Three years slipping by
1002 Words
Three years had slipped by since I walked away from Tribeca with Maddy, leaving behind everything that had ever hurt me.
Three years since I became a mother to my little girl, Suzy.
Life hadn't magically become easier, but it had become quieter. There were no screaming matches, no suffocating walls, no family putting me in situations that I never wanted.
I had changed my number the day we settled in Midtown and never looked back. If anyone had tried to reach me, they never could.
Sometimes guilt knocked at my door late at night, asking if I'd done the right thing,then Suzy would curl against my chest in her sleep, her tiny fingers wrapped around mine, and every doubt would disappear.
She was my home.
Maddy became the closest thing I had to family. She had accepted a transfer from her company's Tribeca branch to Midtown, where she worked for one of the city's biggest interior design and furnishing firms. Business meetings constantly pulled her from one place to another, yet somehow she always found time for us.
Life wasn't exactly perfect for her either.
She and Anthony had been engaged since the past two years, but every time marriage came up, he found another excuse to postpone it. I could see the disappointment she tried so hard to hide behind her bright smile.
Still, she never stopped showing up for me.
It was through her connections that I got a job at the same company, nothing glamorous, but I worked as one of the receptionists.
It paid the bills, it kept food on the table. Most importantly, it gave Suzy and me a future.
Every weekday followed almost the same rhythm. I woke before sunrise, prepared breakfast while Suzy rubbed sleep from her little eyes, braided her soft curls, and listened to her endless chatter about cartoons, crayons, and imaginary princesses. She had inherited my smile but thankfully none of my sadness.
After dropping her at the kindergarten a few blocks away, I headed toward work.
This morning she'd asked for extra snacks because her teacher had planned an afternoon activity. I still had enough time before my shift, so I stopped by a nearby shopping mall.
The store wasn't crowded though, I grabbed juice boxes, fruit crackers, and some chocolate cookies, before making my way to the cashier.
Just as I placed my basket on the counter, I noticed the woman beside me.
She looked to be in her early fifties, maybe mid fifties. Her dark hair was neatly brushed back, interrupted only by streaks of silver near her temples. She wore an elegant cream coat that looked expensive, though her face carried an unusual tiredness, as if sleep hadn't visited her in days.
The cashier scanned her groceries one after another.
"Your total is ten dollars and sixty cents."
The woman smiled politely and reached into her handbag.
A few seconds passed, then another.
Her movements became quicker, almost frantic. She searched every pocket before emptying half the contents onto the counter.
Her smile had vanished. "Oh dear..." she whispered. "My card isn't here."
She searched again, even though both of us knew she wouldn't suddenly find it.
"I must have left it at home. How careless of me."
The cashier simply waited, chewing her gum without saying a word.
The silence became uncomfortable.
"I'll pay for it," I said, sliding my card onto the counter.
The woman looked at me in surprise.
"No, sweetheart. I'll just go back home and return."
She cut in, as she put back her contents back into her bag. A minute later, a defeated sigh escaped her.
"And I really need to make it to the Wilson's in 20 minutes time," she muttered
"It's alright." I smiled gently. "Please, let me."
Before she could protest again, the cashier had already processed both purchases, I collected the shopping bags and handed hers to her.
Her eyes faintly widened. "My dear, I can't possibly accept this."
"You should ma'am" I shrugged, a smile curve on my face. "You remind me of someone who deserves kindness today."
Emotion shimmered in her eyes.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "You've helped me more than you know."
I shrugged with a small laugh.
"You don't have to thank me. You're old enough to be my mother."
For a heartbeat, something changed in her expression.
She stared at me with a softness that felt strangely familiar, almost as though she wanted to say something else.
Instead, she simply nodded."God bless you, my darling." She said softly, and patted my shoulders.
"You too, ma'am,"
I checked the time on my phone and nearly groaned.
I was late, really late
I hurried out of the store, waving at her. Idropped Suzy's snacks off at her kindergarten, kissed her forehead before she skipped back to her classroom, then practically ran the remaining blocks to the office.
By the time I pushed through the revolving doors, my breathing had become uneven.
Something immediately felt...off. The lobby buzzed with whispers.
Employees clustered together in small groups instead of heading toward their departments. Some looked stunned. Others wore worried expressions, speaking in hushed voices as though they were afraid someone might overhear.
The reception desk was empty.
Maddy must have covered for me until she couldn't wait any longer.
I tightened my grip on my handbag, my pulse beginning to race.
What happened? Why was almost everyone looking and acting weird.
Before I could stop one of the passing employees to ask, hurried footsteps echoed from the staircase.
"Amy!"
I looked up.
Maddy practically flew down the stairs, her face flushed from rushing.
She grabbed my wrist before I could even greet her.
"You are not going to believe this."
The uncertain eagerness in her voice clashed sharply with the fear spreading across everyone else's faces.
My stomach tightened.
Whatever had happened inside this building, it wasn't ordinary.
And judging from the way Maddy looked at me, somehow... it was going to be bad news!
- Writer
