Page 11 of One Good Puck
A second later, his gaze catches on a pretty redhead across the room who’s wearing a low-cut dress.
“Gotta go,” Camden says before making a beeline to her.
Xander rolls his eyes before turning to me. “Sorry about him,” he says.
I wave a hand. “It’s fine. He’s harmless.”
“Yeah, but he is annoying as fuck.” Xander squints in Camden’s direction. “And he’s currently hitting on my cousin. Goddamn it.”
Xander marches off to confront Camden while Sophie, Dakota, and I burst out laughing.
I hug Sophie. “Thank you so much for inviting me.”
She beams. “Of course! We’re so happy you could make it. How’s Emma doing?”
“She’s okay. My parents are watching her tonight so I could come out. She had the stomach flu the past couple of days, and that was a little rough.”
“Oh, that’s the worst,” Sophie says.
“Yeah, she couldn’t keep anything down for a while there. But yesterday she finally turned a corner and can keep bland solids down, so that’s good,” I say.
“You must be exhausted,” Sophie says.
I nod and hold up my drink. “That’s what the espresso martini is for. I haven’t gotten much sleep these past two nights while taking care of her.”
“You’re super mom, Abby,” Dakota says before turning back to Sophie. “She didn’t even call into work when Emma was sick. She still showed up and was an angel with her students.”
I wave a hand and chuckle. “It’s all part of being a mom.”
They both shake their heads. “No, you’re amazing. Really,” Sophie says.
I try to smile despite how un-amazing I often feel. I love my daughter more than anything. I wouldn’t trade being a mom for the world, but I’d be lying if I said that being asingle parent is easy. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It’s exhausting, and it always feels like I’m falling short.
Even though I work full-time as a teacher, money is always tight. Between rent, groceries, gas, insurance, and other surprise expenses that pop up every month, I don’t have much left over. Thankfully, my parents live in the city and they help out with childcare, so I’ve never had to pay for that. But still…When I see the happy families around me…When I see kids who get to have both parents in their lives, that familiar, ugly feeling gnaws at the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t give my daughter the foundation of a loving family…
I halt the thought before it can burrow any deeper. My daughter is safe and healthy and happy. She’s never gone hungry. I may not be able to get her the newest gadgets or clothes or toys, but she’s always had a place to call home and a mom who loves her. I tell myself that’s enough.
I smile at Sophie and Dakota’s kind words, hoping it doesn’t look as forced as it feels.
“Thanks, you guys. You’re so sweet,” I say.
A minute later, Ingrid, Maya, and Bella walk over to us. We all hug and say hi. They’re all partners of Xander’s teammates and have always been so kind and welcoming to me when I’ve hung out with them.
When I first met them, I assumed they wouldn’t want to be friends with me. I’m a single mom, and they’re all childless. They’re younger than me by a few years, too. But they’ve invited me out to brunches and girls’ nights so many times. I know now that they’re all genuine people, and it feels amazing to count them as new friends.
“How’s your dad holding up?” Dakota asks Sophie.
“What do you mean?” Sophie asks.
“He’s marrying off his little girl. His only child. He must be pretty torn up about that.”
A tender smile pulls at Sophie’s mouth. She’s wearing a bold red lip color, and her long, strawberry blonde hair is straight. Her fair coloring pops beautifully against the white lace cocktail dress she’s wearing.
“He’s hanging in there,” Sophie says. “He got pretty emotional when I asked him to walk me down the aisle.”
All the ladies and I go, “aww!” in unison.
Ingrid, the social media manager for the Bashers, gives Sophie’s shoulder a soft squeeze. “He’s going to be a mess on your wedding day. It’s going to be so sweet.”
