Page 5 of Ruthless Serenade

And now, seven years later, here I am - single mom, corporate job, and a six-year-old daughter who looks just like her father. It’s a different life than what I imagined back then, but it’s mine. And for Sharon, I’d do it all over again.

Before entering my apartment, I take a moment to collect myself. Time to switch from ‘work-Mindy to ‘mom-Mindy.’ I open the door, drop my keys, and head straight to the kitchen.

Tania greets me with a hint of concern on her face. "Hey, Mindy!"

"Hey, Tania," I reply, feeling guilty about the last-minute call. "Thank you so, so much." I dig into my purse and pull out some cash, handing Tania her double fee. "Take it, Tania. I promise I’ll try to plan better next time."

Tania smiles warmly. "It’s okay, Mindy. I grew up with just my mom, too. Now I understand her struggles even more."

I return her smile and glance around my small apartment. "Where’s Sharon?"

"In her room," Tania says, then hesitates. "Her teacher says she didn’t have a great day."

I frown. "Oh. Did she tell you what happened?"

Tania shrugs slightly. "I’m not family, so… confidentiality, I guess. She just said Sharon had a… situation today." She grabs her stuff. "But I really have to run."

"Sure, Tania. Thanks again."

After Tania leaves, I sneak to Sharon’s room. The door is closed, which is strange. I open it and peek inside. And there she is. My beautiful baby girl is sitting on the floor, totally engrossed in a puzzle. She doesn’t even look up when I enter. That’s just like Sharon; she can tune out the world when she wants to. Sometimes, I wonder if it’s intentional or if she just gets lost in thought.

I walk over and give her a kiss on the head. "Hey there, honey bunny," I say with a smile. I glance at the picture on the puzzle; it's a cute puppy. Sharon loves dogs and always asks mefor one, but I know it would only add more chaos to our already hectic lives.

"What’s the cute pup’s name?" I ask.

"It’s not a pup, Mommy," she corrects me. "It’s a boy dog named Lucky."

"That’s a great name," I reply. "Are you hungry, sweetie? We have some fish sticks in the freezer."

Sharon doesn’t respond; sometimes she does that. I pick her up from the floor. "Come on, let’s go eat," I tell her. "Wow, you’re getting so heavy!" She hugs my neck, and I kiss her face. "Love you, baby."

As we head toward the kitchen, I gently broach the subject. "Hey, sweetie? Tania mentioned you had a tough day at school. Do you want to talk about it?"

After a long moment, she whispers, "They played the quiet game at recess."

I feel a flash of anger but quickly suppress it. "Oh? And how did it go?"

"I won," she says softly. "But they said it didn’t count because I’m always quiet."

I close my eyes briefly, fighting the urge to march back into that school and give those kids a piece of my mind. Instead, I reach out and take Sharon’s small hand in mine.

"Listen to me, Sharon," I say, keeping my tone firm but gentle. "Your voice is yours to use however and whenever you choose. You’re not broken or strange. You’re just… you. Perfect as you are. And I love you to the moon and back."

Sharon’s big blue eyes, so much like her father’s, look up at me. Then she wraps her arms around my waist, burying her face in my shirt.

"Can we have ice cream for dessert?" she mumbles into the fabric.

I laugh, running my fingers through her hair. "Sure thing, kiddo. How about we make sundaes after dinner? You can use all the toppings you want."

I feel her little head nodding.

"Race you to the freezer!" I say, and I pretend I’m running, dragging her with me. Sharon’s giggles echo through our little apartment.

As we finish our meals and dig into our ice cream sundaes, I watch Sharon carefully arrange her toppings, her tongue poking out in concentration. For a moment, I let myself relax, pushing away thoughts of work, of Albert Solomon’s lingering looks, of the constant juggling act that is my life.

This moment, right here with my daughter, is all that matters.

Chapter Two

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