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.

necessary. The best repayment is

peaceful lunch by myself. At three in the afternoon, Jared called. “Yvonne fell.

“How?” My stomach dropped.

finished, the

mother, I knew she needed me

the hospital, Yvonne was curled against Jared, quietly crying with her leg bandaged. Tracy sat nearby, her face

1 entered, Yvonne immediately reached for me, her small voice

the

1/3

voice thick with remorse. “I should have been watching

comfort her. “We all know how Yvonne is, always climbing where

grew red as silent

exhaustion. She fell asleep in my arms within

he said quickly, “Tracy was just trying to help with Yvonne. Don’t

at his protectiveness. Did he really think I’d

sorry, Mrs. Holcomb.” Tracy’s voice trembled with

my reaction. In my previous life, when Yvonne was my entire world, I would have torn

tousled hair and then turned to Tracy. “Thank you for watching

silence

when I didn’t give her

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

theatrical

her upright. When she snapped her head up, I saw the frustrated realization in her

don’t you

and unexpected kindness toward Tracy

go now,” Jared said. Whether out of guilt or self–reproach,

leave, though not without

hospital bed, I closed my

me take her,” Jared offered suddenly.