tina'

YEARS

y as the middle-aged woman opened her door. She g

pearing into her house and reappearing wi

ne hand while reaching for t

ing, "These sure are heavy, but because you've been

he grunted, shutting the door in my

Holding Aidan in one hand and the duffel bag in the

anything. I took it for granted and partied away my time. Now, here I was i

, always gave me her laun

mom. I was shocked to find out that even janitorial jobs required qualifications. Aft

Aidan and me. Juggling work and motherhood was exhausting, especially s

up to see what he was pointing at and smiled when I saw a butterfl

ing a series of soft chuckles from him

e road, I let him go so he could ski

e-night stand with a stranger I did

ashes of that night in the bar replayed in my head. The only thing I remembered fr

back home one day, pr

of it all was not lost on me. I was a single mother with no job

ight you

mped into a man, my mind

ly as he bent down to pick up the new

p him collect the papers. "Aidan, wait up!" I ca

's voice was stern. I almost listened, but

FOR THE HAWTHORNES FOUND

oice sliced through the air. Aidan rushed back to m

paper. I forced a tight-lipped smile and picked up the duf

en afford a s

rtment, but the headline I had just read

ometimes I wonder whether they had a hand in her death. There h

n of thought and walking up to me. He handed me a n

om him and watched him walk away. I tucked the newspaper into t

dropped the duffel bag on the floor and searched my purse for th

as I picked it up. I opened the e

L NO

, "Could this da

or six months now, and I knew

rot inside as I dragged the duffel bag

extra," I murmured to myself, eve

paid the electricity bill, so t

exasperation for the thousandth ti

over it, but you're twenty-one years old, with no job, no money, yet somehow, you manage to party ever

r years ago jabbed me i

how much I loved her and how much I appreciated all her efforts, bu

ght in the bac

ost comfortable in south London, but it was manageable. There was a small center table and couch in the middle of w

was Taylor's friend. The details o

ped me with the rent for the first two years and even paid the hospital bill when Aidan was born, I don't know what I would have done

n sorting them. The earlier I started washing them, the earlier they dried and the earlier they dried, th

fell out, and I picked it up. I sat down by the edge o

group, was found dead in a pool. Sources said that she was sleepwa

o a pool?" I exclaimed t

just to

eople still applied for the positi

ened through my mind as I sort

Plain whites there.

o meet me in the bathroom. My head looked u

red, returning my g

hun

e that he was the spitting image of whoever his father was, because the only feature he got from me was

was sorting out. "Let me see what we have,"

and checked the fridge but was hit by t

Now, there w

Wait here for me baby. Mama