Heidi J. Kellam

When her parents’ marriage explodes in a dramatic midnight display of infidelity, Heidi’s understanding of love and romance shatters. Adults aren’t loyal, and love is a lie. Her once curious and studious mind devolves into madness and an insatiable pursuit of love and acceptance. But the high school parties, promiscuity, and delirious attempts to mold herself into someone worthy come to a screeching halt when she discovers she’s pregnant.

Forced to drop out of high school to support herself and her son, Heidi faces all the realities of being a single teenage mother living in poverty. It’s no wonder that she should fall head over heels for the mysterious, tall, dark, handsome Nick, whose hypnotic love rejuvenates hope for a happy family life. With renewed purpose, Heidi pours whatever energy she has left over from mothering into her studies, leading to an opportunity to escape the slums of Albuquerque and experience the luxuries of a higher education. To the outside world, her marriage and her life are on the road to success.

But history repeats itself. Despite her determination not to follow in her parents’ footsteps, she can’t seem to escape old patterns. Heidi has an affair, and Nick’s alcoholism and drug use keep him from keeping a stable job. Heidi’s achievements in school make her unhappy marriage harder to accept. She deserves more than staying out of obligation. With greater confidence in her ability to thrive without Nick, she develops and executes a painful but necessary escape plan.