JadeThe next morning seemed to come way too quickly. I woke up and groaned to the sound of the phone ringing. It was Jordan."Good morning," I answered gruffly.This response was very different from how I normally answered Jordan's phone calls, so he knew I was still slightly irritated about the confrontation between Jordan and Michael."Hi. I just wanted to call and apologize to you for what I said to Michael," he said.I could tell by his voice that the apology was sincere. However, I was also positive that he wasn't sorry for what he said to Michael but was sorry that he upset me."I appreciate your apology, and of course, I forgive you," I assured him.Accepting his apology and forgiving him didn't mean I wasn't still annoyed."We've been good friends for a long time," Jordan reminded me. "Even if we aren't dating, I still care about you and will always be here for you.""I appreciate that. However, I am really happy with Michael. The best way to be there for me is to avoid sayin
MichaelJade emerged from her bedroom after getting ready for her girls' night with Tammie. Her emerald green dress fit her body perfectly, as though it had been made just for her. She pulled her hair back into a braided bun, the red highlighted by the deep green of her dress, and applied her makeup perfectly. It highlighted her high cheekbones and beautiful green eyes.I could only stareat the vision that was standing in front of me. She took my breath away.A knock on the door shook me out of my reverie.Robin ranto the door and flung it open before his mother or I could stop him."Aunt Tammie,"he yelled.She pickedhim up and peppered his face with a lot of kisses."How ismy favorite man in the world?" she asked as she put him down."Awesome,"he said, leading her by the hand into the living room."Daddyand I are ordering pizza tonight and playing video games. We're having a guy's night tonight," he said.Tammie raisedher eyebrows at the word "daddy.”"I'msure you guys will have a gr
JadeI looked up from my computer and stretched, rolling my shoulders around in circles, trying to ease the tension out of my muscles."If I keep leaning over my computer all day like this, I'm going to become a hunchback," I told myself, rubbing my lower back.Heading to the kitchen, I refilled my sweet tea and grabbed a cinnamon roll. I leaned against the cabinets and thought about my relationship with Michael.Life had fallen into a steady groove for us. Many people might consider our relationship mundane, predictable, and boring, which was perfectly fine for me. It felt safe. My entire life had been hectic, starting with my mother's death, Dad's drinking, and trying to raise Sage. I didn't know what would happen from one day to the next.I smiled with contentment and satisfaction as I thought about my life.Michael always got up first. He would head into the kitchen and start the coffee, likely something he had done since he moved out on his own. He was a man who needed his daily
Although Sage had heard these words and others like them a million times in her life, they still hurt. The look on her face told me everything that I needed to know."Dad, isn't it a little early for you to be drinking?" I asked."Well, look who it is. It is Miss Stuck Up, living in a fancy apartment, thinking she is too good for her family," Dad snarled, his words slurred.Then, he looked around. "Where the hell is my grandson? Is he too busy to come over here, too, now that he has a rich daddy to take care of him and buy him anything he wants?" he hissed, his eyes red and bloodshot."You know I don't want him near you when you drink. I don't want my son to be around someone who is mean and acts like this," I replied calmly. Over the years, I learned that meeting my dad's anger with my own only worsened the situation."He just thinks that he's too good to be around me, too," Dad growled as he took another deep drink."No, he is excited to have time with Michael. But even if Michael w
Michael I sat at my desk, rubbing my neck. My thoughts wandered to Robin and Jade. Lately, I've had to work many late hours since we opened our new factory here. Robin had gotten used to me being home every night for supper. Now, I'm lucky to make it home before his bedtime. A couple of times, we did a Zoom meeting so that I could read a story to him while he was in bed. I had an online version of Robin's favorite book, and he had the book he shared with Jade. I was a little envious that Jade was there and couldn't be. A little tiny thought in my mind made me resent that work was taking me away from Robin. I had already missed so much in his life. And now, I was sitting at a desk, realizing I was missing more time with Robin. This feeling was yet another first since I had met my son. Jade hadn't said anything about my work hours. Since she had raised Robin alone, it likely didn't bother her that I didn't get home until late at night. She might even be slightly relieved by the fa
"Almost midnight, Cinderella. Your coach is about to turn back into a pumpkin, so you need to hit the hay before the bell tolls," I told her. "I hoofed it to the ball tonight," she said sleepily, yawning and stretching. "However, I have an early morning, so bed sounds perfect." She stood on her toes and gave me a quick peck on the cheek before shuffling off. Growling, I resisted the temptation to go after her and shake some sense into her. However, that would be the opposite of what I was going for. Miss Independence would have had a heart attack if I interfered. I ate the dinner left for me and thought that it wasn't half bad. I was positive that my mother would have had a heart attack at the thought of me eating something like this when I was a child. I wondered if her reaction would be the same if she saw Robin eating this. Heaven forbid I tell her about this particular dish, or she would immediately hire a nutritionist and a cook to ensure that Robin had gourmet meals. That w
Jade A loud knock on the door startled me because I was so focused on my business plan. I needed to get my plan in motion soon. I had so much on my plate to take care of, such as my sister's tuition, and now trying to figure out a place that could help Dad. I was even more surprised to see Michael's assistant, Daisy, standing in the doorway with her computer bag over one shoulder and her purse over the other. "Hi. I hope I'm not intruding. Michael said that you were working on a business plan for a restaurant. Business plans are my expertise, so I was wondering if perhaps I could help you in any way," Daisy said. "I've also become somewhat of an expert at helping to find the perfect locations for businesses." I wasn't an idiot. There was no way in the world that little Miss Cute and Perfect suddenly had a helpful itch she couldn't resist. She was here under Michael's orders. However, I also wasn't a fool, so if there was someone who had expertise in business plans which could help
"I'm pretty sure my chef skills will speak for me. People won't care if my hair is a simple ponytail or if my outfit is simple as long as my food is good," I said, trying not to sound confrontational. Biting my tongue, I looked down at my meal as the two women exchanged glances. Goldie cleared her throat, and I was expecting another barb about my hair or clothes. Instead, she asked, "You are now working as a pastry chef?" "Yes, ma'am," I replied. "How long have you been doing that?" she inquired. "Formally, since I was sixteen and legally able to work." "I'm sure it's not a high-paying job," she said, her manicured fingers tapping against her glass. "It pays enough," I returned. "Why didn't you go to college and get a degree like Daisy did so you could get a good-paying job?" she asked, a manicured eyebrow rising as she assessed me. I could have told her the entire truth – I was too busy caring for Sage and Robin to go to college. Instead, I told her what I figured she needed