Page 1 of Lost Times

Chapter 1

Thalia

“Honey, I’ve asked you five times now. Can you please put on your shoes so we can go? Mommy is already late, and that’s not a good impression to make on the first day.” I said, frustration and stress leaking into my tone as Jasmine bounded out of her room, holding the shoes she’d yet to put on.

Her hair was done in a braid which she’d begged for this morning, the dark strands standing out against her otherwise pastel clothes, and her little face was scrunched into a fiery scowl, one that brought me back to years ago.

Flashes of short dark hair and kind eyes threatened to rip me from the present moment, but I forced them aside. Focus on my child now and the one-night stand that was so much morelater.

She lifted her shoes and wrinkled her nose. “They don’t feel comfy, though. Why do I have to wear shoes at all? You don’t like wearing them!”

Holding my temper by the tip of my nails, I answered. “I don’t, but I force myself to because it’s not safe or correct by society’s standards to walk around without them. Remember the time you ran down the street after I told you to put them on?”

She winced, shifting between her feet. That hadn’t been a fun day for either of us. I’d had to call into work to bring her to the hospital for all the tiny pine needles and barbs she’d gotten lodged in her feet. She’d been a little more wary of running outside since and the reminder served to cool her heels now too.

Reluctantly sitting down, she put the shoes on and pouted. “Fine…” She grumbled, but I counted it as a win. Putting my phone in my purse, I gestured for the door hurriedly.

“Let’s get you dropped off. I’m sure you’ll make lots of new friends today, and hopefully I will too.” I said almost to myself, my mind thousands of miles away. I could use some friends if I were being honest. Ever since Jasmine came along my life was mostly wrapped around her, not that I’d ever regret the night that gave me her, but still…friends would be nice.

Flashes came again of kind eyes and his name, the only piece of information he’d given, came to me. Ludwig.

He hadn’t seemed interested in anything past one night and while I was open to it, I knew better than to get involved more with a man who all but oozed the vibes he did. Caring, yes, but there was something else there that instinctively warned me away.

Of course, when I found out I was pregnant from our one-night stand, that’d changed things. Then I’d had a different reason for trying to get in contact with him, but nothing worked.

I’d only had his first name and the hotel wouldn’t give me anything more. He’d been in town for a conference, but all the ones I checked didn’t have a ‘Ludwig’.

Most of the guests were listed under their last names, and just like that, I was stuck. It ate at me, but there was nothing else I could do. I’d tried to tell him and when that failed, I’d taken on raising Jasmine alone.

A pang of melancholy hit, as it usually did when my mind drifted to this topic.

Putting it to the side with years of practice, I pulled the car to a stop outside of Jasmine’s school, glancing in the mirror only to pause at the hesitance all but painting her expression. She was many things, but hesitant was very rarely one of them.

Turning to better face her, I reached out and took one of her hands, squeezing it. “Hey, is something bothering you?” I asked and she bit her lip, looking down at her lap with a frown.

“What if the other kids don’t like me?” She asked, her tone painfully quiet, and just like that my heart twisted.

I’d known moving was hard on her. We’d lived in the big city a few towns over all her life, but when this position opened and it was perfect for my degree I couldn’tnottake it.

That didn’t make me feel any better about uprooting her though.

“Why wouldn’t they? I may be abitbiased, but I happen to think you’re the best.” I said and the edges of her lips quirked up. Raising her chin, she eyed the school before nodding.

“You’re the best too, Mom.” She said, then she undid her seatbelt and opened the door. I copied her, giving her a tight squeeze before waving her inside. She hesitated on the threshold of the school, looking back at me one last time, then disappeared into the crowd.

Taking a deep breath, I fought past the unease and worry twisting its fingers into my chest. She’d be fine. Jasmine was always the social butterfly and she’d make friends in no time.

My phone buzzed with another alert, telling me just how late I was, and I winced.

Right, no time to keep worrying like this. I couldn’t afford to lose this job because I was late on the first day. Forcing all the tangled emotions to the side–and all the thoughts of Jasmine’s mystery father–I got back in the car and drove toward my new work.

Hopefully I won't get in too much trouble over being late…

Chapter 2

Pulling up to the concrete building, I craned my head back to take it in.

This town wasfarsmaller than the one we’d come from and in some ways, I liked that. The lack of constant noise and flashing lights was definitely a ‘pro’ in my book.

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