his mother in a nursing home—he had no siblings. Her own mother and father had died in a plane crash while on vacation five years ago, so she was Nina’s only surviving family.
    “I didn’t think it would be this difficult.” She’d already planned to continue her studies and work on getting her career back on track once the adoption was legal and her financial situation