Forever Beach (32 page)
Authors: Shelley Noble
And Ilona smiled. “Adoption papers. Judge Whitaker let me bring them today. You have a court date for next Thursday for the formal ceremony and signing.”
Sarah just stared. Tried to take it all in. “Is this for real?”
“Very real.”
Karen handed Sarah a towel. She wiped her hands and took the paper.
The girls ran up, curious to see what the grown-ups were doing. Leila immediately grabbed Sarah's leg. Sarah pulled her close with one hand.
“Sarah's going to be Leila's forever mom,” Jenny blurted.
Everyone turned to Sarah with congratulations. Only Leila clung to her leg, looking scared. Sarah picked her up. “You're my forever girl now.”
For a second, time stood still, then Leila frowned. “I am?”
“Yes, my sunshine, you are. And I'm your forever mom-mee.” Sarah twirled her around. “And this is your forever family.”
“Bessie, too?”
“Bessie and Tammy and Jenny and Rory and Amy, too.”
“That lady, too?” Leila pointed to Ilona, who had leaned over to pick up her briefcase.
She was leaving? She couldn't leave, not now. “That lady, too. Her name is Nonie.” Sarah caught Ilona's eye briefly and found her Nonie she thought she'd lost. “And she's my sister. Your forever aunt.”
Leila threw her arms around Sarah's neck. Everyone else moved closer.
“My forever mommee?”
“Absolutely,” Sarah said.
Leila twisted around to see Wyatt.
Everyone turned to Wyatt. He looked trapped.
“Are you going to be my forever . . . Wyatt?” Leila asked.
Wyatt broke into a wide grin. “You betcha. I'm your forever, ever, Wyatt.”
Leila raised both hands. “Oh boy, hokey pokey five.”
T
HAT DAY AT
the beach there was a lot of wiggling of hands, feet, and hips. A whole lot of hokey pokeying going on.
Sarah knew it wouldn't all be easy. There would be times
when Leila's fears and hurts would rise up out of the past and make life hard. But Sarah would be there. And she had her peeps to help. And she knew Sam would be there, too.
Sarah Hargreave was in it for the long haul, rain or shine, for better or worse. She'd fix the now and carry on to forever.
T
here are all kinds of families. The family for this book included Kevan Lyon, Tessa Woodward, Elle Keck, Mary Gilroy, Irene Peterson, Gail Freeman, Susan Calt, Charity Scordato, Lois Winston, and the many foster children and parents who shared their stories.
To all of you, a heartfelt thank you.
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1. In spite of Sam's love and the security he gave to Sarah, she still has trouble allowing herself to love people and accept their love in return. Why do you think she has trouble with this? Do you think it's because of her time in the foster system? How can Leila avoid a similar fate?
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2. Nonie has always had a plan for her life and an unrelenting determination to succeed. How did that single-mindedness affect her personal life? Was she unable to appreciate the present because she was always striving for the future? Do you think that made her
unlovable
?
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3. What was it about Sarah and Nonie's friendship that the loss of it impacted their lives for so many years to come and later makes them act the way they do? Do you think they are different from people who are raised with their biological families? What, if anything, do they have in common?
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4. After June's death, Ilona begins to wonder if perhaps June did love her, in her own way. What led her to this realization? Do you agree with her? Ilona has always been afraid that maybe she didn't try hard enough to make June love her. Do you think she still tries too hard? What could she have done differently?
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5. When the book begins, Reesa has been feeling worn down in her career as a caseworker. What was it about her last case that pushed her over the brink? Do you think she did the right thing to leave this area of social work and find another job? Do you think you could do and see the things she does if it meant you could make a difference?
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6. Sarah, Reesa, and Ilona are thrust together because of one little girl. Do you think they could have become friends without Leila? Will they stay friends after this or will they drift apart like Sarah and Nonie did so many years before? Why do you think this might happen?
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7. Why do you think Sarah is so adamant about adopting Leila? Is she adopting her for the right reasons? Or is it to fill a hole inside herself? Despite Sarah never having had a mother growing up, do you think she could be a good mother? Is it possible for her loss to make her an even better one?
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8. Is there a specific moment that was a turning point in Sarah and Leila's relationship? Or do you think it was a series of moments that created a feeling of normalcy for them? Have you ever experienced this?
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9. One of the central themes of this novel is the question of where a child
really
belongs. There seems to be no easy answer. Is the bond between a child and his or her birth mother so strong that no one else can replace it? Do you think adoptive parents can fill that void and even become more to their children?
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10. Do you think you could ever become a foster or an adoptive parent? Or if you already are, could you share your experience with the group? How has it changed you? Are there things you've learned about yourself, good or bad, through the process?
SHELLEY NOBLE
is a former professional dancer and choreographer and has worked on a number of films. She lives at the Jersey shore where she loves to visit lighthouses and vintage carousels. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Romance Writers of America.
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This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
FOREVER BEACH
. Copyright © 2016 by Shelley Freydont. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
ISBN 978-0-06-243906-2
EPub Edition JUNE 2016 ISBN: 9780062439086
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