I try to wave her off and sidestep Mrs. Morales. "Well, I can—"
But before I can finish, she shoves the leash into my hands and waddles right past me.
"Thank you, darling; I'll be right back," she says as she walks inside and into the elevator.
I look down at Trixie, feeling... duped. Romina only gives me an hour and a half to shop, and my time is already running out. I take out my phone to see how much time I have left.
Shit.
I return my gaze to the lobby, hoping to see Mrs. Morales, but it is empty.
What is it that is taking her so long? Maybe I'll just tie Trixie to a post and apologize to Mrs. Morales later.
Trixie begins to pull away from me, as if she can read my mind and knows I'm trying to get rid of her. Given her size and strength in comparison to mine, she easily wins the brief tug-of-war and the leash slips from my grasp
"Hey sweetheart," Dad said as he stepped outside to join me on the porch.I'd been estranged from both of my mom and dad for about a week. Zach hadn't been to the market in a week, either, or I hadn't started to notice him. I still felt so stupid for treating him that way and then fleeing. It terrified me that he'd gone to such lengths just to prove to me that he was deserving of me. All I wanted was for him to get sober. That was it."I noticed you've been a little down lately," Dad said as he sat and rocked a few times. "Boy problems?" ”"How come you didn't tell me?" " I couldn't help but inquire. "That his mother died?" That he'd gotten sober? That he purchased the plaza? ”"You went through so much when he overdosed. I didn't want to reopen old wounds.""I assumed he died.""He actually died for a few minutes.""That's not the same thing.""He was in a coma for a while.We assumed he would perish. Then he
"I can't believe you're going out with that lad again," Mom said as I arranged my artwork in a way that would allow me to transport it easily."I'm not going out with him," I said flatly. "He said I could sell my art at the tattoo shop where he works, so I'm going to do that.""He's just simply attempting to get a hold of you.""Well, if he sells all of this art, I think it's a pretty good ploy.""Honey, he works in a tattoo parlor.He's not much of a catch."I rolled my eyes and decided not to respond to her any longer. Dad sat on the couch, staring at us as we argued."Why don't you start leaving her alone, Maureen?" "Dad explained. "She's an adult now, and she's free to do whatever she wants."Mom turned to make an argument with him, and I took advantage of the distraction to sneak out of the house unnoticed. Dad nodded as he began to argue more vehemently to keep Mom interested in nag
I stood at the deli cash register, staring out the window into the empty store. I'd been scheduled to train to bake bread at a ridiculously early hour. So far, it's not going well; my coworker, Gwen, is too busy rushing around trying to get everything done to teach me anything. Fortunately, I've done this before as a teenager, so I believe I'll be able to do it again."We're getting ready to open. Are there enough sandwiches? " Gwen inquired, terrified.“Yep. "We're full up there," I replied. "I even had time to brew some coffee."“Oh. So, did you pay attention to my training? ”“Yep.”“Oh. Okay. Then I'm going to take a break. "Could you please keep an eye on the last round of bread?"“Yep.”"Excellent, thank you."I didn't turn to watch her walk away. I think I have another five or ten minutes before I have to return to the sandwich grind. People usually don't start coming in un
For a split second, my heart stops beating and time slows to a crawl. Everything around me is moving at a snail's pace, and my eyes well up with tears. I turnedaround to see if I'm dreaming or if everyone else is seeing what I'm seeing. My father has his arm around my mother's waist as she clutches Andrew in her arms, and Rachel gives me a positive reaction as she points her camera in my direction.The room has fallen silent, and all eyes have turned to me. Jordan coughs a few times as I turn my head to face him."This journey with you has been thrilling since the very first time we met. We've got to share so many wonderful moments together, and I want to continue sharing them with you as my wife. You've been everything I could have wished for: a supportive and loving partner, a wonderful mother to our son, and an ambitious and stunning woman in your own right. I don't deserve you, Aliyah; I've never deserved you. But I've always adored and loved you, and I don't
a year laterIf you had asked me a year ago where I thought I'd be now, I'd have said curled up on the floor with Andrew having to play with a pile of toys. I might have even mentioned cleaning and cooking and doing other job that fell under my responsibilities as a baby sitter. Never in a million years did I imagine myself sitting on a stage with six other graduates, listening to my culinary mentor speak about how far we've come.More than that, I never imagined I'd have both. And understanding what awaits me after this celebration is almost as exciting as what I'm accomplishing today.Fortunately, I'm surrounded by friends who not only believedin my food, but also in me. Tanner and Ray have both been helpful in my development, and I would not be where I am today without them.As I look out at the crowd thathad gathered in our honor, I fidgetednervously. Rachel smiles and waves at me, and I reciprocate with a small wave. M
Do I cling to the past, or do I let go and move forward with the man who has my heart? My mind is in an emotional fog, and I'm at odds with myself. Jordan's kiss is tender, but I can tell he's reading my body language. He's waiting for me to take the initiative. The last first move as I realize our relationship has progressed to a new level.I recline on the bed and pull Jordan to me in an attempt to begin the healing process. No man has ever made me feel the way he makes me feel, and I believe him when he says he and Romina had nothing in common.The realization that he is Andrew's father is both shocking and relieving. It broke my heart to think I'd never see the boy I'd grown to adore again. Knowing I'll be able to keep my relationship with Andrew is only a bonus to Jordan's reasoning, whether he realizes it or not.My body is craving a primal but necessary release right now. I reach for Jordan's shirt and unbutton it slowly. I run my hands down the front of