Olivia. I stared at the open suitcase on my bed like it was a live wire, sparking, daring me to touch it. The zipper caught on the edge as if it, too, didn’t want me to go. I yanked it free and tossed in a blouse, a sleek black dress I bought three years ago for a wedding I never attended, and a pair of heels I hadn’t worn since I walked out of my father’s house for the last time five years ago.My hands moved faster than my thoughts. If I let myself think, if I let myself feel, I wouldn’t be able to do it. I'd call Jake and say, "I’m sorry, I can’t go. My son needs me. I’m not that kind of mother." And maybe I’d hear the polite sympathy in his voice twist into the subtle judgment that always came when people heard about my situation. Single mom. Kid needs surgery. New job. Messy life.But he had also made it clear he needed an assistant that was flexible to meet his needs at whatever time, and I had said I would be exactly that. And this was one of those times. And I needed this j
Last Updated : 2025-05-05 Read more