The place was a ghost town. Despite its breath-taking locale, Appaloosa Plains had become a shadow of what it once was. The residents of the "sleepy ranching town" had drifted off, leaving behind shells of homes, crumbling remnants of Victorian architecture and empty streets. The city tried to save its existence by offering a funding assistance program for repairs, but the program collapsed when it was discovered that nearly all the buildings were contaminated with asbestos, had unsafe lead piping, needed all-new roofs or their foundations completely redone. Historical building legislation delayed construction work to such an extent that people opted to sell their homes to the government at a loss so they could move away from the red tape and renovation nightmare that their neighborhood trapped in. Now almost no residents were left and there was no city government to speak of. Appaloosa Plains was nothing more than a mess that needed to be cleaned up. Luckily, cleaning up
Content warning: Options for dealing with an unplanned pregnancy are discussed in this chapter. Opinions expressed by the characters may be difficult for some readers. ----- "I don't know how I could have been more clear that moving to the middle of nowhere and having a baby was not a lifestyle I want," Shaun said angrily. "If you decide to keep the baby, that's not going to change my mind. I'm sorry, Rukiya, but I don't know what you were expecting." "Some support would have been nice," Rukiya snapped back, wiping tears from her eyes. "It took both of us to make this mistake." Both of them were quiet for a moment. Shaun eventually broke the silence. "I can come pick you up and take you to a clinic whenever you need me to," he said softly. "Thanks," Rukiya sniffed. "I'd appreciate that." "And I can stay with you while you recover," he added. "I'll ask when I ca