A Slice of Heaven

A Slice of Heaven Plot Summary

Introduction

# When Broken Hearts Learn to Heal: A Family's Journey Through Crisis to Redemption The phone call came at two in the morning, shattering the fragile peace Dana Sue Sullivan had built around her carefully ordered life. Her sixteen-year-old daughter Annie lay unconscious on the living room floor, lips turning blue, her heart struggling to beat in a body that had been slowly consuming itself for months. As paramedics worked frantically to stabilize the skeletal frame that had once been her vibrant child, Dana Sue faced a truth she'd been too terrified to acknowledge—her daughter was dying of anorexia, and she'd been powerless to stop it. The emergency call would bring Ronnie Sullivan racing back to Serenity, South Carolina, abandoning the exile he'd imposed on himself after destroying their marriage with a single night of infidelity. Two years of separation, anger, and stubborn pride would collapse in the face of their shared terror as they watched machines keep their daughter alive. In the sterile corridors of Regional Hospital, a shattered family would begin the brutal work of healing, discovering that some wounds run deeper than betrayal and some bonds prove stronger than the mistakes that nearly destroyed them.

Chapter 1: The Crisis That Shattered Everything: Annie's Collapse and the Emergency Call

The smoke alarm shrieked through Dana Sue's kitchen as she waved frantically at the burning toast, cursing her inability to manage a simple breakfast despite running Serenity's most acclaimed restaurant. Annie appeared in the doorway, all sharp angles and hollow cheeks beneath clothes that hung like curtains on her skeletal frame. The sixteen-year-old who had once filled their home with laughter now moved like a ghost, her smile unable to hide the gauntness that had been consuming her for months. Dana Sue had prepared a perfect omelet, fluffy and golden with low-fat cheese, but Annie's face twisted with revulsion at the sight of food. The familiar dance began again—pleading, deflecting, both pretending this slow-motion catastrophe wasn't happening. When Annie left for school, abandoning both breakfast and the packed lunch, Dana Sue stared at the untouched meal and felt the familiar chill of dread. The sleepover had been Dana Sue's desperate attempt to understand what was happening. She'd encouraged Annie to invite friends, hoping to observe whether the eating disorder was shared among her peers or Annie's private hell. But at two in the morning, Sarah's panicked voice shattered any illusion of normalcy. Annie lay prostrate on the living room floor, her breathing so shallow it was barely detectable. Time collapsed as Dana Sue took over chest compressions from Raylene, forcing breath into her daughter's lungs while sirens wailed in the distance. The EMTs arrived like an invasion force, their medical jargon cutting through chaos as they worked to stabilize Annie's erratic heartbeat. As they loaded her unconscious daughter into the ambulance, Dana Sue felt her world tilt on its axis. This wasn't teenage drama—this was life and death, and she'd been too blind to see it coming.

Chapter 2: When the Past Returns: Ronnie's Desperate Journey Home to His Dying Daughter

The call shattered Ronnie's sleep in his dingy Beaufort motel room. Dana Sue's voice, hysterical and desperate, cut through two years of silence between them. "I don't care where the hell you are, Ronnie, or who you're with. Your daughter needs you." He'd been gone since their explosive divorce, exiled by his own stupidity—one meaningless affair that had cost him everything he'd ever loved. Racing through the South Carolina night toward Regional Hospital, he felt the weight of every missed phone call, every refused visit, every day he'd let pride keep him from fighting for his family. The man who had once been the center of their world had become a stranger, working construction jobs that took him from town to town, never staying anywhere long enough to call it home. At the hospital, Dana Sue collapsed into his arms before remembering she hated him, before the familiar armor of anger snapped back into place. But in that moment of weakness, Ronnie felt the ghost of what they'd once been—partners, lovers, a team that could face anything together. The years melted away as they sat in the waiting room, two parents united by terror for their child. When the cardiologist emerged with news that Annie had suffered cardiac arrest from severe malnutrition, Ronnie stared at his ex-wife in shock. The beautiful, vibrant girl he remembered had been slowly starving herself to death, and he hadn't been there to stop it. The guilt hit him like a physical blow—he'd abandoned them both when they needed him most, and now his daughter was fighting for her life because he'd been too much of a coward to face the consequences of his betrayal.

Chapter 3: Rebuilding Trust Among the Wreckage: United Parents Face Their Child's Denial

Dr. Linda McDaniels delivered the harsh reality with clinical precision. Annie was deep in denial, refusing to acknowledge her eating disorder even as her body betrayed the truth. The sixteen-year-old who'd once been full of life now weighed less than ninety pounds, her heart muscle weakened to the point of failure. The psychologist's words cut through their desperate hope like a scalpel. "She's not going home until she cooperates. No progress, no release. We need a united front—no good cop, bad cop between you two." The confrontation in Annie's hospital room was brutal. Their daughter, desperate to escape medical scrutiny, spun and danced to prove her health while her parents watched in horror. When Dana Sue found the hidden turkey sandwich in the trash—evidence that Annie was still deceiving everyone about eating—the last illusions crumbled. "You don't get to come back here after abandoning me and tell me what to do," Annie lashed out at her father, her words cutting deep. But Ronnie held firm, his voice steady despite the pain. "Taking you home before Dr. McDaniels says it's okay is not an option. We don't want to lose you, sweetie." The battle lines were drawn with surgical precision. For the first time since his return, Ronnie and Dana Sue stood truly united, their daughter's life hanging in the balance of their resolve. Annie could cooperate with treatment or face transfer to an inpatient facility far from home. The threat of losing everything she cared about—her family, her friends, her familiar world—finally began to penetrate the wall of denial she'd built around her illness.

Chapter 4: Putting Down Roots: Ronnie's Hardware Store and the Promise to Stay

While Annie fought her demons in the hospital, Ronnie was quietly laying groundwork for a future none of them had dared imagine. The abandoned hardware store on Main Street caught his eye—a symbol of Serenity's decline and his own opportunity for redemption. Walking through the dusty interior, he envisioned shelves stocked with supplies and the cash register ringing with success. His plan was ambitious: transform the relic into a modern supply hub for the construction boom spreading across the region. Not just another hardware store, but a specialized operation that could anticipate contractors' needs and deliver personalized service the big box stores couldn't match. When he pitched the idea to his former boss, Butch Thompson, the older man's eyes lit up with possibility. "I might want to partner up with you on this thing," Butch said over lunch, recognizing both the business opportunity and Ronnie's determination to rebuild his life. "You show me a business plan that promises a good return, and we have a deal." The handshake that sealed their partnership felt like the first solid thing Ronnie had touched in two years. But the hardware store was more than a business venture—it was Ronnie's declaration that he was home to stay. No more running from his mistakes, no more letting pride keep him from the people he loved. When Dana Sue learned about his plans through the town's efficient gossip network, she felt the first stirring of something she'd thought was dead: hope for their future together. The man who had once thrown away twenty years of love for a single night of betrayal was finally ready to fight for what mattered.

Chapter 5: Breaking Through the Lies: The Intervention That Finally Reached Annie's Heart

The breakthrough came from an unexpected source. Ty Townsend, the eighteen-year-old baseball star Annie had worshipped from afar, cut classes to visit her alone in the hospital. His words were harsh, uncompromising, and exactly what she needed to hear. The boy who had always treated her with gentle affection now held up a mirror she refused to look into. "You used to be beautiful, but now you look like a skeleton," he told her, his voice cutting through her defenses. "I want the old Annie back. I want to see your dimples again. I want to hear you laugh again." His brutal honesty succeeded where gentle persuasion had failed. For the first time, Annie saw herself through someone else's eyes—not the fat girl she imagined, but a dying child breaking the hearts of everyone who loved her. Ty's visit was a catalyst, the shock that finally penetrated her wall of denial. When Dr. McDaniels arrived for their next session, she found a different patient. Annie was still scared, still resistant, but the absolute refusal to engage had cracked. The psychologist seized the opening, explaining the choice with stark clarity: cooperate with treatment at home or face transfer to a specialized facility. "I'd have to go away from Serenity and leave all my friends?" Annie asked, the reality finally sinking in. The threat of losing everything she cared about proved more powerful than her fear of recovery. For the first time since her collapse, Annie began to consider that getting well might be worth the fight. The girl who had once tried to disappear now faced the terrifying prospect of learning to live again.

Chapter 6: Two Generations Face Their Health Fears: Dana Sue's Diabetes and Family Healing

As Annie began the slow work of recovery, another crisis was brewing. Dana Sue had been experiencing episodes of dizziness and fatigue, symptoms she'd been dismissing as stress from her daughter's illness. But when she collapsed in Sullivan's kitchen during the dinner rush, the truth could no longer be ignored. Erik, her loyal pastry chef, hovered nearby with a blood glucose testing kit as the numbers told a story she'd been trying to avoid. Her blood sugar levels were dangerously high, a clear sign that diabetes was no longer a future threat but a present reality. Dana Sue's mother had died from complications of the same disease, and the specter of that loss had haunted her for years. Now she faced the same diagnosis, and the terror in her eyes was unmistakable as she insisted she was fine even while her hands shook. Ronnie found her sitting on a stool in the restaurant's kitchen, her usual confidence replaced by brittle determination. The woman who had built a successful business from the ashes of her broken marriage now confronted her own mortality. When he reached for her hand, she didn't pull away this time, instead clinging to him as if he were the only solid thing in a world that had suddenly become uncertain and dangerous. The family counseling sessions with Dr. McDaniels became a crucible where years of hurt and misunderstanding were finally brought into the light. Annie's eating disorder had been triggered by a complex web of emotions surrounding her parents' divorce. She'd blamed herself for not being enough to keep the family together, and later blamed her mother's weight gain for driving her father away. The revelation hit them both like a physical blow, the truth more devastating than either had imagined.

Chapter 7: Learning to Love Again: Trust, Forgiveness, and Second Chances

The path to healing required more than medical intervention—it demanded the reconstruction of a family shattered by betrayal and pride. Ronnie's hardware store plan became the symbol of his commitment, proof that he wasn't just visiting but rebuilding his entire life in Serenity. The reconciliation wasn't easy or immediate, requiring months of careful steps, honest conversations, and the gradual rebuilding of trust that had been obliterated by his affair. Annie's recovery was slow and painful, marked by setbacks and small victories. Each meal became a battle, each therapy session a step toward understanding the complex emotions that had driven her to the brink of death. Her parents' united front—their first real partnership since the divorce—gave her the security she needed to begin healing from wounds that ran deeper than physical starvation. The crisis had stripped away pretense and forced them all to confront fundamental truths. Ronnie's betrayal had wounded them all, but his abandonment had been the deeper cut. Dana Sue's pride had protected her from further hurt but had also prevented healing. Annie's eating disorder had been her attempt to control something in a world that felt chaotic and broken by adult failures she couldn't understand. As autumn settled over Serenity, the Sullivan family began the delicate work of rebuilding. Not the same structure they'd once been, but something new—scarred by experience but strengthened by the knowledge that they'd survived their worst crisis together. The hardware store's renovation paralleled their own reconstruction, both projects requiring patience, skill, and an unwavering belief that broken things could be made whole again through love and determination.

Chapter 8: New Beginnings: Wedding Bells and the Sweet Taste of Redemption

The grand opening of Serenity Hardware & Supplies drew half the town, a testament to both Ronnie's determination and the community's desire to see Main Street thrive again. Dana Sue had catered the event, her restaurant's reputation ensuring that the food would be as memorable as the occasion itself. When Mary Vaughn Lewis made the mistake of treating Dana Sue like hired help rather than the woman who had clearly reclaimed Ronnie's heart, the confrontation was swift and decisive. "Ronnie and I were married for a lot of years," Dana Sue said sweetly, offering Mary Vaughn a cheese straw laced with enough jalapeños to make her eyes water. "We have a daughter. We've spent a lot of time together since he came back to town." When Ronnie appeared at Dana Sue's side, wrapping his arm around her waist and kissing her with unmistakable passion, any remaining doubt about their relationship status evaporated. The second wedding took place on a crisp February morning, with Annie serving as maid of honor and the entire town of Serenity in attendance. Dana Sue surprised everyone by choosing to wear her original wedding dress, the fact that it still fit a testament to the health regimen she'd embraced after her diabetes diagnosis. The ceremony was held at the same church where they'd first exchanged vows twenty-one years earlier. But everything about this wedding was different. They were older now, scarred by experience but strengthened by the knowledge of what they'd almost lost. The vows they spoke carried the weight of hard-won wisdom and the promise of a love that had survived its greatest test. Annie stood beside the altar, tears streaming down her face as she watched her parents pledge their lives to each other once again, understanding finally that some things were worth fighting for, worth taking risks for, worth living for.

Summary

The red Mustang convertible sat at the curb like a promise fulfilled, its bright paint gleaming under the streetlights as Dana Sue stared in amazement. She'd actually won the contest she'd entered with her best friends, but the car represented more than just a prize—it was proof that she could set goals and achieve them, that she could take control of her life and her health. The goals that had seemed impossible months earlier had been checked off one by one: lose weight, exercise regularly, manage her diabetes, rebuild her relationship with Ronnie. As they drove through the quiet streets of Serenity with the top down, the cool night air carrying the scent of magnolia blossoms, Dana Sue felt a contentment she'd never thought possible. Annie was healthy and happy, her marriage was stronger than ever, and their future stretched ahead filled with possibility. The hardware store was thriving, Sullivan's Restaurant continued to draw diners from across the region, and most importantly, their family had not just survived its darkest hour but had emerged stronger and more united than before. In the rearview mirror, the lights of Serenity faded as they headed toward the airport and their Italian honeymoon, but Dana Sue knew they would return, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead with the confidence that comes from having weathered the storm and found their way back to each other.

About Author

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Sherryl Woods

Woods delves into the intricacies of human connections by focusing on themes of enduring friendships and family dynamics. Through her extensive body of work, comprising over 100 romance and mystery novels, she intertwines stories of emotional resilience and personal growth. Woods’ narratives often tackle serious subjects such as betrayal and spousal abuse, providing readers with both entertainment and reflection. Her focus on character-driven stories means that her novels resonate with readers who appreciate deep, relational storytelling.\n\nThe author’s background as a journalist, notably as a television critic, has equipped her with a keen observational lens, which she employs to create vivid, relatable characters and settings. Her transition from journalism to fiction writing in the early 1980s marked the beginning of a prolific career, starting with her first book published under the pseudonym Suzanne Sherrill. The themes she explores in her works, such as the well-known Chesapeake Shores and Sweet Magnolias series, which have been adapted into television shows, emphasize the power of community and personal transformation.\n\nReaders of Woods’ books are drawn to her ability to create comforting and familiar worlds, often inspired by her own experiences living in diverse locales like Ohio, Florida, and Virginia. Her bio reflects a life enriched by varied experiences, which she channels into narratives that offer escapism while encouraging introspection. By crafting stories that are as much about internal discovery as they are about external relationships, Woods provides her audience with narratives that are both heartwarming and thought-provoking.

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