Nobody’s Child (New Life Tabernacle Series Book 1) Read Free

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    Stranger still was how Robin was with them. She greeted each person as if he or she was a long lost family member. Nothing like what anyone would expect from a woman who’d abandoned her own.
    It made no sense to Makayla. It had to be an act, right? This was Robin’s "church face”? Regardless, people couldn’t get enough.
    Church mothers, choir members, deacons, children—there didn't seem to be anyone exempt from the charm of Robin Caroline Jones. People were all but lined up to get a hug and hello. Makayla stared at them in disbelief. She'd been coming to the church for weeks now and hadn't seen anything like it.
    Makayla was so busy watching how everyone else reacted to Robin, she hadn't noticed that Robin, while making her way through the crowd, had ended up right next to her. When their eyes met, Makayla froze.
    "Good morning, baby.” She leaned in to hug her. Out of pure shock, Makayla jerked back.
    To answer the puzzled look on Robin's face, she mumbled, "I'm all wet. The rain."
    Robin sucked her teeth and opened her arms. "Girl, don't nobody care about that."
    She smiled and it was like somebody turned on the sun. She put her arms around Makayla and squeezed her. It wasn't one of the fake little pat-hugs Makayla had seen some people give each other over the last few weeks. It was a genuine embrace. Despite her resistance, tears sprang to Makayla's eyes. She couldn't remember the last time someone had held her. It had to have been over ten years.
    At that moment, everything Makayla thought she knew—about the world, herself, her life, this woman—ceased to make sense. In a split second, it all flipped upside down. She must've been wrong. She must've been mistaken. This wasn't a heartless woman. This was her mother . This was where she belonged.
    She was only in her arms for a moment, but it was long enough to mess up everything. Long enough for Makayla to doubt the plan she’d worked toward for five years. Long enough for her to forget the pain and loneliness and neglect. Long enough for her to imagine perhaps Robin had missed her, too.
    All she had to do was tell her.
    Makayla opened her mouth to say the words she never thought she’d say when she finally met the woman that had abandoned her: I'm the baby you left with Ms. Baptiste. Do you remember that morning? The morning you walked out the door? I've heard the story a thousand times. I begged her to tell me over and over. She made you Cream of Wheat. But you just sat there, staring down at the bowl. You must've known what you're about to do. Do you remember? Please tell me you remember…
    "Sister Jones!"
    It was a girl that looked to be Makayla’s age, running in their direction. Robin let go of Makayla and turned to the girl with open arms.
    “Sugar Baby!”
    The two of them embraced and rocked back and forth as Makayla stood behind them, feeling like an idiot.

    W hen church was dismissed , Makayla lingered along the edges of the sanctuary, watching Robin. While still keeping her distance, she continued to observe as Robin made her way to the exit, hugging and kissing other congregants as she went.
    The closer she got to the door, the harder Makayla's heart pounded. She wanted a few more minutes with her. The hug was so quick. She needed more time. Everything was so mixed up and confused now. Makayla needed an opportunity to talk to her, to figure out what kind of person she really was.
    But what could she do? She had no real reason to approach Robin. She couldn’t just stand in front of her and hope something happened. At the thought of having to wait another week to see her again, Makayla’s heart sank.
    But then Robin stopped at the door to talk to Sister Ealy and Makayla had an idea. It was a long shot, but she had nothing to lose if it didn't work. And if it did work, she'd get the one-on-one time with Robin she so desperately wanted.
    Rushing up behind the two women standing at the open doors, Makayla "bumped" into Robin, allowing