a

ff to school okay

about. It was

nds in the time that we had worked together, and she would never know how grateful I

cropped brown hair behind her ear. She was wearing the same pair of sensib

ke care of Winnie for me most afternoons. I wanted there to be at least one day a week that I actually got to spend time with her pr

e checked her schedule. "For you

owns the company, and then you can make your own rules,"

ng me hate on you right now," she warned me. "I

ut of here by two-thirt

e a little salute. "An

ed taking that time away from work so I wasn't hanging on my phone constantly and was actually doing something con

when I was at rest. It was even harder when I was around Winnie all the time. She was only nine years old, and yet, I

done so much to keep it that way was just gone. She had always been the person I'd looked to for support and advice when I felt like I couldn't keep my shit together, and now I had to step up and take care of her daughter. It was what she had wanted. I had known that for a long time, sure, but the

nd then, and I listened to her stories of hitting the town with some nostalgia. I had used to be able to do that whenever I wanted.

o pick Winnie up from school. She was just approaching the gate when I got

herself in. She clasped her little bag to

about the ice c

ubborn when she wanted to be. And I

en a bunch of mine because I never had much appetite at this time in the afternoon. Besides, now that I had les

o to her. I didn't want to, not after everything that she had been through already. She deserved t

window. I didn't mind. I could handle a little gloominess becaus