My little girl gawks. “Auntie Lana said bad word.”
I laugh. “Do you think she should put a dollar in the swear jar?”
“Yeah!”
Lana sighs dramatically. “When will I ever learn?”
Setting Felicia down, I pat her gently on the back. “Can you please clean up your toys and wash your hands? I’m going to get started on dinner in a minute.”
“Okay, Mommy!” she exclaims, waddling off toward the living room to pick up her various knickknacks.
Lana takes her place beside me, smiling nonchalantly as I shrug off my coat. “Water bill arrived earlier today. So did the electric and phone. Need me to spot you?”
“I’m not going to take money from a friend.”
“You know I don’t mind.”
“You already do so much for me. I can cover my half of the water bill, don’t worry. Do you remember the Gomez family that commissioned me last month?”
“Yeah. They had, like, triplets or something?”
“They loved the dresses I made for their girls’ quinceañeras so much that they referred me to a couple of friends of theirs. I’ve got two dresses lined up. That’s a grand a pop. If I can figure out how to sell one more, I’ll be golden this month.”
“That’s good to hear, babe, but…”
“What?”
Lana gives me a side hug as Felicia puts away the last of her toys. “You’re working yourself to the bone. I don’t want you to burn out, that’s all. Are you sure you can’t reach out to the father and ask for a little support?”
I take a deep breath. Lana and I met at the Fashion Institute of Technology. When we discovered we were taking most of the same classes, we very quickly became friends. She was surprised when I walked in on my first day, baby Felicia on my hip. She was one of the only ones who offered to help me when she’d start crying or if I had a presentation to give at the front of the class. She knows I’m a single mom, but I’ve never told her the full story.
I think about him often. Dominic. It’s the only name I have to go on. That creepy guy on the jet freaked me out so much I didn’t even think to ask for Dominic’s last name or his contact information. Imagine my surprise when, a month later, I discovered that my period was late. The rest was history.
Keeping Felicia is a decision I’ll never regret. Yes, sometimes things get hard. The thought of raising a baby alone was daunting, but so very worth it. My daughter is one of my biggest motivations in life. I’m determined to make it as a fashion designer so I can give her the life she deserves. The way I see it, if I can bring this beautiful little girl into the world all by myself, I can do anything if I put my mind to it.
“You know he’s out of the picture,” I whisper to her. “But it’s all good. Everything’s going to work out.”
Lana kisses my cheek. “You’re a damn inspiration, you know that? You should get a book deal or something.”
I snort. “Maybe we can get Oprah to add it to her book club.”
“Mommy, ‘m hungry!” Felicia announces from the living room. “I want ice cream.”
“Ooh, I want ice cream, too,” Lana says, hurrying over to scoop my daughter up.
“You know the rules, sweetie. Eat all your veggies first,thenyou get one scoop.”
“Aww,” Lana whines. “But I’ve been good all day!”
Felicia places her hand over Lana’s mouth and frowns. “Rules!” she says, exasperated.
I laugh as I head to the kitchen, running my fingers along the edges of the business card hiding in my pocket.
Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
Chapter 6
Dominic