Courtney Adam's life in Oregon has been happy. She has wonderful loving parents but is haunted by the desire to know who her birth parents were. A mysterious illness during high school weighs heavily on Courtney-she feels she can't marry and have children until she knows what is in her genetic past. When she meets Steven Spencer, she believes immediately that he is the one-and the feeling is mutual. But then she travels to Illinois to find her birth mother, and what she discovers makes her feel she is not fit to marry anyone-or have children. She goes so far as to give Steven his ring back. Courtney has to learn that life has no guarantees. And though Steven adores her, how long will his patience last?