Page 11 of My Heart To Heal

Zoe:Boooooo… Me too!

Cara:Doug’s cooking dinner. Bowie is at Jessie’s tonight.

Zoe:Bow chicka wow wowwww!

Cara:Oh, stop it. That’s your brother you’re talking about.

Zoe:That’s my brother you’re bangin!

Me:I miss y’all!

Bree:Come over this weekend.

Me:Bax is supposed to be having Jonah.

Zoe:Good, so he should. Get your butt to FF…

Cara:Yes, come, please, we miss you xx

I smile down at my phone. I love these women.

Me:Okay, it’s a date!

I’m so lucky. How did I get so lucky to have them in my life and have them want me in theirs?

Locking my phone, I take a breath and look around the darkened room. Just make it through the week, Missy, just a few more days.

‘Bax, where are you?’I snap into the phone. ‘Your son is sitting here waiting for you, and you are two hours late. Call me back.’

I turn to look atJonah, sitting at the coffee table with his coloring book.

‘I’m sorry, baby. Daddy’s running late.’

‘That’s okay, Mama. Can I come with you to see Bowie instead?’

He’s used to this. He knows that it’s unlikely Bax is coming at all because he has form. When he’s this late and not picking up, it probably means he’s wasted and/or balls deep in somebody. His priorities are all out of whack, with his son nowhere near the top of the list.

‘You know what, sweetie. Sure. Let me just make another call, okay?’

He nods and carries on coloring, and I walk outside as I call Bax one more time.

‘You know what, don’t bother. Don’t call me back, and don’t pretend you give a shit. Call it, Bax. It’s time you call it and stop messing with him. I’m taking him out of town this weekend — you missed your chance.’

I’m Moving To ForestFalls

Missy

Two Months Later

‘Hey, bestie.’

My smile beams as I meet Cara right where she asked me to, and she grins back just as widely.

‘You’re here.’

Opening her arms to me, she wraps me up in a hug, and I feel happy and excited to see her and decide to pull her chain a little bit.

‘I am. I don’t really know why you have me standing in the street on a cold November morning instead of meeting at your house or the diner, but here I am.’

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