Bittersweet Memories

Renay's life existed for Jake. Every afternoon he waited for her when she finished classes and they spent as much time in each other's company as possible. Renay should have realized the warning signs, but she was too much in love to worry how seriously their relationship was developing. Jake coaxed her along seducing her with words, but he never once told her he loved her.

Soon after graduation, Renay discovered she was pregnant. Her first thoughts turned to Jake. Would he be happy about the baby, or would he blame her for trapping him? She dialed his home phone number with shaking hands. The phone picked up and she recognized his aunt’s voice immediately. "May I speak to Jake, please?"
"I'm sorry, Renay, but Jake left this morning and we don't expect him to visit again for some time."
"He left!" Shock rang out in her tone. "Where did he go?" His aunt couldn’t have missed the heartbreak in Renay’s voice.
"He received a better job offer in another state and had to leave suddenly," she said kindly. "He tried to call you this morning, but I can see he didn't have any luck in reaching you."
"No, I was out," Renay murmured dully. "Thank you.” She automatically replaced the receiver. She didn’t have a clue to what she would say to her parents, but fate intervened making it unnecessary for her to tell her parents anything. The elder McKensie’s were on a flight home from a business trip when their plane crashed soon after takeoff.
Life became almost unbearable for Renay with her grief and the constant worry over the baby. Sara was supportive in her troubled period encouraging her to find Jake to tell him about the baby. Renay’s refusal was the only conflict they ever had.
With Sara's coaxing, they moved to the northern part of Wisconsin to wait for the birth of her child. Sara eventually gave up trying to convince her she should tell Jake and went along with her plans to have her baby on her own.
Bitterness filled Renay for most of the nine months replacing her former cheerful attitude toward life. When her son, Tyler, was born, she spent every waking hour caring for him. She delighted in just looking at his perfectly chiseled features and bright black eyes always watching her when she picked him up to change or feed.
As time slipped by, she decided to give her ambition of singing a try. With Sara's help in caring for Tyler, she resumed her career. She surrounded herself with a hard shell only letting down her barriers with her son and Sara.
Meeting Jon Sommers was just what Renay needed. Jon was a talent agent, bright and energetic. He loved his work in the entertainment field, and when he heard Renay singing at one of the local nightclubs, he knew she was destined for stardom.