Chapter 257
Mia’s POV
The headache started the moment I opened my eyes.
The kind that feels like someone’s taking a sledgehammer to your skull while simultaneously squeezing your brain in a vise.
I rolled over and checked my phone. 7:23 AM.
I pressed the heels of my palms against my temples, trying to massage away the pain. Outside my bedroom window, I could hear the familiar sounds of our neighborhood waking up-garbage trucks rumbling down the street, someone’s dog barking, the distant hum of traffic building toward rush hour.
“Mama!” Alexander’s voice drifted down the hall. “Ethan spilled toothpaste everywhere p>
“Did not!” Ethan’s indignant response followed immediately. “It was an accident p>
“Boys!” I called back, forcing energy into my voice. “Clean it up together, please p>
“Morning, sweetheart.” My mother appeared in the doorway, already dressed in her workout clothes. She’d been staying with us more often lately, I suspected she could sense the tension between Thomas and me.
“Morning, Mom.” I handed her a cup of coffee. “You’re up early p>
“Yoga class at nine.” She studied my face with that maternal radar that never seemed to shut off. “You look tired. Everything okay p>
“Just didn’t sleep well.” I turned back to the stove, flipping pancakes with more force than necessary. “Thomas wants to talk today p>
“About the preschool situation p>
“Among other things.” I sighed. “I don’t know, Mom. Maybe I’m being too hard on him. Maybe I should just let it go and move on p>
“Are you asking me that because you really think you’re being too hard, or because you’re tired of fighting p>
“Both p>
“Honey, you spent four years with a man who made you doubt your own instincts about everything. You fought to get those instincts back, to trust yourself again.” She leaned against the counter, her voice gentle but firm.” Don’t give that up just because it’s easier to keep the peace p>
The boys thundered into the kitchen like a tiny stampede, their energy immediately filling the space with chaos and noise.
“Pancakes!” Alexander announced, as if I might not have noticed what I was cooking.
“Are they ready yet?” Ethan asked, climbing onto his chair and eyeing the stack on the counter.
“Almost. Go wash your hands, both of you p>
They scampered off, and I plated their breakfast, adding fresh strawberries and a light drizzle of syrup. Simple pleasures. This was what mattered-making sure my boys felt safe and loved and cared for.
“Mia,” my mother said quietly, “what are you really afraid of p>
I paused, spatula halfway to another pancake. “I’m afraid that every relationship I try to have will turn into the same p>
The boys returned, chattering about their upcoming soccer practice and whether Coach Martinez would let them play goalie today. I served their breakfast and settled in with my own coffee, watching them eat and discuss their elaborate plans for dominating the soccer field.
My phone rang. Thomas.
I considered letting it go to voicemail, but the boys both looked up expectantly.
“Uncle Thomas!” Alexander said through a mouth full of pancake.
“Answer it, Mama,” Ethan added. “Tell him about soccer practice p>
I accepted the call, putting it on speaker so the boys could hear.
“Hi,” Thomas’s voice filled the kitchen, warm and familiar.
“Hi yourself,” I replied, trying to keep my tone neutral.
“Uncle Thomas!” both boys shouted in unison.
“Hey, guys! How are my favorite soccer players p>
“We’re gonna score ten goals today!” Alexander announced.
“Each!” Ethan added.
Thomas laughed, “That sounds ambitious,” Thomas said. “Can I come watch? I promise to cheer very loudly p>
“Yes!” Alexander bounced in his chair. “Can he, Mama? Please p>
I met my mother’s eyes across the table. She raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.
“I don’t know, boys. Uncle Thomas and I need to have a grown-up conversation first p>
“About what?” Ethan asked with four-year-old directness.
“About adult stuff that’s very boring,” I said quickly. “Thomas, can you give me a minute p>
“Of course. Boys, I’ll talk to you later, okay p>
“Okay! Bye, Uncle Thomas p>
I took the phone off speaker and walked into the living room. “We need to talk, but not in front of the kids. And I promiseI’ll tell you everything over lunch. Just give me a chance p>
I rubbed my forehead, feeling the headache intensify. “Fine. But we’re not doing this anywhere the boys might overhear p>
hapter 267 When Everything Seam to folling Apart
“Agreed. Thank you, Mia p>
After we hung up, I returned to the kitchen to find my mother loading the dishwasher while the boys finished their breakfast.
“So?” she asked without looking up.
“Lunch after soccer practice p>
“Good. Better to hash it out than let it fester p>
Coach Martinez ran the kids through their drills-basic passing, dribbling around cones, attempting to kick the ball in the general direction of the goal. Alexander and Ethan were far from the most skilled players on the team, but they made up for it with enthusiasm and determination.
“They’re getting better,” commented Sarah, another mom whose son was in the same class as the boys. ” Remember when they first started? Alexander spent the entire first practice trying to pick up the ball and carry it p>
I laughed. “He couldn’t understand why soccer was called football but you couldn’t use your hands. Very logical, actually p>
“How are things with you and Thomas?” Sarah asked casually. “I saw him at the preschool pickup the other day with some blonde woman. New friend p>
My stomach clenched. “Something like that p>
Sarah must have sensed my discomfort because she quickly changed the subject.
I rolled my eyes.
Some blonde woman. Hha.