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“How about pancakes?” I suggested. “And fresh fruit.”
“You know….” Maggie was thoughtful as she climbed up onto the stool. “You can cook really good.”
I smiled. “Why thank you, Maggie. It’s something I used to do with my mom…”
“Is she dead?” Maggie asked matter-of-factly.
I hadn’t mentioned my mother in a long time. She’d been bottled up and placed out of my thoughts. Lately, though, I’d been thinking about my past.
Turning away, I began to find the pancake batter that I’d bought a few days ago. “Yes, she passed away when I was eighteen.”
“I’m sorry,” Maggie offered.
“It’s okay, it was a long time ago,” I uttered softly.
Maggie had already begun clicking away on her iPad, soft sounds of some YouTuber explaining toys hit my ears as I worked.
Eventually, Luna wandered into the kitchen, still looking surly. “Are you driving us to school today?”
Sitting two plates of fluffy, perfectly shaped pancakes in front of them I nodded. “Yes, but I suspect when your uncle returns from his business trip tomorrow, he’ll resume taking you.”
The two of them didn’t say anything, only began eating.
“I’ll be back,” I told them.
Again, I was met with silence before leaving the kitchen.
Walking, I glanced at the ring on my finger once more. I’d inherited two nieces, a credit card with no limit, and a husband who couldn’t stomach being in the same room as me.
It was necessary though.
I’d become Halo Tanaka in practically a snap. Shedding my past like a snake had shed its skin and for the first time in a long time I’d been able to breathe.
The wedding had been small but the payout for this little venture was going to be close to three hundred seventy thousand dollars and I’d keep the ring which had to be valued at around a million.
Reaching my room, I went into my bathroom and started the shower. Removing the night clothes I had on, I tossed them in the hamper. Today was laundry day and the maid would be coming to collect laundry shortly.
As steam began to curl from the shower, I stepped in and washed up as quickly as possible. I was going to groceries after dropping the girls at their fancy private school.
When the shower was done, I stepped out and onto the fluffy bath mat.
Wrapping a towel around my body, I pulled the toothbrush out and began to scrub my teeth until they felt shiny and smooth.
My cell phone dinged while I was gargling some mouthwash.
Ashton was texting.
How are you?
It was a rather odd question, but it was even odder that he was texting me. My husband didn’t text.
Well, he didn’t text me. He was always on his phone or talking to a guard. Or literally communicating with anyone but me.
I paused wondering how I could reply to this. Maybe I didn’t need to think about it too much, it was a simple enough question.
Biting at my lip, I sat the phone back down and pulled on a pair of worn blue jeans.
I needed new clothes badly but I had no idea what was stopping me from using the credit card in my brand new name.
