Aloha, Baby! (3 chapter sample and a link to get the rest FREE!)

Chapter 1

Pregnant and alone. These are words that I never imagined would apply to me. Like everyone else I know, I had always dreamed of finding true love, getting married, and then (and only then) having a baby, and living happily ever after. That is the natural order of progression. It is the way things are supposed to go.

So, why in the world did I go and get myself into this predicament? What had I been thinking? I hadn't been thinking. That is the only explanation for my reckless behavior. I allowed myself to be swept away by romanticizing what turned out to be a dalliance, and in the process, I managed to ruin any chance I had of enjoying a 'normal' and traditional life.

The most I can hope for now is finding someone who will love not only me, but also my fatherless child. I have severely limited my options and possibly alienated my soul mate. After all, how many men are dreaming of finding their one true love, who also just happens to already be knocked up by another man? My guess is that the answer to that question is a big fat zero.

I have been dreading telling my parents about my 'situation.' They are both very conservative and traditional. They have always warned me about the dangers of falling for someone from the mainland. I'm afraid that my news will shock them immensely. Or worse yet, they'll use the ultimate parent guilt-trip phrase––I'm disappointed in you. Those words tend to cut particularly deep for me.

Being their only daughter, I have always tried to live up to their extremely high expectations. I've attempted to appear perfect to them, despite knowing that I am nowhere near that level. In school, I became the straight-A student, the cheerleader, the Homecoming Queen, and the lead in all of our high school drama club plays. I did all of this in the hopes of making it up to my parents for being a girl.

My brother never had to work so hard (or at all) for their love. He was praised just for being alive and male. I, however, consistently felt like they wished I had been their second son. Having heard my father speak of "an heir and a spare" more times than I care to remember, I was well aware that I wasn't the 'spare' he had dreamed of. So, I became the consummate overachiever in a desperate attempt to compensate for being born without a penis.

Not going to college had been my first overt act of rebellion. Turning down my full-ride scholarship is something for which my parents will probably never forgive me. I hadn't felt ready to leave behind everything and everyone I had ever known, especially my two lifelong best friends, Kai and Honi, to go to the mainland.

I was afraid to leave and risk losing an important part of myself in the process. Our island's culture and traditions are ingrained into my soul, but I was concerned that my distinct sense of self might become blurred if I were to leave. I didn't want to become part of the melting pot. My parents should have been proud of me for that. Unfortunately, all they focused on were the unredeemed possibilities.

Whenever the opportunity arose, they liked to point out the fact that I was still just working at 'that little hotel.' The disparaging words they used to describe the fabulously authentic resort where I worked made my blood boil. Even the fact that I have become a profit-sharing owner in the successful seaside escape didn't sway their opinions of my career choice.

Rather than admitting that I am already building a sizable nest egg through a career that fulfills me, my parents choose to point out at frequent intervals that I am a glorified maid. In some respects they are right. I do fill in for housekeeping. I also fill in for bartending, reception, grounds, and whatever else needs to be done at the time. All of the employees jump in and help out wherever we are needed. The direct result of the employees being shareholders in the resort is that we all love it as our own (because it is our own) and will do whatever it takes to make it a smashing success. After all, it's in our own best interest.