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“I’m going to call your mum.”
The scent of peaches disappears and so does he.
And I’m left on the ground with my half-eaten peach and the doll.
Abandoned.
Lifeless.
Invisible.
1
NICOLE
TWENTY-ONE YEARS LATER
If life throws you a lemon, you should probably eat it or else you’ll remain hungry.
At least, that’s true in my case.
The fact that I got fired from my last job should say something. Apparently, I’m not supposed to call a customer a “creepy old man” if he “accidentally” touches my butt.
And okay, maybe pouring water all over his head was a bit of an extreme reaction, but I don’t have a filter when it comes to these types of things.
Not after everything that’s happened in the past.
So now, I’m hoping one of the companies that I interviewed with will call me back. Otherwise, Jayden and I are screwed.
I might not have finished university, but I did study at Cambridge for two years, and I have some experience.
But oh well. It’s brutal out here in New York, so my small amount of experience may mean nothing.
“Are you okay, Nikki?”
I lift my head from my task of chopping vegetables and stare at the adorable face of my little Jayden.
He looks so much like me, it’s a little freaky. But his blond hair is shinier, like my mum’s, and his eyes are a light brown, like a warm forest during a sunny day.
Despite being only nine years old, he’s the definition of a blessing. I don’t know what my life would be like if he weren’t around.
“I’m fine, baby.”
A delicate frown appears between his brows as he trudges toward me. “Stop calling me that. I’m not a baby anymore.”
“As if.” I ruffle his blond strands and he whines wordlessly. “Have you taken your medication?”
“Yeah, I did. I told you I’m not a kid.”
“If you say so.”
“Uh-huh.” He strains to see what’s on the stove. “What are you making for dinner?”
“Fish. Your favorite.”
A slow grin spreads across his beautiful little face and every hardship I’ve ever gone through seems to vanish into thin air.
As long as Jay is happy and safe, I can fight through every battle and win any war.
