Chapter three

From Mommy's Point of View

"Sophie filled my ear. "I've been trying to call you since last night. Where on earth were you?"

The tension now makes sense to open my heart from the very sound of her own:

"Sophie," I breathed, rolling up into position. "So glad to hear from you."

"I missed you. I was calling to inquire about how you're doing, you know?" She was still giving me grief. "You've gone silent for a while. Fine?"

No. I paused. "It has. Not been easy," I said quietly. "Work was a disaster."

"Oh, how?" She was still being all talky. "Did someone get on your nerves, again?" I sighed.

"Letting me go would appear to be one," I said to him. Refraining from sex with him was poor work performance in his mind.

The shocked shout of Sophie snapped that silence. "He what?"

"Honey-"

"No, mom. That's disgusting," she said. "I'm serious, I'm going in there and telling that slime something. Who does he think he is?"

"You haven't lost a hair," I was able to get out on a weak smile. "But wait-'when you get back'? What's that all about?"

She did a little tiny laugh: so sweet, so matronly, so homey a sound. "Surprise. I am coming home, Mom. For good."

For a moment, in that moment, I couldn't be sure I'd heard her right: "You're going back?"

"Yeah," she replied, the gravelly enthusiasm causing her voice to sound husky. "Ryan and I talked it over. He's playing for one of the minor leagues here, and I thought it would be a nice idea to be close to you. So, yeah, we're coming back."

I flinched. "Ryan. Your hockey boyfriend, yeah?"

She chuckled. "Correction — fiancé."

I tensed. "Fiancé?"

"He asked me a few weeks ago," she smiled. "I was going to tell you in person, but you know I'm awful at keeping things under my hat. We've already started making wedding plans. We're thinking next month or the beginning of next year, depending on how fast we can tie up loose ends."

For a moment, I'd forgotten Daniel, work, everything. That smile reached out more than it hurt my face. "Oh, darling, that's wonderful!"

"I knew you'd be thrilled," she roared.

"Goodness gracious, I should think so! I'm as proud of you as is possible, Sophie. You've become a good woman – a far cry from me."

"Mother," she breathed. "You don't mean that. Your who isn't your then. We all fall over, but nobody gets it right. You did. You escaped a horrible deal and started afresh. Something to be proud of."

My throat constricted. "Thanks a lot, baby. It means the world."

"I swear," she said, "you've come a long way in leaving the old baggage behind."

You could hear me chuckle. "Speaking of old weights, I ran Daniel out of the house."

That caught her off guard right away. "Wait, what? When?"

"I said it to her yesterday." "I caught him cheating on me. In the living room of all places. I came home early from work because I got fired, and there he was, half-naked far inside another poor woman who he probably lied to."

"Oh my God," Sophie stated, and her voice was outraged. "Good riddance! At last! I never liked that man. What is a woman's husband who lives in her house, spends her money, and acts as if she's doing him some kind of service? Ugh!"

I smiled. "You always used to say that."

"Because it's the truth," she laughed. "He was such a leech. I should've known he was a walking red flag."

We both exploded laughing, the uncomfortable kind after a beat. I hadn't laughed in a long time.

Mustering my act finally, I said, "I'm just glad that you're homecoming. What am I going to cook for you when you come home? Something out of the ordinary?"

She thoughtfully hummed. "Hmm. Surprise me."

"But not hot food," she said, trying to sound stern. "Anyway, I'll e-mail you my flight numbers when I arrive, okay? You're taking me from the airport."

"No problem," I said, grinning so hard it hurt my face. "I'll be there in a jiffy."

"Promise?"

"I promise," I said softly.

We talked a bit more for another couple of minutes or so, only about her work, fiancé, and how she was looking forward to seeing me. That was the end of the call, and I just sat there for a while, smiling at my phone.

I then stood up. I hadn't felt this way in a long time.

I played some music and went around the house: cleaned the counters, cleaned the sink, tidied up the mess Daniel had made. And now, with a fresh new beginning on the way with the house lighting up by the minute, sunlight streaming in the windows when I'd finished.

Then I showered and dressed in a simple top - white top and trousers - and took my bag and shopping list. I did not want the house empty before Sophie returned from work: I did not want more things about.

At the supermarket, there wasn't an aisle I didn't wander down, gathering up everything I could possibly think of for Christmas: fresh vegetables, chicken, rice, spices, snacks, basically everything I could possibly think of that she'd enjoy. Even grabbed a bottle of her favorite bubbly soda.

The check-out girl grinned as she rang up my shopping. "Big dinner planned?"

I grinned too. "Something like that."

It was low in the evening sky when I finally had the stacks piled onto the car. The streets were jammed with traffic and people, and for the first time in a month or more, I didn't even complain about it.

I glanced up at the red light and frozewas just standing there in shock.

This citywide advertisement for the new hockey tournament and next big thing loomed in the backdrop of my window, just outside. Shoulder-to-shoulder line of players, jerseys and arms crossed over chests.

I had been gazing at one face about halfway down and something about the features niggled at the back of my mind. The pointed jawline, the black hair, the smug grin.

It must be only one thing:

It looked so familiar.

I furrowed my brow and leaned in to take a closer look.

"Where have I seen him before?" I wondered, looking up at the billboard as the sign changed.