The Naked Truth by Lacey Wolfe Page A

picture of his parents in his hand.
    * * * *
    Abigail decided to have the big talk with Hailey out
in the garden. Hailey loved coming out there and playing. Josh was inside
getting the picnic basket. They had agreed on doing a late lunch. She’d gotten
worried earlier when he had disappeared after breakfast, but she was sure he
had his reasons. When he’d returned, he seemed to be himself again. Abigail
hadn’t stopped to think about how this was affecting him.
    Hailey ran over and handed Abigail a flower.
    “Thank you.”
    “Can we get a garden like this at our house?” Hailey
asked.
    “We’re in an apartment, honey. That’s a little hard.
Maybe a flower box on the deck.”
    Hailey sat down next to her. “I don’t want to leave.
Can we stay here? Do you think Mr. Josh would let us?”
    Abigail smiled. Mr. Josh would certainly let
them stay forever if they wanted. And the more Abigail thought about it, the
more she wanted to stay as well. However, she knew this couldn’t be a magical
fairy tale for them. Although she was no longer angry with Josh for putting her
out of a job. In fact, he’d given her an excuse to leave a world she no longer
wished to be a part of. Deep down she knew if they went back to their home, her
heart would still be here.
    Looking over at Hailey, who was picking the petals
off the flowers she’d just gathered, she knew her daughter would be sad if they
left. Abigail took a deep breath and decided she would wait to see how this
talk went before making any big decisions.
    “Here are my two favorite ladies,” Josh said as he
approached them.
    “I’m starving, Mr. Josh. I hope whatever you have in
there is good.”
    “How does a BLT sound?”
    Hailey shrugged. “I don’t know. What is it?”
    Josh laughed. “It’s a sandwich with B for bacon, L
for lettuce, and T for tomato.”
    “I’ll take a BT then.”
    Abigail laughed. “Okay, sweetie.”
    Josh sat down on the blanket that Abigail had
brought out with her. He set the basket in the middle and looked over at
Abigail. She knew he was nervous, because she was too. Hailey’s life was about
to change. She had never really asked about her father. Only once at a school
function had she asked. Abigail had frozen but hadn’t gone into detail. She
knew that would come later. She’d simply explained that Hailey had been a gift
from God to her. And that had satisfied her for the time being.
    Abigail removed the sandwiches from the basket. She
opened her daughter’s and removed the lettuce before handing it to her. Hailey
took a big bite of the sandwich. “I like it.”
    “It’s my favorite sandwich,” Josh told her. “My mom
used to make them for me all the time.”
    “Does she still?” Hailey asked.
    He shook his head. “Not anymore. She’s in Heaven
now.”
    Abigail reached out, rubbing his arm. “I’m sorry to
hear that.”
    Josh reached into his back pocket and removed a
photo. He handed it to Hailey. Abigail leaned next to her and peered at the
picture. “Are these them?”
    “Yes.”
    Abigail stared at the face of his mother and swore
she was looking at Hailey. The resemblance was striking. “What were their names?”
    He cleared his throat. “My dad’s name was Phillip
and my mother’s,” he paused and took a deep breath, “my mom’s name was Hailey.”
    Abigail thought her heart stopped beating. Tears
built up in her eyes and began to spill out. She couldn’t believe her daughter
shared the same name as her grandmother. And that it hadn’t been planned.
    “Mommy, why are you crying? Do you not like that his
mom had my name? Because, you know, a little girl in the room next to mine at
school is called Hailey too and I didn’t cry.”
    Abigail laughed. “That’s why I am.”
    “That’s silly.”
    Abigail reached out, pulled Hailey into her lap, and
looked at Josh. He nodded, knowing what she was about to do.
    “Hailey, sweetie, Mr. Josh and I have something to
tell you.”
    Josh moved closer as well