Dear Ex-wife Marry Me by Twin Bridge

"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.

wasn't insisting, Zoey

soon as she left, Fitch whipped out his

was said on the other end made the corners of his mouth curl

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

"Yes, Mr. Haskins."

door, catching sight of Nolan

aware at such a young age that Zoey was his mom, yet he

Deep down, Nolan probably

family and didn't want him anymore. The child's

remembered nothing, and with her job at the kindergarten, the faint bond of mother and child seemed all

her love equally divided among all her students, with no special place for

must be so hard

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

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

was the first time Fitch had seen Zoey create something, and

didn't mean the insurmountable separation adults talked about,

fingertips were about to touch the little cat, another child snatched it

adored Zoey,

is mine,