Page 8 of Second Chance for the Single Mom

Through the door, Bran began whistling to himself. Seconds later, we heard a stream of pee.

“I think it’s adorable that he whistles while peeing,” Sara said.

“No idea where he got that from,” I said. “I can’t wait to see what weird little quirks your twins have.”

“If I can survive nursing,” she muttered. “I amnotlooking forward to them treating my nipples like chew toys.”

We laughed together, then Bran came out of the bathroom and walked over to the sink alcove. He dragged a stool from the wall, then stood on it to wash his hands. I led him to bed and tucked him under the covers.

“Aunt Sara is going to read you a bedtime story tonight,” I said.

“Why?” Bran asked.

I smoothed his dark hair back from his eyes. He was due for a haircut. “I’m going out. To see an old friend.”

“Like a play date?” he asked.

Next to me, Sara giggled.

I elbowed her in the ribs and said, “Something like that. Love you, Bran Bran.”

“Love you, mommy.”

I kissed him goodnight, then hugged my sister.

“Good luck,” she said. “Be safe. And have fun!”

“That’s the idea,” I replied.

I left my apartment above Sara and Harper’s garage and walked down the stairs and up the driveway to the street, where my Uber was waiting. I had sobered up from my wine in the hour it had taken me to get ready, but I intended to drink more when I got to Lucas’s place and then Uber home when our fun was done. Sara was an amazing babysitter, but I still wanted to be home when Bran woke up in the morning.

Even though I was allowing myself to have fun tonight, I was a mother first and foremost. Nothing was more important than my son.

As the Uber took me across town, I thought about Lucas. Back in high school, he was the tall, dark, and handsome boy who intimidated everyone. He had a smoldering gaze, a loud car, and a challenging attitude to the teachers and fellow students alike. His parents had allowed him to get a tattoo sleeve when he was sixteen, which made him seem so much older and more mature than the other students.

Of course, he wasn’t mature at all back then. He was a rebellious teenager who pushed back whenever someone asked him to do something. Or whenever someone got too close. We had spent a large portion of our six-month relationship arguing—about schoolwork, about politics, about our futures. He was selfish, self-absorbed, and inconsiderate. He had zero aspirations. The only motivation he had was working enough hours at the auto shop to buy beer and weed. By the time we broke up, it was obvious he wasn’t husband material. Hell, he wasn’t evenboyfriendmaterial.

But the sex wasincredible. Our chemistry was off-the-charts; we couldn’t keep our hands off each other for the entire time we were dating. And since tonight was only about sex, none of his shortcomings mattered.

I shivered nervously. A threesome. I had never had an opportunity like this before, not even in the two years I spent in college before I got pregnant. I had to remind myself that I wasn’t fully committed to the act—I could still change my mind. It depended on Lucas’s friend, if we vibed together and were attracted to each other. If I wasn’t feeling it, I could always leave.

But if we did do it… would it be great? Would it live up to the hype, or disappoint me?

I gave myself a shake.Stop overthinking it, Haley. Just let it happen and see where it goes.

Lucas’s condo was in a new building in downtown Vancouver, right along the Columbia River that separated Washington and Oregon. I got out of the car and marveled at the condos overlooking the river—this was a lot nicer than I would have expected from Lucas. As a real estate agent, I knew that this place was covetedandexpensive.

I used the keycode to unlock the front door and go inside. There was a meeting room similar to the lobby of a hotel, with chairs and desks, and a door to a workout room on the other side.

How could Lucas afford this place? Had he turned his life around?

I approached the elevator and hesitated. Now that I was here, I was getting cold feet. I took a few breaths, mustering the courage to hit the button to call the elevator. It felt like I had agreed to go bungee jumping, and was now paralyzed with fear as I stood over the edge.

Do it, Haley. Make the leap.

But I couldn’t make myself press the button.

This was starting to feel like a mistake. I was a mom, for crying out loud. I didn’t have random sex, and Idefinitelydidn’t have threesomes. I should have been looking for a serious relationship. Finding someone to be a good father for Bran, since hisactualfather would never fit that criteria.

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