Page 49 of The Sweet Part
“I’m Sophie Herman.”
“Sophie, this is Mason’s mom, Mrs. Shaw. You met her briefly at the wedding.”
“I can do a cartwheel, wanna see?”
She then proceeds to cartwheel, somersault, and attempt a handstand before I rescue her from hitting the end table. She pushes the hair out of her face. “Ta-dah!”
“Nice work,” Madison says. “You should clear the furniture before you do gymnastics.”
Sophie starts pushing the coffee table out of the way.
“No more gymnastics,” I say.
Sophie jumps on the sofa and bounces a little so her wings flap. “I wish I could fly.”
Madison’s expression softens. “I heard Mason went to your birthday party.”
Sophie leaps off the sofa. “Yup. He’s going to be my daddy.”
Madison sucks in air.
Sophie continues blithely, “It just takes time and a spark for people to get married, which is how you turn into a daddy. That’s what Aunt Alice says.”
I leap in. “No, sweetheart. Mason and I aren’t getting married.”
“Then how can he be my daddy?” Sophie turns to Madison. “I asked for a daddy for Christmas, and Santa didn’t bring him, then on my birthday candle secret wish, I thought let Mason be my daddy real hard, and it didn’t come true.”
Madison gives me a significant look. I shake my head.
Sophie continues, “I hope the Easter Bunny will make it come true. I’m going to write him a letter like we did for Santa, but instead of Dear Santa, it’ll say Dear Easter Bunny. Then we just need a spark so we can have the wedding. Mommy, the spark’s your job.”
“Sophie, wishes won’t make a new daddy appear,” I say gently.
“Everyone in my class has a daddy!” Sophie cries. “Tate has two daddies, and I have none. It’s not fair.” She stomps upstairs.
Madison watches her go. “She’s got spirit. That’s good. It’ll keep her strong.”
I laugh a little. “That’s one way to put it.”
Madison smiles, making her seem almost approachable. “She reminds me a little of myself at that age. Strong, opinionated, showing off for attention. Only instead of a dad, I wanted a mom desperately. Mine left when I was one. I remember how badly I wanted a mom like the other kids in my class. Not the one who left. A new, better one.”
“I’m sure that was very difficult.”
She narrows her brown eyes at me. “You have no idea what you’re doing, do you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Dating as a single mom.”
“Mason and I are just friends. In fact, I’m not going to date anyone until Sophie’s in college.”
She gives me a skeptical look. “You’re sending him mixed messages. Asking him to fix things, inviting him to dinner. He raves about your cooking.” She lowers her voice. “My son has never been to a six-year-old girl’s birthday party. Not since he was six. You think he would do all that for a friend? I know he stays late here. My nieces told me.”
My cheeks heat. “That part’s over now. I ended it.”
She continues as if I haven’t spoken. “I came here to warn you away from Mason. And I say this for your benefit. He’s not ready to be a dad. His ex-girlfriend had a pregnancy scare six months ago, and hefreakedout. He’s not even sure if he ever wants to get married. None of my boys are.” Her brows scrunch together. “Which doesn’t make sense since their dad and I have a happy marriage. Maybe the boys are too busy sowing their wild oats. Anyway, you might notthinkyou’re doing anything, but you’re reeling him in.”
Like I’m some master seductress. Right. Fix my plumbing! Wait, that sounds bad.
