Circle of Love

The hallmark of novels by Ann Sawyer is the depth of insight and understanding that she brings to her characters and plots. With compassion and empathy, she weaves the many complex strands that truly reflect our lives, bringing the reader into a deeper, meaningful experience. Ann Sawyer’s background as a long term psychotherapist contributes greatly to the richness and beauty of her stories.
Cheryl Hollingsworth didn’t believe in love, romance, or happy ever after. The heartbreak of her parent’s marriage founded on pregnancy and the abandonment by her father, settled in her child’s mind that love was not real. So, though young, beautiful and eligible, she was content to teach school and otherwise spend time at home and with friends. One frigid night, a chance encounter with handsome Paul Chapman, who had rescued her from the unwanted attentions of a drunk, stirred in Cheryl that kind of romantic longings and foolish daydreams she had always disdained.
Paul Chapman’s cynicism about women and love came from his older brother’s disastrous marriage. He dated often with a variety of women, making sure to keep each at a safe distance. It seemed like the perfect arrangement that Paul and Cheryl forged; good times and no strings. They went to concerts, basketball games, skiing, and to wonderful restaurants over the next months, always with some weeks of no contact between dates. Late one night, after an evening of laughter and closeness, Cheryl and Paul make love, physically expressing the growing love between them that both refused to say.
Cold reality struck when Cheryl discovers that she is pregnant. Vowing not to put her child through the same misery she endured, Cheryl avoids Paul and then flees to her brother in the Pacific Northwest. It is only by chance that Paul learns of Cheryl’s plight and vows to confront her. Cheryl at first runs from Paul, but with money running out and her brother about to be transferred to Alaska, Cheryl had no good options. Paul takes her back to Chicago to live with him until the baby is six weeks old and she is on her feet again.
Living together was wonderful in that Cheryl loved cooking and caring for the home, with Paul very grateful recipient. Together, they share the baby’s birth and then caring for him in the first weeks. But, being together was also torment in trying to contain and deny the strong currents of attraction and love each felt, but would not own.
After a New Year’s Eve Party, jealousy, fear and the power of all their unspoken passion erupted. Cheryl moved out. Though she acknowledges her deep love for Paul, she vows to move on in her life without him. Soon, she faced all the difficulties of being a single parent. Hurt and angry by Cheryl’s leaving, Paul bitterly mourns the loss of his little family by falling into the male trap of drinking and surly behavior.
Disaster strikes when Cheryl breaks her ankle while rushing her sick baby to the doctor. She calls Paul who not only takes her to the hospital, but then moves her and the baby back to his place. Cheryl and Paul can no longer deny their deep mutual love or the need they have for each other. Together, they take a chance on love.