Eve squeezed Simone and rested her chin on her daughter's head.
Simone began to sob, her body shaking against Eve's.
Eve's heart clenched; she tightened her arms around Simone. "Simone, you can tell me anything."
"I saw Chad and Whitney kissing, Mom!"
Eve's heart dropped to her stomach.
She should have known this was going to happen.
She'd been so caught up in the relief of finding out that Chad wasn't her son—that her older daughter wasn't falling in love with her own brother—that she'd completely overlooked the fact that Simone had a crush on him, too.
How could she have forgotten? How could she have overlooked this? How could she have missed seeing her younger daughter, too?
"How could they do this to me, Mom?" Simone cried. "How could they hurt me like this?"
"You know, Sheridan, you were really great with Simone earlier," Hank said. "I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but I heard everything. That kid you're carrying is lucky to have you—you're going to be a great mother."
Sheridan blushed and hung her head. "You really think so, Hank?"
"I know so," Hank said.
"I'm just glad Simone wanted to go to Eve when Eve came in." Sheridan cradled her belly. "I hope my daughter will always feel like she can come to me."
"I'm sure she will." Hank squeezed Sheridan's shoulder.
Sheridan averted her eyes to Luis's desk. "I just hope you're right about that, Hank." Sheridan picked up the mail and started to thumb through it. "Hank, did you see this?" she asked, pulling out a pamphlet from the pile.
"No—what is it?" Hank looked at her.
"It's a brochure for a conference in Boston next month." Sheridan opened the pamphlet and skimmed through it. "It's about running youth-development programs. Maybe you, Luis, and I could go—make a weekend out of it."
Hank took the brochure from her. "That sounds great, Sheridan—except this is the weekend I promised Sam and Grace I'd stay at their house with the kids."
"Maybe Luis and I can just go ourselves then," Sheridan mused.
Hank glanced down at the pamphlet and smiled. "I think that's a great idea, Sheridan."
Eve rocked Simone against her chest. If only she could take away her daughter's pain.
If only she could help Simone see that she was perfect just as she was—regardless of whether Chad loved her.
"How could they do this to me, Mom?" Simone cried. "I thought Chad loved me!"
Eve's heart cracked in half. "I know this doesn't make it better, but I love you, Simone."
Simone looked at Eve with tears in her own eyes. "You mean, you're really not angry with me?"
"Why would I be angry with you?" Eve kissed the top of Simone's head. "You're my baby, my little girl—no matter what happens with our family, I will always love you."
Simone hiccupped. "But I left—I moved in with Daddy and Whitney."
"Yes." Eve swallowed a lump in her throat. "But I know you were hurting, Simone."
Eve tucked a strand of hair behind Simone's ear and blinked back tears. "I know the past few months have been painful and confusing for you."
"I know you've been hurting, too, Mom." Simone's eyes fell to the floor. "I'm sorry I didn't return any of your calls."
"That's okay." Eve choked back a sob. "I just wanted you to know that I never stopped thinking about you."
Simone's eyes flew up to hers. "I know that, Mom. I've never stopped thinking about you either."
"Thank you for telling me that." Eve's voice grew thick with emotion. "I thought I'd lost all of you."
"You haven't lost me, Mom." Simone buried her head in Eve's chest. "I'm sorry I wouldn't talk to you—I know you were scared to tell us about the baby you lost. You must have felt so alone."
"I did." Eve blinked back tears. "But that's not your doing. And I never want you to feel that way."
Simone looked up at her. "Mom, may I stay with you tonight?"
Tears springing to the corners of her eyes, Eve's heart swelled in her chest. "Sweetie, you can stay as long as you like."
