Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 74390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Not only to him but to myself.
CHAPTER 2
Londyn
Growing up, I always imagined myself living in a small house on the Washington coast with a beautiful view of the North Pacific. I would have a career in law, saving the world one case at a time, with a loving, doting husband and two precious children. It was a wonderful dream, but it was just that.
A dream.
I actually lived in Seattle in the Belltown area. It was a bustling area that was growing by the minute, and while I liked it there, I worried that it wasn’t the best place to raise Dalton, my four-year-old son. He was energetic, curious, and often rebellious, and there were times when I wondered if I’d made a mistake when I chose to move to such a busy part of the city—especially when I had to rise an extra forty-five minutes early just to get him to preschool in time for his graduation.
I was sleeping so soundly when the warm sun started to peek through the curtains, announcing that it was time for me to get out of bed. I tossed back the covers and was hit with a mix of nostalgia and excitement. I couldn’t believe that it was Dalton’s last day of preschool. It was a day that would mark the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. While Dalton was thrilled, I was a bit apprehensive.
I felt like time was flying by, and I was just standing alone in the wind.
I shook the feelings off and went to Dalton’s room to wake him. When I walked in, he was still sound asleep, his little chest rising and falling ever so softly. I walked over to the edge of his bed and brushed a strand of hair away from his face as I whispered, “Hey, buddy. It’s time to get up.”
“Hmm-hmmm,” he fussed with a groan.
“Come on, sweetheart.” I leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. “We gotta get ready for your big day.”
Dalton stirred, slowly opening his eyes, and a sleepy smile formed on his face. “Graduation?”
“That’s right. It’s your last day of preschool.”
"Really?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"Yep. You better get moving or we’re gonna be late.”
Dalton sat up and stretched, then reached over and gave me a long hug. Once he’d given me my morning love, he got up and waited as I placed his clothes on the foot of the bed. As soon as he was dressed, I combed his hair, and he brushed his teeth. After a quick breakfast, we both rushed out of the house and to my car.
When we pulled up at the school, I turned to look at him in the backseat, and my heart swelled when I found him smiling back at me. “You look nice, Momma.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.”
As I helped him out of the car, I couldn't help but think about how much my little boy had grown. It felt like just yesterday he was a tiny baby in my arms, so sweet and vulnerable, and now, he was about to graduate from preschool. It seemed so surreal.
Dalton's excitement was palpable as he raced to the door, eager to start his big day. I watched him run ahead, a smile on my face as I followed behind. I took him down to his class, then headed to the gymnasium. When I walked in, I found the room filled with parents and children, all dressed in their best clothes for the occasion. I was searching for a place to sit when I spotted a few other mothers from Dalton's class. Cassie, one of the nicer moms, gave me a wave and mouthed, “Come sit with us.”
“That’s okay.” Like the other mothers, she was sitting with her husband and the rest of their families. I didn’t want to intrude, so I pointed at a couple of empty seats up front and told her, “I’ll just sit here.”
I feigned a smile, then quickly rushed up front. I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous as I claimed my seat. My family couldn’t make it, so I was there alone, which wasn’t something new. My folks had to work, so they couldn’t make it to his special day.
I was waiting for the program to start when I felt someone sit down next to me. I turned and gasped when I saw that it was Jackson, my best friend and supporter. His lips curled into a smirk as he snickered, “Hey there, Tinkerbell. How’s it hanging?”
“Jackson!” I didn’t remember telling him that today was Dalton’s graduation, so I asked, “What in the world are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t miss seeing our boy graduate from preschool.”
“But how did...”
“He mentioned something about it this past weekend, and I told him I’d be here.”
“That’s very sweet of you.”
“Well, I’m a sweet person.”