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After her initial disappointment at my situation, my mom flipped her lid at the things Derek and his father had said to me. On some level, I believe she felt betrayed by them in the same way that I had. We’d done a lot of things with Derek’s parents in the two years that he and I had dated, and I think Derek’s family’s reaction to the news surprised her.
Mom begged me to let her confront them.
I begged her to let it go.
My mom had a bit of a Latina temper that I loved because she was fiercely loyal and protective, but I knew her efforts would only make the situation worse. I promised both my parents that we would all be better off without the Huntingtons complicating our lives, and after a while, they begrudgingly agreed.
Even though my parents had initially been sad for me, wishing that I wasn’t pregnant so young, their concerns faded away the second Matson arrived. It was no longer about how hard my life would be, and whether I was making the right decision. At that point, it became all about Matson and the joy he brought into our lives, a joy we hadn’t realized we needed. An unexpected baby did that to a family sometimes, brought you light in the darkness.
I was fortunate that my mom worked from home, so she volunteered to watch Matson while I worked during the day part time and went to school at night. My parents wanted me to have a bright future, and they knew I needed their help to make it possible.
It took me longer than most people my age, but I finally got my bachelor’s degree in online communications and ended up scoring a job at one of the biggest social-media companies in the world. I was the executive assistant to the vice president of development, and I loved my job.
Matson and I moved out of my parents’ house a couple of years ago when a family friend decided to move overseas but hadn’t wanted to sell their small three-bedroom bungalow in Santa Monica. They gave me an amazing deal on rent, claiming that I was helping them out more than they were helping me, and Matson and I had lived there ever since. I woke up each morning beyond grateful for my life, which most people might have found crazy, considering.
“Earth to Sofia.”
A hand waved in front of my face, and it was only then that I realized I’d been completely lost in thought.
“Sarin, hi. Sorry, what were you saying?”
She rolled her brown eyes as she brushed her jet-black hair behind one ear. Sarin was Indian, and had the most beautiful features. Her eyes carried a depth most people never recognized, and she had the softest skin I’d ever laid eyes on.
“Who were you thinking about? I hope he was hot.”
It was my turn to roll my eyes. “If you consider a seventy-something-year-old man hot, then sure.”
“Didn’t realize you liked them so much older, Sof. Is that why you’re still single? Want to go play bingo at the senior center later?”
“Asshole,” I muttered. “What do you want?”
“I need you to come with me. I have to pick up a shit-ton of cupcakes for the office, and I told them I needed your help.”
Sarin was an assistant as well, but she worked for the president of the company. He had three assistants in total, two in the office and one at his home. Sarin was the second-in-command at the office, which meant she could walk away from her desk for extended periods of time, unlike Jeanine, the first assistant.
“Okay. Let me tell Martin first,” I said.
“Your boss already knows. Come on,” she said, impatient.
“Let me at least tell him I’m leaving,” I insisted. I never left my desk unattended without telling him first. The thought of Martin shouting at me from his office and not getting a response almost made me laugh out loud. It was unthinkable.
Sarin urged me to hurry. I had no idea what the rush was all about, but was grateful for the distraction. I needed to stop thinking about Ryan.
I’d already called the hospital the moment I arrived at the office and asked about visiting hours. They wouldn’t give me any information about Grant’s condition over the phone, no matter how hard I begged, so I had no idea if he’d pulled through or not.
I could have called the bar and asked Ryan if the old man was okay, but I planned to avoid him at all costs. The last
thing I needed in my life was a man-whoring bartender who took home a different woman every night. That wasn’t the kind of example I wanted to set for Matson, and it wasn’t the kind of man I wanted in my life.
No, I’d find out if Grant pulled through on my own, by going to the hospital the minute I got off work.
Fighting over Angels
Ryan
I walked into the bar and sent our day-shift bartender home after settling in.
“Still in a pissy mood?” Frank asked when he spotted me.
