Page 64 of February

Monica swallowed and told herself not to take that at the flirtatious comment it had sounded like. Then, her phone beeped. She glanced down and rolled her eyes.

“Everything okay?” Bridgette asked.

“It’s my ex. She called this morning, upset about Aaron coming to visit schools. We fought, and now she’s texting me saying she doesn’t want me to pay for his school because it’s not my place.”

“You’re his mom.”

“Not to her. As much time as I spent as Aaron’s parent during my marriage to Lily, she never really treated me like a co-parent. It’s worse because his other mother hasn’t been involved in his life, so it’s not as though I would have been stepping on her toes. I just want Aaron to go wherever he wants, and Lily is hell-bent on him going to Columbia.”

“You offered to pay for him to go down here?”

“If she won’t, yes. I’d already planned on paying for half of it, or at least, his room and board or rent or something, but if she doesn’t take care of it if he chooses another school, I’ll do it myself.”

Bridgette smiled a little.

“What?” Monica asked.

“You sound like a good mom.”

“Thank you,” Monica replied, feeling the blush creep on her cheeks.

“Bridge?”

She and Bridgette looked up at the same time. Monica didn’t recognize the woman, but Bridgette seemingly did.

“Toya, hey.”

Toya… This woman was Bridgette’s ex-girlfriend, unless Bridgette knew two women named Toya and completely froze around both of them.

“It’s not French toast day,” Toya noted.

“I know. I was going to grab something to-go, but…” She looked at Monica. “This is Monica. She’s in town to work with my parents, and I sort of interrupted her breakfast.”

“Nice to meet you,” Toya said.

“You too,” Monica replied before she looked down at her food, feeling no longer hungry, and took one more bite of her grits and a sip of her coffee.

“I just came in for coffee,” Toya said as she pointed to the counter.

“Okay,” Bridgette replied.

“I think I’m finished,” Monica said. “You can have my seat, if you need it.”

“You just started eating,” Bridgette noted.

“I wasn’t really all that hungry,” she lied. “I’ll pay at the counter. You two can have the table. Bridge, feel free to finish it for me.”

“Monica, you–”

“I have to call Lily back now, anyway. I’ll see you at the office.”

She didn’t have to call Lily back and wouldn’t call her at all, if she could avoid it, but seeing Bridgette with her ex made her heart beat loud and wild in her chest. Toya was young and beautiful, just like Lily’s new girlfriend, and Monica had been stupid to think that Bridgette had been flirting with her.

“Monica, just wait. I’ll walk with you.”

“You haven’t even gotten your food yet,” she replied and picked up her bag. “I’ll see you there.”

She walked to the counter without waiting for a reply and asked for her check and another coffee to-go. Then, she watched as Toya sat down across from Bridgette in her old seat and wished she’d had the courage to stay.

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