Though it was far from the truth, I felt like a strange woman sniffing around this man. I still didn’t know what my pregnant ass was doing here with Kellon. He wanted to get to know me, pregnant or not, but I knew he would change his mind about me soon. On top of not being the beauty standard for an NFL star, I was with child. No successful, wealthy man wanted to be with a woman expecting another man’s baby.

I knew the idea of me and Kellon being together was far-fetched, but I would enjoy the ride while it lasted. I’d already crossed off two bucket list activities. I’d been to Disney, and now, I was in New York City.

“So, Phileigh…” Ms. Barnes called my name, interrupting my thoughts. “Have you ever been to New York City before?”

My wide eyes staring out the window had probably already answered that question.

“No, ma’am. It’s my first time on the East Coast.”

“Wow! A girl named Phileigh who has never been to the East Coast. Now, I’ve heard it all.”

“My mom gave birth to me in Philly. My dad thought it was a great idea.”

I gave her the quick version, not the ridiculously long one my mom loved to tell me. My parents were driving through Philly on their way to Jersey when my mother went into labor and had me in the back seat of my father’s ’89 Cadillac.

“And it was a good idea. Phileigh is a beautiful name.” Ms. Barnes smiled at me, and I stared at her in confusion. I thought she didn’t like me.

“It definitely made me stand out. I’m always the only Phileigh in the room.”

“I bet. I hope you are thankful to your parents for giving you that unique identifier. Standing out in a crowd is a gift.” She smiled. “Tell me… What do your parents do?”

“Well, my mom is a certified nurse assistant, and my dad is a retired barber,” I replied. “They’ve been married for twenty-five years and together for thirty.”

“That’s admirable… twenty-five years married,” she said, responding as most people do when they find out how long my parents have been married.

They didn’t know that fifteen of those years were filled with infidelity. They didn’t know how my mother used to put me in the car countless nights to go confront him at his mistress’s house. They didn’t know how I had to wipe my mother’s tears and try to build up her confidence every single time and how I lost more and more respect for my father until our relationship became non-existent. Nope. All everyone saw, including my mother, was twenty-five years of marital bliss.