If I’m honest, I’d be more than happy with that label for Eden.

  Nick takes a few steps closer and then holds up a finger when there’s a crackle at the radio on his chest. He reports in to dispatch with his location and then returns to our conversation. “All good,” he says. “We had a teacher lose her phone and laptop, but she found it.” He grins. “Exciting work when the case solves itself.”

  I chuckle, but since Nick doesn’t seem like he’s going anywhere in a hurry, I decide to ask the question on my mind. “Hey, you mind if I ask you how it is? Going to school when you’re not, like, eighteen years old?”

  Nick nods. “I got to be honest, I was scared shitless. I barely made it through high school. I passed, but I didn’t care about learning. Had no clue what I wanted to do with my life.” He shrugs. “This is an easy gig, but if I ever want to support a family, buy a house, I got to be okay with a little discomfort. You know?”

  “Nah, I get it, man. You doing good now? Classes hard?”

  Nick shakes his head. “It all depends on the teacher. Some are great. They really care about helping adult students succeed.”

  I extend a hand to him and clap him on the shoulder. “You ever want to grab a meal at Benito’s, let me know. My treat.”

  Nick grabs my number and saves it in his phone. “I’ll do that. You end up taking some classes, let me know. I’ll give you a campus tour.” He laughs and points to the playground. “Have fun, little lady. I’ll come back after class to lock up.”

  Nick wanders off, answering yet another crackling call on his radio, so I wheel the stroller through the small fence and park it on the spongy rubberized ground that covers the play area.

  “Do you want to go on the swing?” I kneel beside the stroller, and Juniper holds her arms out. But when I don’t move fast enough, she starts scrambling out of the stroller.

  I grab her hand and swoop her up with a happy shout. She giggles and settles into my arms, and together, we walk over to the baby swing.

  She slides into the swing seat without a problem, and I start slowly, giving her a few small pushes.

  She delights in the movement, kicking her legs and looking back at me. “Yeah.” I cheer. “Is that fun, Junie? You like the swing?”

  I have just given her another little push when my phone buzzes in my pocket. Thinking it might be Eden, I grab it and answer without checking who it is.

  “How’d it go?”

  “No clue what you’re talking about, bro.” My brother Franco sounds confused.

  “Ah, dickhead, I expected somebody else. What’s up?” I tuck the phone against my cheek and push Juniper with one hand.

  “I thought I’d see if you want to grab a drink at Benito’s. You’re off tonight, right?”

  “Yeah, but I’m babysitting. Eden had a thing, so I’m at a park with Juniper.”

  “Huh,” Franco grunts. “You getting tied down finally?”

  It’s the word finally that has me shaking my head. “Fuck, man, you’ll never guess who we ran into tonight.”

  I explain everything to Franco and leave nothing out.

  “Well, that’s freaking fucked up. Did Eden bail?” he asks.

  I roll my eyes at the big brotherly support. “She went into class, so she didn’t bail on school. Or do you mean bail on me?”

  Franco is quiet for a minute, as if he just, for the first time, heard what he said and how it sounded. “Fuck, sorry. That’s not what I meant. How did you feel seeing Michelle? Did she look as good as ever?”

  I chuckle. “Yeah, of course. Michelle could wear a paper bag, and she’d be hot as hell.”

  “And?” Franco presses.

  “And what?” Junie is twisting back to look at me, so I come to stand in front of the swing and pull her toward me with one hand while I hold my phone in the other.

  “You think you want her back? How do you feel, V?”

  I don’t even have to think about how I feel. I know. “I don’t want to go back. There’s no doubt about that.”

  “What about Eden?” he asks. “You think you want to give the whole relationship thing a try again?”

  Juniper’s grin is enormous, her drooly lips parted to reveal her tiny baby teeth as she swings. “I’m in this. No question in my mind,” I say, slowing the swing with one hand. “I don’t know what Eden thinks, but for me, this is it. This is what I want.”

  Franco snorts, and I can just picture him shaking his head. “You going to be cool if she’s taking classes with Michelle? I can’t fucking believe your stripper ex-wife is teaching college.”

  “Hey, hey,” I say, a warning in my voice. “Michelle was always smart. You know that. Big dreams, big goals. I wouldn’t be surprised by anything she set her mind to doing.” I do have to consider his question, though.

  “About damn time,” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. “Happy for you, bro. Can I give you two pieces of advice?”

  “Sure,” I say, but I probably don’t want to hear whatever sage advice he’s about to give.

  “Make sure Eden knows how you feel. Offer to talk to Michelle if that would help. Don’t let anything go unsaid, so you never have to question whether you did everything you could to make this work.”

  His words hit me deep. He knows I did damn near everything I could think of to make things work between Michelle and me, but it wasn’t enough.

  “What’s the other thing?” I ask, pulling a fussy Juniper from the swing. “And make it quick. I got a toddler I got to chase.” I set Junie on the rubbery turf and let her run to a seesaw thing that looks like a plastic horse.

  “Don’t tell Ma that Eden met Michelle. Keep that shit buttoned down.”

  I bark out a laugh. “Got it, Franco. Thanks for the call. Rain check on drinks.” I hang up and slide the phone into my back pocket just in time to help Juniper climb onto the back of a yellow plastic horse.

  I haven’t been this close to dating someone seriously since Michelle and I broke up.

  It may be awkward, but if this is what I want, I need to do everything I can to make it work.

  And maybe, just maybe, this time, I’ll be enough.

  12

  Eden

  This is going to be the longest three hours of my life.

  Okay, no, scratch that. I’m being dramatic.

  Going through labor and delivery alone… Those were the longest hours of my life.

  But at least I had a gorgeous baby to snuggle at the end of the pain.

  Sitting in a classroom being taught by the ex-wife of the guy I’m into? This was definitely not on the list of things I expected to live through in my life.

  As soon as I realized that my instructor was Vito’s ex-wife, time dragged. Of course, the first thing I fixated on was how goddamn gorgeous Michelle was.

  For the most part, I’m comfortable with my body with its stretch marks and many flaws, but come on.

  “All right, everybody.” Michelle claps her hands together to silence the small talk and chatter right at the stroke of seven. “Thank you all for coming tonight. I know most of you have jobs, families, and a lot of responsibilities outside of this class, so even though this is our sixth week together, I want to thank you for showing up. This is also my not-so-subtle reminder to silence your phones and keep your attention—” she sweeps a hand toward the whiteboard affixed to the wall behind her “—on the work we’re here to do.”

  She turns her back to us for a moment and writes a word on the whiteboard in blue marker. I watch her arms, thin and moving fast in a pristine white shirt, before she faces the classroom, adjusts the black-framed glasses over her eyes, and points to me.

  “We have a visitor tonight, someone who is thinking of enrolling in this course. Eden,” she says, giving me a warm smile that hits me right in the face like a spotlight. “While you are a guest, you’re part of this class, so feel free to raise your hand and ask questions anytime.”

  I feel the eyes of half the class on me. My cheeks burn, but I manage to smile and mouth thank you, even though my throat is suddenly so dry, I don’t think I could speak even if I wanted to.

  I must look at the clock on the wall every ten seconds because it gives me something to look at other than Michelle’s beautiful ass in that pencil skirt.

  It’s hard not to wonder how someone lifts themselves up from a job stripping to teaching in less than five years’ time. If she could do it, maybe there is hope that I can overcome my circumstances too.

  With a good babysitter and a plan, I could easily have a degree under my belt in five years.

  Michelle dims the lights a bit and turns on a projector that’s attached to her laptop. She’s pulled up a financial statement and is talking through the different parts, what information appears, and what each thing means. It’s like a puzzle the way she explains it, translating things like fixed assets and long-term liabilities with examples that actually make sense. She relates everything to real-world situations, and I’m so caught up, before I realize it, it’s after eight and she’s turning on the lights and motioning to the clock.

  “Everyone, I’d like five extra minutes to talk with our visitor over the break. Enjoy your break.”

  Most of the students grab their phones but leave their backpacks on their desks. I’m kind of surprised they’re just going to leave their stuff, but then again, this isn’t LA. This is Star Falls, so maybe stealing backpacks isn’t a problem on this campus?

  I’m still in my chair when Michelle rushes up to me, a huge smile on her face.

  She pulls the chair of the kid sitting next to me close and sits beside me. “So, Eden.” She’s literally beaming, and again, I cringe a little at how damned pretty she is. “I am so glad you stayed until the break. I wanted to make sure you didn’t have any questions. What did you think of class? Is this what you expected?”

  I nod, not sure what I expected. “It was really interesting,” I say honestly. “Not confusing at all. To be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect. I was trying to keep an open mind, but this was really interesting.” I hesitate a second before saying what’s on my mind because I don’t want to seem like I’m sucking up to her, but then I just say it. “You’re actually a really good teacher.” I rush on awkwardly, worried I sound like I’m judging her. “Not that I didn’t think you would be. I just mean if I’d had teachers like you in high school, I probably would have gone to college.”

  She nods, presses her lips together, and hums in agreement. “You know, that’s exactly why I want to teach.” She motions to the whiteboard. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but they pay us next to nothing to teach. I don’t do it for the money. I didn’t learn from my family how to manage money or build wealth. I learned by getting into debt and nearly killing myself to dig out of it. I want to help save as many people—and frankly, as many women—as I can from going down that path.”

  She’s quiet then, as if expecting me to admit that I’m here to manage debt. I don’t have any, but that’s not because I learned how to do anything the right way.

  I take a deep breath and admit just a little of what I feel safe sharing. “I have a small trust. A structured settlement. It won’t last forever, so I’m hoping to learn how to be responsible with money so I can make good choices with the funds I have while they are coming in. And then, I’d like to find a career that I can enjoy once I’m able to work full time. I’m raising my daughter alone at the moment, her father isn’t in the picture, and…”

  And that’s where things start to devolve in my brain. Vito, what he is to me, how long we’ve been dating… But Michelle reaches out and lightly touches my arm.

  “Hey,” she says gently. “I get it. And listen, about the elephant in the room. I’m so glad you came to class tonight. I’m sure if you’ve talked to V about me at all, you know I used to dance.” She laughs and shakes her head as if stripping brings up fond memories. “I can’t tell you how many clients I have now who six, seven years ago used to stuff singles in my thong.” She covers her mouth and full-belly laughs. “Now they hand over their entire portfolio for me to manage.” She shrugs like it’s not a big deal. “An honest living is an honest living, and I’m not ashamed of my past career. You shouldn’t apologize or be ashamed of your circumstances either.”

  She points up at the clock. “I need to hit the ladies’ room before the break is over, but I’m serious. Vito and I were married, but that was a lifetime ago and this is a small town. I knew I’d run across him or one of the Bianchis eventually. I’m just so glad he has you and your daughter. Vito is…” She looks down at the desk, a brief look of sadness on her face. “A good man, through and through,” she says. “No matter what happened between us, I, for one, have zero hard feelings.”

  I gather my things and stand with her. “I’m sorry I can’t stay for the whole class,” I say. “It’s already past my daughter’s bedtime.”

  “No problem. You go ahead.” She pushes back her chair and gives me a dazzling smile. “You have my cell and my email. Make an appointment anytime you want some informal advice or guidance. Or if you need help managing the trust you have. This isn’t a sales pitch. I’m happy to help you if I can. Give my best to Vito.”

  She gives me a wave and then heads into the hallway, her high heels clicking until I can’t hear them anymore.

  I grab my phone and punch in a text to Vito.

  Me: I’m ready. Meet me out front of the building?

  Then I gather my things and head outside into the cool, dark evening. I need a few minutes to compose my thoughts.

  Butterflies of stress flap a thousand little wings in my belly, and my phone buzzes with a response from Vito.

  Vito: I can’t wait to hear everything. We’ll be right there.

  Just seeing his words makes me realize how excited I am to share everything with him.

  I stare off into the darkness, keeping a look out for a stroller. The butterflies in my belly are flapping their wings, but I feel a lot lighter and more hopeful just seeing Vito’s text.

  Maybe it’s time to stop fighting the story and let my future write itself for once.

  Juniper falls sound asleep within minutes of us pulling out of the college parking lot, so Vito and I don’t talk much on the drive back to the hotel.

  He drives, and I stare out the window, lost in lots of fast-moving thoughts.

  When we get back to the hotel, I lift Junie out of the back seat and carry her inside. I put her to bed, then join Vito in the living room. He’s standing in the kitchen, tapping a text into his phone when I get back.

  “Hey,” he says, looking happy to see me. The sight of him fills my chest with a sudden burst of warmth.

  I walk up to him, and he pulls me into his arms.

  “How’s it feel?” he asks. “Tomorrow night at this time, you’ll be tucking Junie into bed in her very own room.”

  I hold him close and nod against his shoulder. “I almost can’t believe it. I’m feeling so many things…especially tonight.”

  He takes my hand and leads me to the couch. “You want to talk about it?”

  I look down at our hands and open my mouth, but where do I start? I don’t know what I should say first. It was great meeting your stripper ex-wife? Or, your stripper ex-wife is a great teacher?

  “Eden, can I start?” Vito’s staring me in the face, his lips parted. “I want to hear everything you want to say, but I need to get some shit off my chest.”

  I nod, relieved that he wants to talk. I still need some time with my feelings before I can even compose a coherent sentence.

  “I’m sorry you had to meet my ex-wife that way. Super fucking awkward and I hope she didn’t put you off that college completely.”

  I smile and shake my head. “No, she’s pretty great, actually,” I admit.

  Vito nods, but then he takes both my hands in his. “Eden, you’re more than pretty great. You have a lot of big shit ahead. I want to be a part of it. I want to be a part of your life.”

  We both chuckle and lace our fingers tighter.

  “I don’t know if you need a label, boyfriend, girlfriend, whatever. I’m falling for you, Eden. I think you’re the most gorgeous, kindest, amazing woman. And I just wanted to be clear that Michelle is my past. I’d really like for you to be my future. You know what I mean?”

  I silence him by leaning forward and kissing him lightly on the lips. “I want that too,” I tell him and scoot closer, tucking against his chest.

  He rests his chin on the top of my head.

  “I want to tell you something,” I start. “I’m afraid it might change how you feel about me, and if it does, I’d rather know now before I get in any deeper. Because I’m falling for you too.” I pull away then, feeling worried that Vito might reject me for what I’m about to admit. “It shook me a lot, meeting Michelle,” I say, looking down into my lap. “But she’s beautiful and smart and super fucking nice. I would have rather she be this nasty bitch, but no, she was like someone I could be friends with.”

  Vito laughs. “Fucking small towns,” he says. “Really living up to their reputations.”

  I sigh. “Yeah. But that’s the thing. You and Michelle just didn’t work, right? There was no other big secret or anything?”

  Vito cups my chin and holds my face so our eyes meet. “No,” he says firmly, his voice low and sincere. He releases my chin and shakes his head. “I don’t have secrets, Eden. Not one. What you see with me is what you get, for better or worse.”

  I swallow hard and realize how damning what I’m about to share is. “Well, I have more secrets,” I say. “And if you can’t forgive me for what I have done, I understand. Just…” Tears sting my eyes, and I clench my hands into fists so I don’t cry. “Juniper’s father,” I say, looking down again. “He was married when I dated him. He was my boss. The owner of the company where I worked. He and his wife owned the business together, but she lives in New York City and handles East Coast development. I never actually met her during the two years I worked there.”

  I explain that the whole affair only lasted four months. That during that time, my boss insisted his wife was leaving him and that they had an understanding that he could date other people.