Love Was A Beautiful Thing

The odds were against Rachel being alive. Joy knew that. But she had to know for sure or she would never find a measure of peace.

She had done everything she could—everything she was advised to do and then some—but still nothing. She had bent over backwards trying to get her daughter back and nothing had worked. 

Giving up wasn't an option though. She would never be able to live with herself. 

Derek knew this, which was why he never gave her a hard time about her continued search the way he did with other things he thought were only hurting her. And this sort of hopelessness was definitely hurting her. 

It had been ten years and Joy hadn't done anything with herself in that time. Not really. Her life had come to a standstill. 

She was working the same job she had gotten after losing her home and all her money. She couldn't afford to live on her own. Her credit had recovered but that took a very long time.