Julia DeSmit was only 18 and pregnant when Parker Holt walked away from her. Now, five and a half years later, she is making her own way with her wonderful son, Daniel. Julia is anticipating an engagement ring from her boyfriend of five years, Michael Vermeer. She's just been promoted to assistant manager at work and she's enjoying life with her grandmother and 10-year-old step-brother, Simon.

But life is not steady; relationships constantly change. Julia's world is tilted when Parker sends her an e-mail asking, "Do I have a son?" Julia waits several days to answer. She has not heard from him in all this time. Why now? Her reply is a simple "Yes." Her life will never be the same.

As Julia is dealing with Daniel starting kindergarten, Simon feeling that he does not belong, and Parker waltzing back into her life, Michael surprises her with an engagement ring. She knew one would be coming soon, just not now. Her reaction is not the elation she thought it would be. Perhaps all of these changes and relationships in her life are the reason.

Julia's world is toppled again when her grandmother has a heart attack. And then Michael begins pushing for a June wedding, only eight months away. She has too many decisions to make and her decisions will affect a lot of people.

Can Julia move away to Iowa City with Michael? Will it just be her and Daniel who move? Where does Simon fit in? Can she leave her grandmother alone? Julia seeks answers to these questions and more beneath the night tree that Parker and the boys create. This beautifully written inspirational novel is filled with love, compassion, and the seeking of understanding the constant change in relationships. Nicole Baart's third book in her Julia series should be an instant hit and should not be missed.

Book Summary

Do I have a child?

Julia DeSmit knew she would face the question eventually, but she didn’t expect it now. At twenty-four, she is finally content with the way her life has unfolded. A single mother to her son and young brother, she works at the local grocery store while chipping away at a two-year degree. All her free time is spent with her unorthodox family—her boys, her grandmother, and her boyfriend of five years. It’s not perfect, but Julia is happier than ever.

So when she receives the cryptic e-mail from her son’s father, Julia’s world is turned upside down. She hasn’t heard from Parker since he left her in a college parking lot nearly six years ago. But one look at her son—the spitting image of his father—is enough to convince her that, for better or worse, Parker is a part of their story.

Faced with this new reality and an unexpected tragedy, Julia begins a tightrope walk between what was and what is, what she hopes for and what will be.