Kyle had heaved out a breath.“I really wish you’d stop caring so much about what my parents think.Their opinion shouldn’t matter.I love you, and that’s all that matters, okay?”
“Okay,” she’d whispered, further protest swallowed up in his kiss.
Kyle had always protected her—not just against the bullies at school, but against his parents.And maybe she’d been naive to think that he’d be able to protect her against the future.But when he’d been scouted, then drafted by an east coast team, while she had her scholarship to Washington’s best pre-med school, the writing was on the wall.And even if there hadn’t been the complication of a baby, a long-distance relationship would have been hard to maintain.Especially when both of them were going to be fully immersed in learning new things in new places…
Still, had she been too quick to give him up?
“Mom!”
Gen jerked, and the knife she’d been using slashed her finger.“Ow.”
“Mom, you’re bleeding.”
Darn, so she was.She pressed her thumb over the cut, and moved to the sink.“Would you mind getting me some antiseptic ointment and a couple of Band-Aids?”
“Dr.Bella to the rescue.”Her daughter grinned.
Blood dripped into the sink, and her heart smiled at her daughter’s resilience.Not for her shrinking at the sight of blood.Bella reveled in helping, and was always asking about Gen’s patients, never squeamish when Gen described—without names—some of the cases she’d seen.If Bella maintained her marks in school she’d make a great doctor one day.
Rain pattered against the kitchen window, the darkened skies enabling her to see her smiling reflection against the glass.How crazy to think that the illegitimate daughter of a solo mom who worked as a cleaner might herself have a daughter who could do extraordinary things?Thank goodness for her mom for believing in Gen, for sacrificing so much.
“Here you go.”
The cut wasn’t deep enough to need stitches, but would require proper bandaging to prevent infections.There was a cuts protocol at hospital, and Gen veered a little toward paranoia to ensure she didn’t bring any nasty infections home.
She supervised as Bella applied the ointment, then the Band-Aids, before disposing of things carefully and washing her hands.“Good job.Think you might want to be a nurse one day?”
“Come on, Mom.You know I want to be a surgeon.”
“A surgeon, huh?”That would take more years of training than Gen had undergone.Cost more, too.She’d have to hope that Bella was lucky enough to find a scholarship or five to help her through.Even with the funding support Gen had received, she’d have medical school bills for years.Hence why she and Mom lived here.
She shuddered.Imagine if Kyle were to find out where she lived.At least it wasn’t the trailer park, anymore.
“So, want me to cut up the rest of the toppings?Seeing as you can’t be trusted with a knife,” Bella teased.
“Love you too.”Gen poured herself a wine and supervised.Fortunately none of the toppings had been blood-stained, and little actual real cutting remained to be done.
Bella loved to make the pizzas her own, complete with smiley faces outlined in pineapple chunks—something that definitely wouldn’t meet Kyle’s notions of Italian authenticity.Nor her mom’s.
As the pizzas baked they chatted about what they’d do this weekend, when Gen returned from her shorter shift tomorrow.
“And you’re looking forward to spending time at Monique’s next Monday?”
Bella nodded.“It’ll be fun.”
“Good.”And phew.Mom’s work commitments meant she’d been unable to get out of a Monday job, which had presented some problems, with Gen’s long shift and Bella still at school.And while some people didn’t mind leaving under-ten-year-olds at home alone, she’d seen what could happen to kids left alone, and avoided it as much as possible.So the fact that the mom of Monique, Bella’s one real friend at school, had offered to have her overnight felt like an answer to prayer.If she believed in such things.
The oven dinged, and she helped Bella retrieve the hot sheets from the oven.Minutes later they were eating.
“Mmm, this is really good.”A long stringy piece of mozzarella lifted from the plate to Gen’s mouth.
“You’re so messy, Mom.”
Gen glanced down at where her top was dotted with crumbs.“Oh well.”
Neatness wasn’t her forte when it came to eating.She was so used to having to eat on the run it’d take a month of Sundays before she slowed down enough to eat unhurriedly.Bella, by contrast, was very neat.Her heart panged.That was another quality she’d apparently derived from her father.
They watchedElla Enchanted, another of those ridiculous Disney-esque movies that suggested girls who worked hard could still win the handsome prince.Gen knew that wasn’t true, although many people would probably look at her life and see some Cinderella comparisons.But Bella loved it—unsurprisingly, she was a big “girl-power” fan—so Gen couldn’t say no.Not when this was the most relaxed she’d felt all week.
