Page 104 of SnowBound

I swallowed. “Thank you. For seeing us tonight. I’ll wait for your assistant’s call.”

Shouldering my purse, I gathered my son, still enveloped in his blanket, once I booked a cab on my phone app.

Sitting on a bench outside the ER, I cradled him, rocking back and forth, wishing we were home already. Or ten days later from now so we’d know more about his condition as Dr. Philibert said earlier.

With my eyes closed and my head pressed against the brick wall behind me, I imagined a life where things would flow easily and wouldn’t be so hard all the time.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up at six, after sleeping for about three hours. Alexi slept beside me, his dark locks spread on the pillow, his angelic face bringing a smile to my lips. One hour after we returned home last night, he woke up in his bed, screaming and pressing his palms to either side of his head, blinded by his tears. The pain was back. After another dose of the painkiller, I carried him to my bed, and we snuggled until the tears dried and sleep won the battle. For both of us.

Dressed in nothing but the long T-shirt I used to wear while I was pregnant and knee socks, with my hair knotted in a messy updo, I shuffled toward the kitchen, stifling a yawn. I poured myself a giant mug of coffee the minute the coffeemaker announced it was ready.

Bringing the hot beverage to my nose, I took a deep breath, hoping the scent was strong enough to wake me up fully.

I had an eight-hour workload today, that I could manage in five if everything went as planned, and two readings plus a paper to finish writing by tonight. Working and studying remotely at least allowed me to be there for my baby. Anyway, it wasn’t like I could afford daycare right now. With medical expenses, the rent, groceries, and utilities, I was barely making ends meet. A third client agreed to start working together next month. He’d pay me a great deal for fifteen hours of work per week to deal with his social media and newsletter. I had no idea how I’d be able to fit him into my busy schedule, but I needed the money, so I’d have to make time for him. If things went well, he said he would double my hours within three months. He paid an hourly wage higher than my two other clients combined, so this would be the perfect scenario. Fewer hours of work for bigger pay, which meant more time to study and play or go to the park with Alexi during the day.

My gaze drifted around the room. The mess of the wooden blocks in the living room brought a smile to my face.

While I prepped breakfast, I checked my emails and updated my calendar for the day. Yesterday had been cut short to care for my baby boy, and that had put me behind schedule. I would let him sleep in this morning since his night had been hectic. Through the partly open door of my bedroom, I checked on Alexi, making sure he was still deep asleep. Tiptoeing away, I grabbed my laptop and my breakfast and sat at the refurbished desk I had set in the hallway between our bedrooms. Painted in a happy shade of yellow, the old desk brought a touch of color to our apartment.

For three hours, I worked without interruption. My phone vibrated next to me, and I returned to the kitchen to take the call, so it wouldn’t wake up my son.

Ellie’s face flashed on the screen. “Morning, girl. How are you doing?” she greeted, her usual cheerful tone unconvincing.

“Hey you. Back from England?”

“Nah. I’m there for another week. You won’t believe who I met in that little dive bar I visited last night.”

“He or she?”

“He.”

“Do I know him?”

“Of course. Come on, guess.”

“Huh… Any clue?”

“Silverville.”

“Tom?” My first guess was Ellie’s college boyfriend. She was heartbroken when they split up after graduation because he’d accepted a job offer in Japan.

“Yep. The same.”

“And?”

“Girl, it was like no time had passed since we last saw each other. I don’t know… A part of me still misses him.”

“Did you talk to him?” I asked, now engrossed in the retelling of this encounter.

“Not at first. I sat in a corner and spied on him. He looked so handsome in his tailored suit and shorter hair. Like businessman hot. And my ovaries cried. I swear they did. He was all alone, sitting at the bar, his tie loose around his neck and his elbows propped up on the counter. Somehow, he looked sad. And lonely.”

“The same guy who was always in party mode and couldn’t stay seated for more than a minute in class?”

“Yep. And my heart broke at the sight.”

“Ellie. Come on, I have work to do and a pretty busy day. Just say it already.”