Evan’s face looks grave, but he gives my hand a squeeze. “Even though you didn’t learn that much, I’m still grateful you made the effort,” he says, leaning over to kiss me. “I’ll look into it further. Don’t worry more about it today. It sounds like you and Alfred have a nice day ahead of you.”
I smile. Shonda called early this morning to see if we wanted to meet her at the park for a playdate. I’m excited at the opportunity to spend time with her one-on-one.
A short while later, Alfred and I are headed to the park to meet Shonda. I see her coming from the opposite direction, and I wave a greeting. I sit down on a nearby bench as Shonda comes closer.
“Hey!” I call to her.
“Hey,” she says sitting down next to me. Alfred babbles at Shonda’s son in his stroller. “Oh my gosh, how cute! The babies are becoming friends too,” I gush. We set the kids down on a blanket with some toys and take a seat back on the bench to chat.
“I took him to the doctor yesterday and he said my little one will probably start trying to stand soon!” Shona says excitedly.
“Wow, what a milestone.” I smile at both of our boys.
“So, how are things with the baby mama hooker story?” Shonda asks.
“I’m doing my best to ignore it,” I say with a sigh.
“You know, as much as I hate the tabloids and their stories, sometimes it’s not a bad thing to have those distractions,” Shonda says cryptically.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” I answer. I certainly wish the tabloids would keep my name out of their papers.
Shonda begins to fidget with her wedding ring on her finger. “My personal life could use a few distractions. My husband and I have been fighting a lot lately.” She rubs her hand over her forehead.
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” I say, biting my lip.
“My husband doesn’t want me to go back to work. Ever.” Shonda looks sad. I secretly hope that Evans never changes his mind about me going back to work.
“How do you cope? It must be hard knowing you have useful skills but are unable to use them.” I wonder aloud.
“I was a CFO for a tech startup when I got pregnant,” she explains.
I let out a low whistle. “That’s impressive. It must be a big change being a stay-at-home-mom now, right?”
“It was, and it still is. At first I was able to use my financial planning skills to manage the home budget, and that helped a bit.” Shonda smiles. “But now I’m starting to worry that maybe I’ve been out of the game too long.”
I give Shondra a sympathetic look. “That must be really hard. I’m a nurse, and I’m kind of in the same boat. The longer I’m at home, the more I worry about the adjustment being harder.”
Shondra nods. “You know, it’s been tough, and I fell into a depression for a while, but things have started to look better lately.” Shonda says, suddenly smiling.
“What’s the secret?” I ask, thinking maybe she can help give me some pointers.
“I’ve met someone who helps me when I’m feeling down,” Shonda says, avoiding my gaze. I can tell that there’s something juicy there, but decide not to pry.
I change the subject to her baby’s favorite foods, and we talk for a while longer, before it eventually gets too cold and I have to head home. We promise to meet up again soon.
* * *
I’m driving back home with Alfred and I can’t stop smiling. Not only did I have an amazing night with Evans last night, but I had a great time hanging out with my new friend, Shonda. She really seems like someone that’s down to earth. I think I could build a real, lasting friendship with her. As I pull onto our street and approach the house, I see a huge crowd of people standing near our front door. What the hell is going on?
I get out of the car, open the back door and pop Alfred out of his car seat. Then I start toward the front of the house.
“There she is!”
All of a sudden, the swarm of people turn and start running toward me. I tighten my grip around Alfred, desperate to protect him. Bright camera lights flash in my face, and I’m forced to try and cover my eyes. They’re paparazzi! How did they get our address? I thought Evans bought the house under a corporation so it was unlisted! Are they going to hurt Alfred? I start to walk towards the front door but they’re following me!
“Ciara! How long were you a prostitute before you met Evans?”
“Ciara, were you trying to trap one of America’s most eligible bachelors with a baby?”
“Ciara how many high-profile clients did you have before Alfred?”
“Ms. Damien,are you still getting married?’
“Leave me alone!” I shout, waking up Alfred who starts to wail. I kiss his forehead and cover his face with my hand. I hope none of these photos show up in the tabloids tomorrow, but I know that’s wishful thinking. The journalists look desperate for answers, but some of them are smirking and jeering at me.
“Baby mama, are you ashamed that your past has been uncovered? What did Rosa Leonard say?”
“Go away,” I shout. “Please leave us alone.” I blink at all of the lights and start to feel dizzy. I’m panicking—there’s no escape.