Poseidia (28 page)

“No worries, I have lots of experience. Although it was many years ago, the basics are the same. It’s something you don’t forget,” he
confided.

“I still need a name.
”

“You’ll think of the perfect name. Until then, call him
Boy,” he suggested.

“Boy,” I
marveled, staring at his gorgeous, tiny iridescent face. Sitting back down on the couch, I bent my head, hiding my tears in Boy’s now jumbled wrappings.

“What’s wrong?” Roman
inquired as he took his finger and moved my hair away from my face.

“Nothing
, nothing at all. Nothing is wrong—it’s perfect. I’m crying because I’ve never been this happy. I used to believe having a picture-perfect life was my dream. That marrying David and having his children would make me the happiest woman in the world.” I bent my head down and kissed him again, my child, as a single tear dripped on his forehead.

“Now I real
ize, I may not have the picture-perfect life I envisioned when I was young, but it’s so much more than I ever could have imagined. You, here, with me and my son, is more than I ever dreamed of. God does answer prayers, only not in the way we think we want.”

Roman sat down next to me and put his arm around
my shoulders, enveloping both of us. I gazed at him, and he kissed me. Then he looked down at my son and gently kissed him on the forehead.

My new family.

Imperfect.

But it was all I needed.

Acknowledgments

An endless heartfelt thank you to Paula
J., my favorite librarian, who inspired me to write, and to B. Harris who told me years ago I should.

To Diana, who in the beginning of this journey, tirelessly listened to me hash out my ideas, gave me honest yet gentle feedback, support, encouragement, and unconditional friendship
—I’m forever grateful.

To my beta readers: Sarah, Lisa,
Sjen, Mary, Chriss (and anyone else I forgot) who read what I thought wasn’t a completely crappy first draft and didn’t laugh their butts off at me—I appreciate your graciousness.

Thanks to J
W Troemner who helped me cut over a hundred pages and improve my writing from crap to less crap-like—I learned so much working with you.

T
o Tara, who is nothing less than wonder woman with a heart of gold, more generous than I could ever dream of deserving in a mentor, and whose gift of Wordsmithing is nothing short of awe-inspiring—I am forever humbled.

Thanks to Simon G. for his attention to detail in his beautiful cover design—you captured what my brain couldn’t translate.

And to my mother, who never lost her magical sparkle despite insufferable circumstances—my loyalty has always been to you.

Contact Information
[email protected]

Twitter: @
JLImhoff

Facebook
Page: JL Imhoff

www.facebook.com
/pages/JL-Imhoff/1492497720987223

Coming soon:

Book Two of
The Poseidia Series:
Atlia

About the Author

Jennifer (JL Imhoff) is one of those people who, rather than dwelling on the disappointments life inevitably brings, elects to be positive. Born of grit, self-sacrifice, determination, and a bit of the mystical, she chooses to look on the bright side and leave the negative for someone else to fret about.

Her writing reflects this conscious positivity and abnormally strong sense of intuition. Life isn’t always perfect, but you make the best decision you can in the moment, and then make the best of those choices. She presents the reality of the human (or… not so human) condition in a way readers can completely identify with (hopefully): Confusion about our broader purpose, humor, and underneath it all, a glimmer of hope.

Living in the Cincinnati area with her family, Jennifer has a BA in psychology. She also is a licensed massage therapist, working for over 15 years specializing in chronic pain, injuries, and most recently, medical billing.

Outside of professional endeavors, Jennifer loves organic gardening, photography, and caring for their two dogs—one twice-rescued—and their cranky pet turtle, appropriately named Tuck. Landlord and accomplished renovator, Jennifer knows how to wield the business end of a putty knife. (Take that as a promise, or a warning, depending on your preferences.) And finally, in her rare moments of downtime, she and her son enjoy playing Minecraft together.