plan out how my bestie is going to get divorced?"
"You don't have to do that," I told her. "It's not your problem, Ash, and I'm sorry I just dumped all of this on you. I honestly thought I was just explaining why I've been such a bad friend."
"And I'm a great friend," she teased. "You're set on this path, and I can't say I really blame you, so I'm all in. Now, what about the house? Wanna see what your future holds, or not yet?"
"It's in Wolf's Run," I pointed out. "The nicest, safest, and most prestigious community in town. You think I wouldn't want to see it?"
She gestured to my drink. "Then finish that, and let's get out of here! Besides, I have a feeling I can help in more ways than just this. Have I mentioned that I have an entire wine fridge? Yeah, and it's stocked. There's nothing better to help a woman find her spine than consuming a few bottles."
"That," I assured her, "I can do." I was done with being weak. I was tired of being pushed around. For once in my life, I was going to do it on my own, and if I was lucky, I'd end up as the kind of mom I'd always wanted to be.
CHAPTER 1
A month later, I moved out. Gerardo didn't think I was serious, not until I started packing my things. Then he tried to say I'd never make it. Too bad for him, that only secured my resolve. Gabby wasn't happy when I had the talk with her, but no teenager wanted to hear her parents were getting divorced.
Thankfully, she didn't hesitate to come with me - although she wanted it known that she was pissed about moving. In her mind, the dad was supposed to move out so she could keep her old life. Then I told her where we'd be living. That helped, but teen angst was still stronger than even the idea of a fancy new neighborhood.
And Wolf's Run was the type of place most people could only dream of. From the tall brick walls around the thousand-acre property to the highly-managed flowerbeds decorating the medians, everything was designed to please the eye. Then there were the homes.
I took the long way around the community so my daughter could see her new neighborhood. We passed large houses and miniature mansions. The cars in the driveways ranged from brand new trucks to wonderfully-maintained classic sports cars, with a few BMWs and such thrown in for good measure. For a woman who'd grown up on the wrong side of the tracks and clawed her way up to the middle class, this was a little intimidating. It was the last place I ever would have expected to live, especially after leaving my husband of eighteen years, and yet here we were.
Beside me, my daughter had her face pressed to the glass, gawking at everything. "Did you tell Dad where we're living now?" she asked. "I think this is nicer than some of his client's homes."
"Your father has our new address." I made the final turn, heading back toward the front of the community. "And the last one up there is going to be ours."
Gabby's nose scrunched up when her eyes fell on the smallest house on the street. On a wedge-shaped lot that was tucked in beside the main gates, it was set on an angle due to the almost cul de sac shape of that turn, the front tilted slightly toward the larger home beside it. And while small by comparison, it was still bigger than what we'd had before.
"The little one?" she asked. "Why didn't you get one of the nice houses, Mom?"
"It's very nice, Gabby, and plenty big for the two of us. It's a three-bedroom, which means we'll even have a spare. Plus, we also get to make it our own and do things like plant flowers..." I looked over at her. "And mow the lawn."
"Aw, Mom," she groaned. "Dad would hire someone for that."
"I'm just glad we have a lawn to worry about. Gabby, it's only the two of us, and we aren't rich," I reminded her, well aware that in her teenage mind, money just grew on trees. "We'll have to be frugal until I start getting paid, but I'll try to be fair, ok?"
She slowly nodded - then sucked in a little breath as I eased the car to a stop beside our curb. Her eyes were locked on