SaraThe days were getting warmer, and the heat was doing nothing to help with stress and anxiety. I searched through the back cupboards to find the beer I was looking for. When I found it, I popped the top quickly and swallowed three Advil along with my first gulp. I closed my eyes and waited. I wanted the relief to be instantaneous. After a minute, I dragged myself out of the dark, damp liquor closet and back into the kitchen. Even with the air conditioning circling around the house, a steady stream of sweat trickled down my back.I sat at the bar counter and sipped my beer more gingerly. I glanced around the space, wondering how much longer I’d be able to enjoy time here… I closed my eyes and tried not to think about that as I drank. I lowered my head to touch the cool granite countertop and focused on my breath. I was startled to a jump when someone banged on the front door. I glanced towards the entryway and pictured Jayne standing there with her pursed lips. I groane

SaraI sighed nervously and rubbed my sweaty palms on my jeans. It was an odd reaction to have; after all, I was just meeting up with my mom. Lots of girls did that on a daily basis.But, I suppose those girls didn't believe that their mother was dead for years. Or maybe it was accurate to say that those girls' mothers hadn't led them to believe that they'd been dead.I scowled. Despite my intentions, Jaxon's words had wormed their way into my mind. Probably because he was right: trusting my mother immediately was a bad idea, especially with the timing. I wanted so badly for Jaxon to be wrong but he very rarely was–at the very least, I could keep my guard up and look for red flags before pretending that our relationship was normal.I shook my thoughts away and climbed out of the car. Mom or Sloan, what was I even supposed to call her? Mom seemed too familiar, reserved for people who'd actually watched you grow up and guided you through life. Sloan… she was admittedly a stran

Sara"I've never been here," I commented to Mom as we walked into the little bistro we'd spotted from the park.At the beginning of the afternoon, I hadn't really been sure of what was going to happen or how I felt about it all, but that had changed over the course of the day. We'd spent the afternoon walking around the park and reminiscing on all of our good family memories.I had really needed this more than I had realized. For the first time since this had all begun, I had been able to think about something else–even if only just for the afternoon. I was grateful for that and that feeling is what had led me to suggest that we extend our date and get dinner."Let's hope it's good," Mom laughed as we walked in and waited for the host to come and seat us.I bit my lip nervously as I thought about what Jaxon would say when I got home. I had sent him a message when we'd decided, even though I was fairly certain one of his men had let him know. He hadn't responded, so I could

SaraIt was strange to think this woman whom I hadn’t known most of my life, that I thought was dead most of my life would come to be so important to me. I almost felt relieved driving home knowing that my mom would be waiting at the house for me. It made me laugh and a little nervous that she wanted to cook for me. I wasn’t sure how great she was at cooking–if it was anything like me, I was glad I had DoorDash. I pulled into the garage to see that Jaxon's car was already there. I stopped and left my car running for a moment, remembering when we would drive to work together. There was no need for separate cars, and I knew his schedule because it was in sync with mine. The thought of those days being behind me made my heart sink. Now he was inside with my mom, hopefully not causing a problem or being a jerk to her. I rolled my eyes already tired and exhausted from a future argument. How had our lives become this? I turned off the car and dragged myself out. I walked slowly to

JaxonMy voice was raw from having spent the last few hours yelling at lawyers and doctors about my overwhelming situation. I wanted to choke out the next person who told me there was ‘nothing they could do.’ I sat at my desk feeling defeated with my head in my hands. I felt like I had no comfort–no safe space and no solution. Sloan was always at home, always seeming to flirt, no matter how cold I was. Sara always looked overwhelmed and upset and no words I had could comfort her. Here in the office, I spent more time trying to find solutions than actually doing any work. I was angry and burnt out. I hardly noticed the phone ringing next to me. It had been a while since someone called me on my office phone. "Jaxon Deverioux," I answered blandly. Whatever this was would have to wait. I was in no mood to deal with picky advertisers and platform hosts. "Yes, Mr. Deverioux, it’s Doctor Renfield. I’m so sorry it took me so long to get back to you with the results. Our equipment