As a single mom in a small town, there's only one thing I want. Another baby. When all the roads to getting what I want lead to dead ends, I turn to one of my best friends for help.
In my mind, Trent Castillo is the perfect baby daddy. He has good g...
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Lila is home for the weekend, so we're all gathered at my mom's house for a catch up and then a multi-family dinner. Trent and I agreed to announce his purchase of Mullen Mechanics with help from "investors" tonight and to drop the potential bomb that he's going to rent my spare room while he gets his feet under him.
Now, I just have to tell everyone I've decided to go with a donor without somehow giving away the fact that none of this is exactly how it seems.
I've never liked lying, and I'm not sure if that's because I'm not good at it or because the potential for hurt seems greater.
Lila wanted some girl time before everyone got together for dinner. Maggie, Mia, Penny, my mother, and I are all gathered in the living room, sipping tea and coffee, catching up on where everyone is at.
I have no idea how much Trent has told his mom, and I feel almost more guilty putting our lie out into the world with her here.
After Mia finishes talking about the process of getting her album ready to release on or near Victoria's first birthday, Maggie shifts the attention to me.
"Have you decided what you're doing, Em? Last time you were at the pharmacy, you were talking about searching for a donor again," Maggie says.
"I've picked one, actually," I say, hoping the half-truth doesn't sound stilted.
"What?!" Maggie says, shooting forward in the couch. "And you didn't show me?"
"Or me," Lila says. "I told her I wanted eyes on that shit too."
"I think," I say, choosing my words carefully, "I'd prefer to keep the specifics private."
"Which is her right," my mom says when Maggie opens her mouth to protest. "We don't need all the details to be supportive."
"I think it's really brave," Penny, Trent's mom, says. "Being a single parent is incredibly hard work."
"I have a great support system," I say, which is an easy truth. "Besides my family, your two sons have been so helpful."
"Grady loves spending time with Amir when he's not in New York City. I think he feels like he's practicing for when we have kids," Maggie says.
"I'm excited that Victoria will have at least one cousin close to her age," Mia says.
"Are you going to have more children?" Lila asks Mia, taking a sip of her coffee.
"Someday," Mia says. "But right now, we're just figuring out how to be parents, how to be a family. I didn't have the best example of either one growing up." She takes a deep breath. "Tyler's just so supportive and understanding." She glances at my mom. "Joanna, you and your husband did an amazing job raising him."
My mom preens a little bit, and her smile is wide. "I'm sure having two very opinionated sisters also helped."
"Opinionated," Maggie scoffs. "I'm sure you meant to say very involved and caring sisters."
