Page 15 of Billion Dollar Dispute

My heart drops, imagining what exactly went so wrong. Was it issues with Hugo or her date? “What happened?”

“Well, for starters, I missed Hugo. Every single day for four years, I’ve had him all to myself. That’s over fourteen hundred days…” Her eyes suddenly fill with unshed tears. “Now I’m supposed to share him with my ex. How the heck do I do that?”

“Oh girl, I get it. But you deserve some time to yourself. To just be you. So tell me about that date you looked so amazing for.”

A smile spreads across her face, and I can’t help but feel so glad it went well.

“It was…interesting.” Her lips twitch, fighting a grin.

“Interesting, how?” I prompt, leaning forward. “Details, please.”

Molly’s eyes brighten as she starts retelling the story. “So the guy was nice. Polite and cute enough. But halfway through dinner, he sneezes so hard a booger lands right in his pasta.”

A gasp escapes, and I cover it with my hand. “No!”

“Swear on my life,” she laughs. “He’s scrambling to wipe his face with his napkin, and the poor guy smears more all over his face.”

I’m laughing so hard that my sides hurt. “Did he recover?”

“Barely,” Molly wipes her eyes. “He was so flustered.”

“Did he try to kiss you at the end of the date?”

She scrunches up her nose. “God no. I would’ve died if he tried.” When she pretends to gag, I laugh again.

“At least he took your mind off Hugo,” I murmur honestly, trying to picture not having Chad biweekly. I shake my head. I couldn’t do it.

“I guess I’ll get used to it,” she mumbles.

“Are there any classes or hobbies you’ve always wanted to try but couldn’t?” I suggest, hoping to help her.

“Yoga.”

“You should do it then,” I say, sitting on the edge of her desk.

She snorts. “I don’t want to, but I need to.”

I drop my gaze over her figure. She's beautiful. I don't understand the reference to her flaws. “You don’t need to do anything,” I reassure her.

She touches her lower stomach over her black pants. “I have a pouch.”

“So do I.”

I have a C-section scar too, so the pouch is a little bigger.

“I’m not ready to let anybody see me naked.”

I lean in, my voice firm. “You deserve someone who accepts you just the way you are. That pouch? It brought you one of the most incredible gifts. As moms, we sacrifice our bodies, but we gain more than we could ever imagine. If a man doesn’t see the beauty in that, he’s not worthy of you.”

As the words leave my lips, I have to bite back my disdain and swallow my own insecurities threatening to choke me. This is why I can’t waste my time trying to date again. They don’twant a 42-year-old single mother who has nothing to offer. Hey, you want some debt? I got mountains of that… Love and trust, though? I have neither.

“I know,” she says, quietly.

“You gotta love yourself before loving anyone else,” I say.

She raises an eyebrow at me, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. “I think you should take some of your own advice.”

“I won’t be dating any time soon, so the way I look is not really on my mind right now.”

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