Mom, Don't Cry! Here comes a new Daddy! novel Chapter 17

Chapter 14

(Five Year Old Jake)

Mommy comes back too soon.

Me and Aunt Sophia don’t have the chance to reply to the man we picked for my new daddy, as we hurriedly log out of the screen and go back to doing our own things.

Of course, our little trick doesn’t escape mommy’s notice.

But she knows that we had a special announcement to make, and she also knows that it’s a secret from her, so she doesn’t ask any questions, and goes straight to the kitchen with her groceries.

Once she’s out of sight, Aunt Sophia asks me if I can really accept Jason as my new daddy, if I won’t have any issues with calling him dad, if mommy ends up liking him.

I think about it.

Jason looks very tall and very neat, like a good protector should look.

But…

“Does he have shiny shoes?”

“He definitely looks like he has shiny shoes,” Aunt Sophia assures me. “He even mentioned he’d love to help fund your art projects. He seems very serious about supporting you both.”

Serious. That’s a good word. Serious means he won’t be mean or run away like Daddy did.

“Then I can accept him, Aunt Sophia!” I decide. “He gets the cruise! He will be Mommy’s protector!”

Aunt Sophia types very fast on her phone. “Done. The new dad is selected. Now we just wait for the trip to start. This is the fun part, Jake. Your mom is going to be so surprised.”

I look at Mommy, putting away the groceries, looking brave and a little tired. I know she thinks she has to do everything by herself now. But she doesn’t have to. She has me, her clever Prince, and she has Aunt Sophia, and soon, she will have a very tall, very serious new Dad.

Daddy and Jessica are mean and bad, but soon they will be scared.

Because when my Mommy has a protector, no one can bully her anymore.

11

Propter 14

first day and I can’t afford to mess this up.”

“Mess what up? You’re brilliant. My marketing team is already salivating over the campaign concepts you sent over.” I lean against the doorframe, studying her. Dark circles shadow her eyes. Her hair’s pulled back in a messy bun that screams ‘I gave up three days ago. “When’s the last time you actually slept?”

“I sleep.”

“Lying awake replaying your marriage’s greatest hits doesn’t count as sleep, babe.”

She flinches. Yep. That’s a direct hit.

I soften my voice, moving to sit beside her. “Sabrina. You’ve been running on rage and caffeine for days. That’s not sustainable.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re really not.” I close her laptop despite her protest. “Listen to me. You’ve handled the divorce paperwork. Richard has the custody case under control. You start at Phoenix on Monday. Everything’s moving forward. But you? You’re going to crash hard if you don’t take a breath.”

“I don’t have time to breathe.” Her voice cracks. “Dustin’s lawyer sent another motion yesterday. He’s claiming I’m an unfit mother because I lost my job. Never mind that his mistress fired me. Never mind that I already have a better position lined up. He’s using my unemployment against me.”

My blood boils. That absolute piece of-

“Which is exactly why you need to step back for a few days.” I keep my tone measured even though I want to hunt Dustin down and introduce his face to my Louboutins. “You’re no good to Jake or yourself if you’re running on empty.”

She opens her mouth to argue, but I cut her off.

“I have something for you.” I pull the envelope from behind a stack of magazines where I’d hidden it earlier. “Don’t freak out.”

“Why would I freak out?” She takes it, immediately suspicious. Smart woman.

“Just open it.”

She does. Her eyes widen as she pulls out the cruise ticket. “Sophia, what-this is for this

weekend. I can’t-”

Chapter 14

“Yes, you can.”

Clawn

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