My life has turned out to be such a cliché. And not in a good way. It's not exactly Sixteen and Pregnant, but at eighteen my only advantage is a high school diploma. And if that's not enough, the father--and I use that term loosely--couldn't have hightailed it out of my life fast enough. I thought I really knew him. Unfortunately, my boyfriend of three years transformed from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde once he realized his carefree, childless days would be coming to an end.

I'm over him now though. The real love of my life is chubby, has more gum than teeth, and stands a little over two feet tall. She may not have been planned, but I've never regretted having her. She is the center of my world. A world that's been turned upside down when Mitch returns ready to earn the love and trust of the child he abandoned at birth. Letting him into my daughter's life is one thing but letting him back into mine isn't going to happen. Ever. Now if only I can get my heart to heed the lessons of the past.