Return to Silver Creek: Taylor's Chance

Book 5: Taylor’s Chance

“Shiznits,” Taylor exclaimed, abruptly rising from her chair.

April couldn’t help but chuckle at the made-up curse as she waddled into the room. Taylor’s unique way of swearing was a clear sign of her motherhood, and April found it quite charming. She couldn’t help but smile at her young employee.

Taylor had quickly become an indispensable part of the store’s operations. She was a hard worker, unafraid to take the lead when necessary, yet always respectful. April considered her a friend and was training her to manage the office during her maternity leave.

Taylor loved her job, and her bosses were so kind that she sometimes wondered if they genuinely cared about her. But she knew that couldn’t be true. She and Logan would always be on their own. No one wanted to associate with an unlovable foster child turned single mother.

Life had never been a walk in the park for Taylor, but she’d always managed to scrape by. However, recently, she had hit rock bottom. She was struggling to provide basic necessities due to a combination of old and new medical bills and a last-minute cross-country move.

Logan was Taylor’s world. He was the only family she had ever known and the sole reason she kept striving for a better life. She would do anything to protect him, even if it meant moving across the country on a whim without the financial means to do so.

“Everything okay?” April asked, her smile warm and inviting.

Taylor wished she could say no, that nothing was okay. Her life had crumbled, and she was losing hope of ever piecing it back together. She felt dizzy and nauseous, but she knew it was just hunger. She forced a smile and turned to face her boss.

As Taylor looked up, April noticed once again that she didn’t look well. The dark circles under her hazel eyes were barely concealed by makeup. Her red hair was haphazardly pulled back into a messy bun, a stark contrast to her usual neat style.

She was dressed in worn-out jeans that looked like they were on their last legs. Her threadbare T-shirt wasn’t much better. April had seen homeless people with better shoes than Taylor’s worn-out sneakers.

Although Taylor hadn’t said anything, April was growing increasingly worried. Taylor had only moved to town a few months ago, but she had already lost a significant amount of weight, and her skin had lost its healthy pink glow. April suspected she was struggling financially and desperately needed help.

From what April could gather, Taylor’s move had been quite sudden. She had packed up her son and whatever she could fit into her old Ford Escort and left. She had driven until she ended up in Silver Creek. Whenever asked why, Taylor would simply smile and say they needed a change of scenery.

“I’m running late. I’m so sorry I have to go to the day care center,” Taylor said hesitantly. “I can come back and finish up this section if you don’t mind me bringing Logan.”

“Oh, that’s absolutely not a problem. I am eager to meet your son. You’re welcome to bring him any time,” April replied, rubbing her swollen belly to hide her concern.

As Taylor rushed out the door, April couldn’t shake off the feeling of dread. Something was clearly troubling the young woman, and April wanted to help. She decided to call Tucker, her boyfriend, knowing he would share her concern.

April walked over to her desk, sighing. She had misplaced her phone somewhere before heading to the floor. Pregnancy brain was a real nuisance.

An envelope caught her eye, and her heart skipped a beat at the sight of the bold red letters spelling out Notice of Eviction. They couldn’t be getting evicted. She had sorted out all their paperwork and payments when she started working here five months ago. She tore open the letter and began to read.

To her relief, the notice wasn’t for them. Taylor was losing her apartment. April had suspected that Taylor was going through a rough patch financially, but she hadn’t realized it was this bad. Checking the eviction date, she saw that it was a week and a half ago.

She wondered where Taylor and Logan were staying. No wonder Taylor seemed so stressed. The young single mother, with no family or support, had just become homeless. April found her phone and dialed Tucker.

“You should talk to her about it when she gets back,” Tucker suggested, sighing. “Just make sure the boy is out of earshot.”

“But what if they don’t have a place to stay?” April asked. “Child care is expensive, and Logan won’t start school for another month. What if—”

“April,” Tucker interrupted gently. “If we can help her, we will. But it’s not good for you to stress over it, hon.”

April sighed and agreed. She hung up and tried not to watch the clock. Three hours later, when Taylor still hadn’t returned, April was genuinely worried. She wanted to go look for her, but as she was leaving, she ran into Tucker.

“Taylor never came back,” April blurted out.

“Talk to her tomorrow, hon,” Tucker suggested, his brow furrowed with concern as he looked out the store’s front door.

“Tuck,” she sighed.

“April. We don’t know where she is to check on her, and frankly, it’s none of our business,” Tucker said, wrapping his arms around her waist and turning her to face him. “I know you’re worried, and that’s one of the things I love about you. But in this case, there’s nothing we can do.”

April sighed and nodded, frowning. She stared out the door, resting her head on Tucker’s chest. She hoped against hope that she was wrong and that Taylor would show up to work the next day, looking better and explaining that she had just needed some rest.

“Let’s get you three home,” Tucker suggested, placing his hand on her swollen belly.