Housewife Gone Wild

Chapter 19

My morning dance class left me drenched and pleasantly loose–limbed.

Come noon, I called Sally about whether Yvonne was coming home.

“Yvonne’s at the amusement park with Tracy,” Sally informed me. “You should give Tracy a call.”

Tracy had become like a second mother to Yvonne–genuinely devoted and always making time for her.

Not that I hadn’t been that mother once. There was a time when my world revolved around parent–teacher conferences and bedtime stories too.

I didn’t call Tracy. If my daughter smiled more with her, who was I to interfere?

I was about to eat alone when my phone buzzed with an unknown number.

“Hello. Is that Victoria Murphy?” The male voice on the line was warm and unfamiliar.

“Speaking,” I answered automatically before catching myself. “May I ask who’s calling?”

“I’m the student you sponsored years ago.” The earnestness in his voice prickled my skin. “I was hoping we might have lunch today.”

The pause stretched too long. I’d never wanted gratitude, and now wasn’t the time to revisit the past–not when I had my own reasons to keep my distance.

In my previous life, I’d seen enough online stories about scholarship recipients turning on their benefactors to last a lifetime.

“It’s just lunch,” he said, lowering his voice when he caught my hesitation. “No strings attached.”

“I’m married,” I said quickly. “Meeting men alone… it wouldn’t look right.”

“Bring a friend then,” he offered.

could hear the genuine gratitude in his voice, I calmly refused. “Meeting isn’t necessary. The best repayment is

At three in the afternoon, Jared called. “Yvonne

“How?” My stomach dropped.

tripped.” As soon as he finished, the hospital location appeared

mother, I knew she needed

Jared, quietly crying

immediately reached for me, her small

edge of the hospital bed

1/3

with remorse. “I should have been watching her

spoke up to comfort her. “We all know how Yvonne

grew red as silent

must have cried herself to exhaustion. She fell asleep

blame Tracy. “Victoria,” he said quickly, “Tracy was just trying to

nearly laughed at his protectiveness. Did he

Holcomb.” Tracy’s voice trembled with

previous life, when Yvonne was my entire world, I would have torn Tracy apart for letting Yvonne get hurt. Now I barely had the

Yvonne’s tousled hair and then turned to Tracy. “Thank you for watching her. She’s a

silence was

when I didn’t

my previous life–playing the fragile victim while needling me into outbursts that only made Jared despise

entirely my fault,” Tracy said with theatrical remorse, tears streaming

When she snapped her head up, I saw the frustrated realization in her eyes–her performance

I said, looking up calmly, “why don’t you take Tracy home now?

tone and unexpected kindness toward Tracy clearly caught Jared

out of guilt or self–reproach, he sent her away

but to leave, though not without one last resentful

against the raised hospital bed, I closed my eyes, our daughter

take her,” Jared