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I’m not sure how long that’s going to take, considering the only job I could get is as a cashier at the Dusty Rose Bakery and Coffee Shoppe. I don’t even know how to make coffee. I’m literally a cashier, and I’m supposed to be cleaning up tables.

My friend from high school owns the cute little shop, which is amazing, and she was able to hire me. I don't meet the State of Nevada’s qualifications to get my massage therapy license immediately, nor do I have the funds to apply for it even if I did. And I can’t ask my parents for anything else, especially not the five hundred bucks it’ll cost.

So for now, I need to work to pay my bills and hopefully save for my extra hours needed for my licensing, the license itself, and my own place. Tears prick the backs of my eyes as I think that. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a hell of a lot, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to do it all.

But as I look down at my little Thea, I realize I can do it all, or rather, whatever needs to be done. We survived for three months, just the two of us. We handled a hell of a lot together. So whatever comes our way, we’ll handle it, we’ll figure it out, and we will move forward.

A soft knock on the bedroom door takes me out of my thoughts. Wiping away the tears that have begun to fall, I plaster on a smile and move toward the door. I gently tug it open and come face-to-face with my mother.

“You’re settled in?” she asks.

She’s nervous. I can tell as she rocks slightly from side to side. She shouldn’t be. I should be the nervous one. Slipping out of the bedroom, I gently close the door behind me so I don’t wake up Thea.

She hasn’t been sleeping as deeply or peacefully as I would like lately. I don’t know if it’s because we’re in a new place, or because I feel uneasy about this whole thing, but it seems every little noise has been waking her up at night and during naps.

“Yeah,” I say. “A little cramped, but it’s good.”

Sadness washes over my mother’s face. I don’t know why she’s sad. She shouldn’t be. I mean, they’re already doing more than I could ever have expected. I’m almost thirty years old. I should be in a position where I can take care of myself and a baby, but I wasn’t… well, I’m not.

“I wanted to give Thea your brother’s room, but your dad didn’t want to. He said that Camden still comes home and needs a space.”

Camden hasn’t been home in at least five years other than holidays, and I know he wouldn’t give a shit, but my dad isn’t happy about this situation. Not that he doesn’t love Thea and me. It’s more that he wishes I had fallen in love and gotten married before I had her.

He wishes I had done everything the right way. Meanwhile, I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to do anything anymore. There is just… a way. And me having Thea and raising her alone is apparently my way.

Me being a single mother, with no clue where the father is, doesn’t really excite him. And I know he’s kept that little tidbit from everyone he knows. I would be surprised if any of their friends even knew Thea exists.

“It’s fine, Mom,” I murmur, even though it would be nice to have another room.

Maybe once my dad gets used to us being here, things will change, or maybe Thea and I will be able to move into our own little place soon. Who knows? All I do know is that I have work in an hour.

Clare was kind enough to give me this job, so I need to be on time. And do the best job I can. “You’re sure you’re good staying with Thea while I work?” I ask.

My shift today is from noon to midnight. Clare likes to keep the Shoppe open until midnight. I’m not sure who is coming to a coffee shop that late, but maybe I’ll be surprised.

“Go to work, sweetheart,” my mom murmurs. She reaches out, taking my hand, and squeezes me gently. “Thea is an angel. We’ll watch movies together.”

I have no doubt my mother isn’t talking about actual movies, but rather her foreign, dubbed-over soap-opera-type movies she watches on Netflix from other countries, which, to be honest, are pretty freaking great, so I don’t blame her.

“Thanks, Mom. I really appreciate it.”

She squeezes my hand again before she releases me, and then she turns and heads downstairs. The other great thing about living here is that my parents’ bedroom is downstairs, so Thea and I won’t wake them up when she randomly cries at three in the morning.

CHAPTER

TWO

HOUND

“A baby shower?” I ask.

Elodie’s lips twitch into a smirk as she shoves the envelope against my chest. I don’t reach for it, and she keeps it pressed against my shirt, her brows arched as she watches me for a long moment—challengingly.

“A baby shower,” she confirms. “Take the invite,” she demands.

I shake my head slowly from side to side. “I’m not touching that shit. What the fuck am I gonna do at a goddamn baby shower?” I demand.

Elodie leans in close, though she only comes to my chest, so I don’t know if she’s trying to be intimidating. It doesn’t work. When she speaks, it’s with authority, and I can’t help but want to follow her demands. It’s not intimidating, though, not in the fucking slightest.