He brushed the bangs out of my eyes and said softly, “Gotta get you up and dressed. I’ll walk you home and come back and take care of my kids.”

I nodded.

He let his fingers trail down my hairline before he straightened and walked away.

I got up, got dressed and Mickey walked me to my house.

He kissed me in my opened door.

And I watched him walk several steps away from me before I closed it behind him.

* * * * *

The text came mid-morning.

Can Polly and I come after school and hang?

Olympia.

I returned, If you hang while doing your homework and getting some of these recorded shows off my DVR, then yes.

She replied, Deal. Pick us up?

I thought of my car and while I did, I decided to buy an SUV.

Then I returned, Sure, if we take turns. Can’t fit you both in my car.

To which I received, You need a new car Mom. I’ll ask Auden to bring us.

I sent, Do that, sweets. Am I making dinner?

And got, Dinner! Yummy!

My kids liked my cooking. Then again, I cooked like a mom and could do that freely now that Conrad wasn’t around.

I replied, Dinner. Check.

A few hours later, I got a text from Auden that said, Drop Polly and Pip off after school. Pick them up at nine.

To which I sent, Thanks, kid. And I’m thinking of a Cayenne.

And got back, Land Rover. White. Totally you.

I grinned.

Then I changed the girls’ plans when they got there (a change of plans they were ecstatic about) and before homework and dinner, we went out and test-drove Land Rovers.

* * * * *

“You buy a fuckin’ car without me, Amy, it’s gonna piss me off,” Mickey said in my ear.

My daughter and her friend were gone. It was late. Now, I was in bed saying goodnight over the phone to Mickey.

I’d also, obviously, shared my plans to purchase a new vehicle.

“Do you want to test-drive it?” I asked.

“I want you not to get fucked over buying it,” he answered.

“Mickey, car salesmen hardly screw over women anymore,” I scoffed. “They freely screw over everybody.”

“You’re wrong, Amy.”

“It’s not 1968, Mickey.”

“Right, you go in, get the best deal you think you can get, then walk away. I’ll go in after and get the best deal I can get, text you, you come in and we’ll see about that shit.”

“You’re on,” I snapped.

“Tomorrow?”

“Perfect.”

“You pissed?” he asked.

“Yes,” I answered.

“Because you know you’re goin’ down,” he declared.

“Whatever,” I mumbled.

He chuckled.

I changed the subject. “The kids okay?”