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“Just listen to everything before you say no.”
It’s never good when Kayla wants me to do something for her and she’s already preparing for me to say no.
“Just get on with it, Kayla.”
“Alright, alright. So, the hospital is hosting this charity gala this weekend, and all the staff are able to attend for free and are being strongly encouraged to go.”
I stop what I’m doing and hold the phone in my hand, already knowing where she is going with this.
“Kayla.”
“Wait! Let me finish. Anyway, we are all strongly being encouraged to go, and since I’m woefully single right now, I need you to come with me. You can even bring Sophia. They told us that it is a gala for children’s education, and it would be great to have children there.”
I don’t like the idea of going somewhere with a lot of people around that I don’t know. I’m not comfortable in crowds, and Kayla knows this.
“Come on, Tanya. We can make it a girls’ day, and the three of us will have so much fun. When are we ever going to be able to say that we went to a fancy charity gala? Sophia would love it.”
I look over to see Sophia looking very hopeful. She’s heard everything Kayla has said, and I don’t know if I have it in me to tell them both no and crush the excitement I see in Soph’s eyes. She sits on her knees on the chair and puts her hands on the table, leaning toward me.
“I don’t know. Isn’t it expected for people to bid on things and donate? I don’t really have the money for that.”
I’m scrambling for reasons not to go and both Kayla and Sophia know it.
“Nope. None of the staff or the people they bring are expected to bid on anything. The bigwigs will be there and will have enough money to spend, anything more is just going to be extra.”
I know no matter what I say she is going to have a comeback, and eventually, I’m going to agree to go. I let out a long sigh and Sophia starts bouncing in her chair.
“Neither Sophia nor I have anything to wear to a charity gala.”
“Mommy!”
I laugh at Sophia’s exasperated tone, and Kayla’s next words match her frustration.
“That’s fine. You and I are the same size, and then we can go out and buy little miss Sophia a cute new dress for her to wear. Come on, it will be so fun! We can go shopping and get our hair and nails done in the morning, and then go back to your place to get ready before going to the hospital for the event.”
I really need to learn not to talk to Kayla on speaker.
“Fine. We’ll go.”
Sophia squeals and jumps down from the chair and starts running around the cabin.
“Sophia, slow down!”
Kayla laughs as I try and get my overexcited eight-year-old to calm down.
“Well, at least I know you won’t back out on me since she already knows about it.”
“Yeah, thanks for that. Now she’s not going to stop asking me about it, and then she’s going to wake me up at an ungodly hour the morning of.”
Kayla’s snicker comes through the phone, and I roll my eyes.
“Just be ready by eight Saturday morning, and I will come pick you guys up; we’ll make it a day.”
We say a quick goodbye, and when I end the call, Sophia is still running around the house and has now made up a song to go along with her excitement.
“Girls’ day! Girls’ day! We’re going to a party! Girls’ day! Girls’ day!”
I laugh and shake my head at her enthusiasm. There are so many things that she does on a daily basis that make me wonder if she got it from whoever her father is. That familiar guilt turns my stomach as I think about the fact that she only has me. I dread the day she asks me about her daddy. How do you explain to an eight-year-old that you don’t know who her daddy is because you don’t even know who you are?
