Road to Nowhere

They say an end is a new beginning...

They don't tell you it's not always a good beginning...

Becca Grace had read those words over and over. Her father, Zachary Grace, had written them to her in a letter nearly a month ago. They hadn't heard from him since then, but Becca was sure he was just busy.

Yes, that was it- busy.

Becca rubbed her middle finger against her temple. She hadn't the time to deal with the ever-growing headache, but now it was nearly unbearable. She gently folded the letter back into its envelope and slid it back into the book it was hidden in.

"Rebecca May!" came the call of Dena Grace, Becca's mother. "Come downstairs please!"

Becca sighed, knowing her mother was serious. Today, she'd be getting yet another sibling. She certainly didn't mind the ones she had, but she liked smaller families. She liked when it was just her, Mom, Adam, Nellie, and...

"Daddy."

Becca looked down at the voice greeting her at the foot of the steps. A small freckled girl with blonde curly hair stood holding a small rag doll. She held it up to Becca.

"Is this their daddy?" asked Becca with a smile.

"Gramma made me a daddy," said the child.

"Well, did you thank her, Nellie?" Becca said.

Nellie nodded and wandered away. Becca smiled. Her youngest sibling didn't talk much, but she didn't have to. She was a kind young girl with a loving heart. Not a day went by where Nellie didn't smile.

Becca continued on to the kitchen, where her mother was frantically arranging cookies on a plate. Becca leaned against the door frame and crossed her arms.

"Mom, what are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm preparing for our new family member," Dena replied. "It would seem I'm the only one."

"I'm sure they'll love it here," Becca said. "Tyler did."

"I knew about Tyler," Dena sighed. "I don't know who this will be. How do you prepare for an unknown guest?"

"You don't," Becca replied. "I'm 100% positive whoever it is will love it here."

"Where's Jesse?" asked Dena. "If he's not here when the authorites come, we're in deep."

"He was at work," Becca said. "Is it against the law to work now?" Becca rolled her eyes and sat down at the table.

"I'm sure if Worsher could fire all employees of privately owned companies, he would," Dena said. "Lord knows he's taken everything else away, too."

Becca was silent as she remembered her last night with Gage, her only love. Gage Hawthorne had been Becca's childhood friend and, for the last two years, her boyfriend. But he was recruited by the government to be a soldier, and Becca would consider herself lucky if she ever saw him again.

The doorbell rang, snapping Becca from her thoughts. Dena looked up.

"Laura!" she shouted, calling to the family's maid. "Door!"