Page 2 of Hiss and Tell
Taking a deep breath, I force my fingers back to the keyboard. Mrs. Breckenridge’s show notes won’t edit themselves, and despite my exhaustion, I’ve never missed a deadline. The familiar rhythm of formatting timestamps and polishing episode summaries helps steady my nerves. By 5:30 AM, I hit send on the completed files with thirty minutes to spare before my usual deadline.
The cursor keeps blinking, counting down the minutes until another day of keeping all the plates spinning begins. And today might actually be the start of something better.
Chapter Two
Aspen
“Daddy’s really coming today!” Milo bounces beside me as we race down the ancient stairs from our apartment, his excitement infectious despite my exhaustion. “He said we might go to the dinosaur museum AND get pizza!”
“That sounds amazing, Bug.” My chest tightens with the familiar mix of hope and dread. Derek’s enthusiasm always runs hot at the beginning. It’s the follow-through that’s questionable.
It’s the third week of March, and the weather can’t decide if it wants to be winter or spring. One day it’s snowing, the next it’s almost warm enough for t-shirts. Today feels like winter won, with that sharp bite that makes my eyes water and Milo’s cheeks turn red within seconds.
Raya Ross flashes me a peace sign through the Serenity Wellness store window as we dash past. She’s probably wondering how I manage to be running late at the exact same time every morning.
“Can I bring Super Steggy to show Daddy his new cape?” Milo clutches his purple dinosaur with the red dish towel from last night still tied around its neck.
“Of course. Daddy will love hearing about all your creative ideas.” I keep my voice light even as anxiety gnaws at me.
Little Dragons Preschool appears ahead, its cheerful rainbow sign a beacon of hope. Just eight minutes late today—practically early by our standards. Miss Lee greets us at the door with her usual knowing smile.
“Someone’s excited about his daddy day,” she observes as Milo practically vibrates with anticipation.
“The most excited,” I confirm, hoping my smile doesn’t look as strained as it feels. “Pick up at 2:45?”
“We’ll have him ready and waiting,” Miss Lee promises, and I’m grateful for the certainty in her voice. At least some people keep their promises. “Milo, Tyler’s already started building the block castle. He says it needs a dinosaur expert.”
“Super Steggy can help!” Milo’s earlier anxiety about Derek melts away as he spots his friend across the room. But he pauses, turning back for our goodbye ritual.
“Magic hug time,” I say, squeezing him tight. “Be brave, be kind—”
“And be myself,” he finishes. “Love you, Mama! See you for storytime! And then Daddy’s coming!”
The morning passes in a blur of produce displays at the Harmony market stand and coffee orders at Brady’s Diner. My regular customers have learned to tip well and ignore the occasional yawn. Between tables, I check my phone obsessively. No messages from Derek. That’s good, right? No news is good news?
The lunch rush at Brady’s brings the usual chaos of orders and demanding tourists who don’t understand why their lobster roll doesn’t taste like it was just pulled from the ocean in Maine.
Between taking orders and delivering food to tables, I mentally rehearse my pitch for the 5:00 appointment I have with the accounting firm. It could mean finally dropping one of my jobs. I’ve been building toward this meeting for two months—two months of networking, proposal writing, and carefully nurturing my existing relationships. If Radcliffe & Associates agrees to hire Aspenly Yours for their monthly bookkeeping, I could finally quit either the market stand or the diner. I just need to get through storytime first.
At 2:30, I leave Brady’s to pick up Milo for storytime. Derek will pick him up after storytime ends.
“Mama!” Milo races toward me, backpack bouncing, as I enter Little Dragons. “Miss Lee says I can bring my dinosaur habitatproject to show Mr. Sebastian at the library! And then Daddy’s coming right after!”
His pure joy makes my throat tight. “That sounds perfect, Bug. Ready for our favorite storytime?”
As we walk toward the library, Milo chatters about his weekend plans with Derek, his father’s promises, the museum visit that becomes more important to him by the minute. With each word I offer up a small prayer that this time will be different.
That this time, Derek will actually show up.
That my son’s trust won’t be shattered again by another broken promise.
The library’s double doors are covered with colorful paper leaves, and for a moment, everything feels possible. Story time with Mr. Sebastian, then a weekend with Daddy. Simple pleasures, but ones that could make all the difference in a little boy’s world.
If only grown-ups were as reliable as library schedules.
Chapter Three
Aspen
