Page 83 of Seasons of Love
Milo
I lost everyone I’ve ever loved, but there’s one person I’m determined to keep. The baby I was left with when tragedy struck once more.
Now my life is all about surviving. I don’t have time to date, or relationships.
That is until Ellis, the sexy, older, and kind primary school teacher who’s currently living rent free in my head with no intention of moving out, gives me the second job I desperately need.
But why would he want a guy from the wrong side of town, who’s barely paying the bills and comes with a plus one?
Ellis
Moving to Stillwater was the fresh start I needed after having my heart stomped on and my career practically destroyed.
Despite my family’s best efforts, I’m determined that nothing shall break through the walls I’ve built around myself. No more relationships.
That is until I meet the much younger grocery store cashier with the warm brown eyes, and accidentally give him a job.
As I get to know Milo, brick by brick that wall is coming down and no matter how much I resist I’m starting to run out of excuses as to why I shouldn’t give in.
But why would he want anything with someone much older when he could have anyone else?
Breakthrough is book 3 in Ana Ashley’s series, Dads of Stillwater. This story contains an age gap, a sweet nine-month-old baby everyone will coo about, all the feels and Ana Ashley’s usual happy ever after.
TRIGGER WARNING
This book contains on page mentions of drug use, violence, and suicide.
No actual drug use, violence or suicide happens on page.
1
MILO
My mom always used to say there are three certain things in life. Birth, the shit in between, and death.
“Milo, you just have to find that gap in the shit and break through. Then you’ll be free.”
Well, shit or clouds, whichever way the wind blew that day. Sometimes I got dreamy, happy mom. Other times, I got sad mom.
Regardless, I’ve held on to her words for as long as I can remember. It’s difficult when shit keeps piling, people keep dying, and there aren’t many clouds. At least not the white, fluffy kind.
I push my thoughts aside as I stare into the big brown eyes of the one person who makes all the shit in between worthwhile and makes me think my mom was right about the clouds. Sometimes there is an opening.
Like Sara.
She’s the gift life gave me when it took everything else away. The breakthrough in the middle of all the really hard stuff. She’s my fluffy white cloud.
“Hello, babydoll,” I coo, tickling her tummy. “Shouldn’t you be asleep?”
She does a long stretch from her nap and then kicks her arms and legs. I can’t resist taking her from the crib and into my arms. I love how she smells and how soft she is.
“Oh, someone needs a diaper change.” She blows some bubbles as her agreement, and my practiced moves take care of the rest.
Kissing the top of her head, I walk into the living area. Well, living area is a stretch. It‘s more like my lounge-slash-bedroom-slash-kitchen, but never mind. It’s clean, tidy, and for as long as I can afford rent, it’s mine.
“You’ll spoil her rotten,” Florrie, my neighbor, says. “She needs to get used to waking up without you here.”
“I know, I know. I won’t do it tomorrow,” I say, kissing Sara on her cheek and giving her to Florrie, who’ll look after her while I’m at work. Sara doesn’t complain.
