Page 4 of This Broken Heart

My mom smiles at me when I round the corner, her warm brown eyes immediately filling with concern. “What’s wrong?” She’s a tiny little thing. Barely comes up to my shoulder with heels on. But I can always count on her to be in my corner.

“It’s bring your mom to school day.”

Her face falls. “Oh, Josh.” She glances down the hall. “Did the school give you a head’s up about it, at least?”

I shake my head. “If they did, I missed it. They send so many damn emails. I can’t keep up with it.”

“His teacher should have reached out. How could she be so insensitive?” She takes a deep breath. “You know what? I’ll take him.”

Relief eases some of the tension from my shoulders. It’s not the same as a mommy, but at least he won’t be on his own.

“Thanks, mom.”

“What about Maven, though?”

I shrug. “She can check cattle with me today.”

Mom smiles. “She would love that.”

“I bet grandpa would love it, too.”

Mom shakes her head. “Sometimes, I wonder if I ought to be jealous.”

My dad and Maven have a special relationship. He’s a crusty old farmer, incapable of emotion, but when it comes to Mavey, he’s a fucking teddy bear.

I don’t know what I’d do without my parents.

I thought Ana and I had it all planned out. Our future seemed so sure. So good.

But life has a way of throwing curveballs.

I may not have my Ana anymore, but at least I’ve got a good team behind me.

3.

Erin

I plop down in the seat across from Darla, my temp coordinator.

Fixing my polka-dotted skirt, I try to work up the energy to look at the list she has prepared for me.

She flips a few more pages on top of the pile. “So, Sunshine Academy wasn’t a good fit?”

“A good fit?” I huff a sour laugh. “It was a nightmare.”

Darla pauses, tilting her head with an ironic twist of her eyebrow. “A nightmare?”

“Okay, you’re right. It wasn’t a nightmare.” I pause. “I think a better word might be purgatory. A sad, sad daycare with no outdoor space and the lingering scent of tater tots.”

Darla laughs, sitting back. “They get good reviews.”

“From who? Satan? No. Trust me, Darla. It’s not a good place. And the pay was terrible.”

Darla nods, allowing that last point. “These childcare centers complain they can’t find good help, but they just won’t raise their wages.” She turns back to her computer, clicking around. “And you’re sure you don’t want to work here in town? It has to be in another city?”

“If I was going to stay in Lincoln, I’d just keep my current job. The pay isn’t great, but at least I know what I’m getting into.”

“You’re a great candidate.” She murmurs. “An associate in Childhood Development, a few years of experience… Have you ever thought about nannying?”