Jasmine cried when she spotted both her mother and father waiting patiently in the crowds at the international arrivals terminal. She ran into their open arms. Jasmine clung to them as if they were her life support mindful of her baby bump which was covered in a cashmere cape.

They both held her hand as if she were a child and couldn't let go.

Giving Sammy a farewell hug, they released each other with fond smiles.

"I've had one hell of a vacy with you girl." He says. "Can't say I'll be missing it."

"Thank you Sammy. I love you." Tears brimmed her eyes. "I wouldn't have survived all of it without you." She whispered.

"Love you back, girlfriend. What are besties for? If you even need me, I'm only a phone call away." Sammy replies, with a small smile, his eyes misting. "Don't ever let anyone dull your sparkle." He reminds her, sending her a wink and a pointed glance at her unborn baby.

"I won't." She answered, with a sad smile.

Jasmine could tell he was trying to keep his emotions in control. They embraced one last time and parted ways. Although her parents insisted they could drive him home, Sammy politely declined explaining his mother and sister were waiting for him.

It was good to be back home.

She was back in her old room decorated in soft soothing white's and pink's just like she left it. It featured a great big queen bed piled with bedding and pillows. The headboard was upholstered, white tufted, with a netted curtain hanging above her bed in a white silhouette. Her bed was flanked by white bookcases loaded with her favorite books and matching nightstands. An upholstered bench sat at the foot of the bed while a beautiful chandelier dangled from the middle of the room.

Jasmine inhaled the scent of her room as if it were perfumed and closed her eyes for a moment, absorbing the serene peace it gave her. It felt like home. It was home. And she missed it dearly. Even when she visited before, it never felt so welcoming as it did at that moment. It felt safe. Pure. Like nothing in the world can hurt her now that she was safely tucked back in her old room and beneath her parents roof.

She takes off her cape and slips out of her shoes and socks, sinking her toes into the ultra soft plush carpet and walks towards a recessed seating area located off the bedroom tucked neatly on the side and plops down on a chair adjusting the scarf veiling the bruises along her neck and grabbing a blanket covering her legs and waist. When she was younger, she'd spent countless hours reading or watching from the window that overlooked the vast gardens and pool.

Laying her head back she closed her eyes nestling her growing baby bump. She wore a loose fitted satin shirt to hide her pregnancy until the time was right to reveal her little secret. Her heart jump started for a few seconds at the thought of telling her parents. She didn't know how she was going to break the news. How was she even going to start and from where? She was afraid of what they were going to say and see the disapproval in their eyes.

A soft knock to her door makes her open her eyes and sit up, adjusting the shirt and blanket over her body. She turns to find her mother smiling and walking towards her.

"It's so good to have you back home, sweetheart. But you should be in bed resting. Jet lag takes a toll on the body." Her mother says, sitting opposite her on a chair. "Your sister and grandparents will be here for dinner, you must rest before then." She insisted.

"I slept on the plane for a few hours." Jasmine replied not being able to meet her mother's eyes.

"What's bothering you, Jasmine? I sense something is different. You don't seem like yourself. You haven't been home for almost a year." The expression of motherly concern reflected in her eyes. "I know something is wrong. I can hear it in your voice when we spoke on the phone so please don't repeat the word 'fine' because we both know you're not."

Her shoulders tensed and she adjusted her body forward, her fists tightening, nails digging into her palm. The weight of the world seemed to rest upon her shoulders. Jasmine didn't fool herself into thinking her mother wouldn't sense a change. She even felt she was different. Not just from the inside but it reflected on the outside too.

Now, she was just sitting there with nothing. No hopes, no dreams and no love expect a baby. She felt stuck, trapped in a life she didn't ask for. How on earth was she ever going to survive this? Tears clogged her throat. Her grayish eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Her full lower lip began to tremble.

She had to tell her. Jasmine couldn't keep the secret hidden any longer.

Her mother, the one person who had always been there for her, caring for her, loving her, sat there waiting patiently. Her mother would keep her safe; she would protect her from the unhappiness and the wrongs of the world. She would make everything better. The love shinning from her eyes would wash away all her loneliness and suffering. It had to because she was slowly slipping away, crumbling, and she didn't want to continue spiraling down the dark path of depression.

Drawing on her strength, she looked her mother dead in the eyes. "I'm pregnant." She pushed aside the blanket on the small sofa and tightened the shirt over her body to reveal her pregnancy.

Annie stiffened, taking in her figure. For a long moment she could only stare, her eyes absorbing every little detail. Jasmine felt self-conscious, shifting uneasily. It was hard to read her mother sometimes. She was no open book.

Until finally she broke her silence and said, "Go on. I want to know everything."

And then she told her all of it–everything about Cristaino, his sister and Zayn's involvement and all the things he did–pursuing her, kidnapping her, married her by force, lying to her, and lastly how she loved him. Everything.

Her mother sat in confounded silence, digesting the information as she leaned back in her chair. Annie's eyes were distant as she thought over her words.

"It's my fault." Jasmine whispered. "It's all my fault. I wasn't thinking. I was–"

She bent her head and began to cry. Her arms crossed over her chest, she rocked back and forth as she sought to comfort herself in some way. Annie was at her side and kneeling in front of her and wrapped her protective arms around her.

Jasmine sobbed loudly, barely able to breathe as her small hands clutched her mother's shirt. Rocking her, she held her as she cried, and kissed her head soothingly. The comfort and warmth her mother shrouded her with made her tremble and shake against her.

Her tears seeped into her shirt and soaked the front. "Shhh, my love." Annie whispered, cradling her against her chest. "It's not your fault. You loved him and believed he loved you back. There's nothing you could have done to stop fate. We'll help you get through this. You're strong Jasmine. Don't let his mistake weigh you down."

Annie smoothed her hair back, kissing her head tenderly. She rubbed her harms as Jasmine's sobs abated but tears still rolled down her face. "What am I going to do?" She asks. "I didn't want this. I-I didn't want a baby. I don't want to do this alone. . ."

"You are not alone." Annie's voice hardened. "You have me, your father. . .we are enough. Does he know about the baby?"

Jasmine shook her head urgently. "No and he never will. He must never know." She rocked forward as waves of panic crashed over her.

"Jasmine." Her mother argued gently.

"No mom! He can't–I can't bear it! He didn't want me. He kicked me out! He made it pointedly clear he doesn't want the burden of a wife or a family. Just before I left, I filed for divorce papers, they're in my handbag. I can't sign them. Not yet at least. Not until the baby is born. I won't have an illegitimate child. I just can't! It's bad enough I'm pregnant but–"

"So you plan on giving your child his father's name?" Annie inquired, pulling back to look into her daughter's eyes. Jasmine looked lost. "Sweetheart, did you think this through at all? I agree you should hold off from signing the papers until the baby is born but you need to think of afterward. What if he finds out? What are you going to do then?"

Jasmine shrugged. "He might find out but he won't do anything about it. If he doesn't want me he most certainly won't want a baby. It won't change anything. At least my child will be born legitimate between parents that are still legally married. I'm more afraid of what people will say about me, about our family. I hate myself. I'm sorry." She whimpered. "I'm so sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for. Unfortunately things just happen and we can't always stop them. You didn't plan to fall in love." Annie tried reasoning.

"I'm alone in this, a single mother and responsible for another little human being. I don't have anyone to love to share this moment with. It shouldn't be this way. I shouldn't have to live like this. People we know are going to talk behind my back. It's going to bring shame to our family." Jasmine shook her head miserably. "Why did this have to happen to me? Why me? I've never done a bad thing to anybody. I deserve to be happy. I deserve more than this life."

"Jasmine, listen to me, you did nothing wrong and having a baby is not wrong. Don't worry about what people will think. You did nothing wrong but give your heart and soul to the wrong man. What he did to you is awful and brutal. But you shouldn't let a man weigh you down like this." Her hands tightened on hers, her mother's dark blue eyes searching her face. "Stop doing this to yourself, stop hating yourself. No matter what, you have a family that loves you dearly and that is enough."

"I can't help but feel empty, guilty, worthless. I let you down. I let myself down."

"Stop pitying yourself. Right now you're angry with yourself. You're mad you let the control slip through your fingers. This chapter of your life will require you to be someone different. Change your mindset because the circumstances cannot be undone. Embrace the change, learn and grow from it. A strong woman doesn't look pitiful, she doesn't wait around and leave the key to happiness in someone's pocket. Don't let the actions of another leave you bitter. Be the brave, courageous girl I raised."

"It's hard." Jasmine replied. "Mom, I'm being sliced from the inside out. It still hurts and I'm burning with anger, but with time, eventually I'll learn to live with myself. But right now, its impossible."

"Can you go back in time and change anything?" Annie asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jasmine shakes her head.

"But you can start where you are now and continue changing the ending, can't you?"

"Yes." She whispered.

"Jasmine, focus your energy on building a new life. You have so much love to give in your heart but first you must love yourself. Make peace and you'll feel as a flower feels when it's petals soak the sun–it grows. The power lies in your hands and nothing or no one can take that from you." Annie looked Jasmine dead in the eye, cupping her cheeks, her ink blue eyes sharp and knowing in study. "Tell me something: Do you still love him?"

Jasmine doesn't blink when she says, "I thought I loved him, thought he loved me. I believed him, I could have sworn I saw his love for me reflecting in his eyes." She shakes her head sadly. "Now, I only feel nothing but a gaping hole in my chest where my heart was."

Annie looked at her sternly. "I asked you if you still love him."

The way her mother studied her made her uncomfortable. Jasmine couldn't look her in the eye any longer. She didn't know what to say. She really didn't know. If the circumstances were different. If his revenge wasn't in their way. . . If he hadn't let himself be blinded by his revenge. If only it wasn't more important than her.

Love means putting that person first. All things aside. No matter what, love should prevail. Hers did. She overlooked his faults and his clouded mind frame. She swept it beneath the rug and let herself love him. Jasmine had never been a bad judge of character. She was smart and had keen insight and an even sharper eye. There was goodness inside him. There was a man that was capable of love and so much more if only he allowed himself the luxury.

He made her fall out of love with the monster he kept hidden behind his facade. He showed his true face in the end. Never sparing her feelings or sacrifices. She hated that side of him.

However, she loved the real man he kept from her. He was capable of being good. Everyone did.

Perhaps she weakened him and that's why he pushed her away. A man like him, stubborn, proud, and powerful was made to feel weak. Perhaps, she was responsible for making him weak and he couldn't afford that feeling. Deep down, somewhere inside him, she knew he was worthy of her love.

Jasmine pursed her lips together glancing back at her mother with a torn expression.

Annie nods as if she confirmed her question. "The heart never makes a mistake. If it felt real, than it must have been real." She assures her, stroking Jasmine's hair tenderly.

There was a big pause as Jasmine ordered herself not to cry, covering her face with both hand. He rejected me, that was not love. She'd bared her soul, exposed herself. Every kiss, every caress, every touch had been a big fat lie. All his words meant nothing. When she made a demand, he never gave her what she wanted. He denied her. He was selfish.

"I've learned to live with my mistakes and I accept my fate."

Placing a hand over her growing abdomen refusing to find hope in the meaning of her mothers words. She still hurt, but she had learned to live with it. Talking to her mother happened to reopen the wounds that were slowly but surely healing. She hunched her shoulders, trying to think past all the mistakes, all the lies and deceit she fell for, to block him out of her mind.

"Jasmine you are a strong young woman. Turn your wounds and pain into wisdom. Allow yourself to heal and grow from what has happened and watch how your life changes for the better. Your outlook on life will only become brighter with positivity. Life is too short to dwell on the past. It's time to get back up, dust off and fight for the future you want like you have never fought before." Annie placed a hand on Jasmine's growing abdomen. "You have someone to set an example for."

"I know I need to snap out of it and move on. Its so hard picturing my future in a different light when I imagined it in a completely different one. There's always light at the end of the tunnel, right?" Jasmine laughed humorously.

"Always." Annie straightened. "Now that I've learned I'm to become a grandmother for the first time, I can begin spoiling the baby rotten. There is one more thing I must know. Are you having a boy or girl?"

Jasmine's guilt felt like a ton of bricks on her heavy chest. "I don't know."

Annie quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean you don't know? I'm sure you've had an ultrasound. From the looks of how you're carrying, you're at least towards the end of your second trimester." She notes with a critical knowing eye.

"I saw a doctor but refused to know the sex or anything else about the baby." Jasmine admitted, ashamed by her behavior.

"Well we'll just have to rectify that immediately." Annie held out her hand for Jasmine to take, helping her stand. "First things first, you need a shower, a good nap and food in your belly." Her mother gave her a gentle, encouraging smile and slipped an arm around her.

Jasmine respected her mother to the point of awe.

Annie St. James had a presence that commanded. She never had to raise her voice. There was more discipline in one icy look from her than all the drill sergeants in the world. She was wisdom, power and grace all at once. With her mother on her side and giving the encouragement and push she needed to keep going, Jasmine knew she was in good hands–the hands of a mighty angel. And for once in her life, she sensed somehow, someway, everything was going to work out.

Jasmine rested her forehead against her mothers.

"Thank you, mom. I feel like I don't say it enough. Thank you for always knowing to what to say. Thank you for making everything better. Zayn, Camelia and I are the luckiest kids. I pray, one day, I grow up to be just like you."

Annie kissed her forehead. "You three are a piece of me. No matter what you believe, every one of you have your own special qualities that make you, you. I would do anything to see you and your siblings happy and safe. Anything."

Jasmine stiffened once more at the reminder of Humphrey and the extreme measures Cristiano took to make sure he would never hurt her again.

"There's more I need to tell you. . ." She trailed off.

"More?" Annie prompted, cupping her face with both hands lovingly.

Jasmine untied the scarf along her neck and let if fall to the floor soundlessly.

"I was brutally attacked and nearly died." Jasmine's hand fluttered up to her neck.

A pin dropping would have resounded through the room following her admission.

Annie released her, hands falling limply to her sides. She stepped back to stare at her neck in stunned silence. Scrutinizing the ugly, dark purple bruises blotting the sides of her neck. The hands at her sides fisted and the nostrils of her nose flared. A dangerous, almost feral look entered her mothers icy demeanor.

"He did this to you?" Annie barely whispered, her sapphire eyes were severe, her body tensing in preparation.

"No! Humphrey–one of the employees at the hotel." Jasmine answered, telling her a different storytelling of pain, torture, mystery and suspense.

Annie could only listen and shake her head with every second that passed while Jasmine recounted her tale, her anger grew and grew. Another one of her children had been in danger. Another one of her children nearly died. And this time Annie nor Julien did anything to stop it. They were left in the dark by their stubborn, strongly independent daughter who risked her own safety, compromised her life to spare others her pain and worry.

"Where is he now?" She asked. "Nobody hurts my children and gets away with it. He must die for what he's done to you."

Her mothers response left her staggered, unable to look away from the icy storm brewing behind her eyes. Her mother was tough and not many people had a chance standing up to her. But the serious look on her face coupled with the cold harshness revealed something to Jasmine she knew all along.

Her mother would willing destroy anyone who dared hurt her family. By any means necessary. And she was sure, had Cristiano hadn't stopped Humphrey and put and end to his existence, her mother would have made sure to do it herself.

"I never finished telling you what happened. He's already dead." Jasmine gulped. "Cristiano killed him."

Annie's frosty expression turned stormy. The stark deep blue of her eyes shooting liquid ice.

"Your husband?"