The Girl With the Broken Smile

Nicki was trying to figure out her life. Newly divorced from a narcissist, she had two young children with her ex-husband and was pregnant with her third, also his. She had no idea how to manage on her own, but thankfully she was a veterinarian and had prospects for work. She was dealing with some heavy emotional baggage from the relationship as well. The last thing she expected or needed was to meet a handsome stranger in an airport that was incredibly friendly and easy to talk to. Perhaps because she was in so much emotional turmoil, she found herself telling him all about her life. It felt safe, knowing she wasn't going to ever see him again. Or maybe she'd just finally lost her mind.

Charlie was disillusioned with his life but didn't understand why. He had spent the past year working on himself, and he was starting to feel like his present situation didn't offer what he wanted. He'd been blessed to find success in his career, but now that success seemed to have consequences that made him feel like everyone around him was trying to get something from him. Some days, all he wanted was someone to see him for who he was, not his success.

Meeting Nicki was like a breath of fresh air swept into his heart. He couldn't seem to walk away, and the more he got to know her, the more he wanted from her. The difficulty quickly became their vastly different lives, compounded by the emotional baggage Nicki was dealing with, as well as her ex-husband that couldn't seem to let go.