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“Pregnancy plays havoc with a woman’s emotions,” Nicky sympathized.
Megan’s shoulders sagged and she looked out at the horizon. “It does, and it seems to intensify all the other problems around you.”
“I find the best way to deal with my problems is to talk them out.” Nicky encouraged her to open up. Megan was clearly carrying the weight of her world on her shoulders. “What about your family?” She looked at Megan.
“I don’t have any left,” Megan murmured. “My grandmother, who raised me since I was twelve, died a year ago.” She sucked in a shaky breath. “And my boyfriend—my ex-boyfriend now—left me when he found out I was pregnant.” She swallowed and swiped at a fresh tear rolling down her cheek. “I thought he loved me, but I guess I was wrong.” She shook her head. “As soon as my small inheritance dried up, he was out the door faster than a striking rattlesnake and, within a week, had moved in with his new girlfriend.”
“What a douche!” Megan hissed, her brows knitting together, her heart going out to her. “I’m so sorry to hear that. That must be really tough.”
Megan nodded, her eyes brimming with more fresh tears. “And then there’s the cottage. My grandmother owned it, and now it’s mine. But I’m just a college student with no idea how to run a house, let alone look after all the maintenance.” Her eyes met Nicky’s. “I don’t know what to do with it, but it’s got bills piling up, and I can’t afford it.” She looked at her stomach once again. “I’ll be without utilities if I don’t find a summer job soon.”
Nicky listened with genuine empathy. “That sounds like a lot to handle.”
“It is,” Megan admitted, her voice breaking. “And on top of everything, the funds I had for college got cut off.” Her eyes shot to Nicky’s again. “My mother, who passed away seven years ago, had a small pension fund that paid for my college. I was supposed to start again in the fall, but now I don’t know how I’ll manage.”
Nicky could feel the weight of Megan’s despair, and she leaned closer. “Megan, I know things seem overwhelming right now, but you’re not alone. There are people who can help you.” She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. “You could get a scholarship or a student loan.” Her eyes widened with a thought. “If you own your grandmother’s cottage, you could look into taking a loan against it.”
Megan wiped away another tear, her gaze distant. “I don’t even know where to begin.”
Nicky placed a comforting hand on Megan’s shoulder. “You can start by talking to someone about your options. Some organizations offer support to pregnant women and students in difficult situations.”
Megan’s eyes met Nicky’s, a glimmer of hope emerging amidst her distress. “Do you know any of them?”
Nicky nodded, feeling a twinge of guilt for her white lie, and made a mental note to find out what she could do for Megan when she got home. “Yes, I do. And I’ll make a list for you when I get home.”
Megan let out a shaky breath as she swatted away some more tears. “Thank you, Nicky.” She gave Nicky a watery smile. “Do you believe in fate?”
“For a long time, I didn’t,” Nicky admitted. “I kept thinking that if the series of events happening to me was fate somehow trying to redirect my life, then fate was a sadistic jerk who I must’ve angered at some point in my life without even knowing it.”
Megan laughed and wiped her nose on her bedraggled tissue. “That’s how I felt until you sat beside me on the sand and chased away that dark cloud that’s been following me lately.”
“Then maybe fate is doing something nice for you, and I’m glad I could be part of it,” Nicky said.
“I wasn’t going to come out here today.” Megan looked at the water. “But I swear I could hear my grandmother telling me we’re lucky to live so close to the sea. Every day, we need to take advantage of that and go outside, even for a minute, to breathe in the salty air. To refresh our souls and get a few minutes of vitamin D to soak into our skin.”
“Your grandmother sounded like a wise woman,” Nicky told her.
“She was.” Megan’s head dropped, as did her voice, at the mention of her grandmother. “I miss her so much.” She fiddled with her fingers. “That’s why I decided to get out into the fresh air and sit in her favorite spot.”
“Ah,” Nicky said with a nod. “I also have a favorite spot on this beach.” She pointed further down the beach to where they could see the profile of Scott’s Hotel. “I thought of it as an old friend where I’d sit and tell my troubles to the wind, sand, and ocean.”
“Are you Nicky Scott?” Megan’s eyes widened in realization.
“Yes.” Nicky sighed. “That’s me.”
“I remember you.” Megan smiled. “My mother used to work for your father.” Her smile faded, and her eyes darkened. “I’m sorry about his passing.”
“Thank you,” Nicky said, her mind ticking over as she pulled up a memory from a long time ago and suddenly realized who Megan was. “Are you Jackie Riley’s Nutmeg?”
“Wow!” Megan laughed. “I haven’t heard that nickname in years.”
“Oh, my goodness,” Nicky said, her eyes roving over Megan’s face. “Yes, I see it now.” Then, another thought struck her. “Did you say your grandmother passed away?” Her brow creased a bit more. “Cybill’s gone?”
“Yes.” Megan swallowed and nodded, her eyes getting misty. “She hadn’t been well for about six months before she died.”
“I’m so sorry, Megan.” Nicky’s voice was low and full of compassion. “Your grandmother was such a force of nature and so fit for her age.”
“That was before she had a bad fall and shattered her hip,” Megan explained. “After the operation, she was never the same.”
