"Yeah, Mom's got a new beau now and doesn't need him or Dad anymore."

Sister Rosemary used to say that stepmothers could be wicked, leaving kids hungry, cold, and sometimes even selling them off to some godforsaken place in the boonies. The more Nolan thought about it, the deeper his sense of loss became.

As recess rolled around, Zoey stepped out of the classroom and immediately spotted Fitch standing not too far away.

She wasn't exactly fond of the man, but he was, after all, Zion City's biggest investor. She owed him some courtesy.

"Mr. Haskins."

She called out and started heading to her office.

"Ms. March, are you off for a break now?"

Zoey forced a smile, not too keen on chatting, but managed to respond, "Yeah, in an hour the kids will have lunch. I need to get the storybook ready for our pre-meal reading." "I'll join you."

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Haskins. I'm sure you're quite busy."

"Not at all."

Taking a deep breath, Zoey replied with feigned cheerfulness, "Really, it's fine. This sort of thing, I usually do with my boyfriend."

Fitch didn't budge, fiddling with his lighter that he had pulled out but hadn't used, twirling it between his fingers.

he wasn't insisting, Zoey continued on

left, Fitch whipped out his phone and made

other end made the

this, I refuse to believe he'll pass it up. Have the official

"Yes, Mr. Haskins."

sight

precocious, aware at such a young age that Zoey was his mom, yet he dared not call

Deep down, Nolan probably

and didn't want

the faint bond

her eyes, every child was hers, her love equally divided among

be so hard for

to smoke again; the greatest wrongs in his life were done to

front to grab the craft Zoey had demonstrated. Zoey was skilled; the

Zoey create

least being with Mom didn't mean the insurmountable separation adults

were about to touch

kids in the class adored Zoey, all

March's kitty is mine,

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