his bags were gone and so was he. Lost in a love at first sight fantasy, she didn’t see the freight train until it plowed into her at full speed.
The phone in her pocket buzzed. It was the warning she programmed to go off as her shift was ending. Fifteen minutes.
Handing off her corner of the dining room to another waitress, she made a hasty but friendly exit. Hurrying to her car, she wasted no time and got on the road right away. The sooner she got through her errands, the sooner she’d pick up Ari from the sitter.
Twenty dollars and change at Trader Joe’s later plus another twenty-three for diapers and baby stuff at Walgreen’s was all it took to blow through today’s tips. Most of the remaining dollars would go to Mrs. Pak, the sweet French-Vietnamese grandmother who lived at the end of the block. She was best buds with Lynda and a stay-at-home sweetheart who loved babies and doted on Arianne. Summer was incredibly lucky to have a reliable babysitter.
No surprise but the traffic was a nightmare. Each mile took an eternity. She made it to Sherman Oaks in time to pick up the baby before Mrs. Pak’s husband returned from a local school where he volunteered as a crossing guard.
“Knock, knock,” she called out, entering the house through the kitchen door. “Mrs. Pak? I brought you a container of gnocchi.”
“I’ll be right there, Summer. We’re at the changing table. There’s an envelope of coupons on the counter for you, dear. Help yourself.”
Ooh, coupons. Yay. She placed the takeout container stuffed with fresh gnocchi, sauce, and meatballs on the counter and reached for the envelope.
“All right, all right, all right,” she hooted when three high-value coupons for tampons, Pampers, and cereal made her break out the happy dance. There was nothing like getting a deal on things she couldn’t do without.
“Look who’s here, sugar pea. It’s Mama.” Mrs. Pak’s happy smile as she shifted Ari into Summer’s arms gave Summer’s heart a grateful shimmy.
Covering Ari’s sweet face with smooches, she said hello to her baby daughter and felt joy wrap around them. “How’s my little sweetheart? Did you and Mrs. Pak have fun?”
“We sat out back and watched the butterflies. The monarch migration has been noticeable this year.”
“How lovely,” Summer murmured. “I read a story about how butterflies are close friends with angels. Probably silly, I know, but I like to think such things are possible.”
“Of course they’re possible,” Mrs. Pak scoffed. “Life would be coarse and uninspiring without the fanciful to bring joy and lightness.”
“I love how you put things.”
“Don’t be fooled,” the older woman joked. “I can swear up a storm in several languages and enjoy a good F-word explosion if the situation calls for it.”
Ari looked up at Summer’s face and blinked. Time slowed, and for a moment, it felt like she was gazing into the eyes of her baby’s father. She looked so much like Arnie that it was impossible to forget the man who abandoned them. All she ever had to do was look in Ari’s eyes, and there he was.
“I love the headband,” she told Mrs. Pak in a soft voice. “The cloth blossoms look so cute with her blond fuzz.”
“Little girls should dress like little girls. My ‘maman’ sewed many of my dresses. My sister’s too. There will be plenty of time for hiking boots and yoga pants when she’s grown. For now, celebrate her feminine side.”
Summer sniggered. “My brother would say you’re sexist. He’s into the whole gender-neutral movement.”
“Your brother is entitled to his truth. As are you.”
“I’ve always been a girly girl,” she admitted. “I think it might be a California thing. Grew up wearing biker shorts under my skirts and dresses once I figured out playing soccer and riding a bike kinda sucked unless you wore pants.”
“Smart girl. Never sacrifice style for practicality.”
They chatted while Mrs. Pak gathered Ari’s daily equipment. With the diaper bag stuffed full and her baby nestled safely in the carrier, Summer handed off a wad of bills, and said, “Thank you.”
“You know you don’t have to pay me,” Mrs. Pak griped. “You need this money more than I do.”
“I need to pay my way,” she firmly stated. “It’s important to me.”
Mrs. Pak tenderly touched Ari’s face and squeezed Summer’s arm. “You’ve got this.”
It took longer to strap the carrier into her car and get situated than it did to drive six houses away.
Pulling into her designated spot at the back of Bud