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Anita sighed as she rushed up the stairs from the station. Late again. Working full time as a single mother had challenges she never imagined when she got pregnant at nineteen. In fact, she had thought she beat the odds when Chip Browning swept her off her feet. She had every girl's fairytale wedding, except she wore ivory because her son was at her parents' with a babysitter. The bride's illegitimate son could not attend the Purcell-Browning wedding. It didn't bother the bride-to-be because a toddler didn't belong at the formal event.

As Chip's wife, Anita focused on raising her son and daughter. She had been thrilled when he wanted to get pregnant right after the wedding. Based on her past, it wouldn't take much trying, but Chip was disappointed when it took a few months. That was when his jealousy for Andrew Gillespie started. Anita had been attracted to Andrew, but they never even tried to make a go of their relationship. Andrew came to New York, but left after a few months when he couldn't find a job. He needed to perform; his gift was too precious to waste. They didn't date, but they attempted to parent together. Anita was relieved when Andrew left, at least until Ian started traveling to Boston for two months every summer.

Why was her mind in the past? To avoid the trauma of getting two kids to school before going to work. She felt like she had already worked a full day. Olivia insisted on a homemade lunch since she didn't like the school food. Ian didn't care. He was easy going like Andrew. Anita had to borrow two slices of bread from Mrs. Katz, their neighbor. Sometimes Mrs. Katz kept an eye on the kids when Anita ran to the store, but Ian was old enough to take care of himself and his sister for small stints.

Fast forward ten years after her society wedding, and Chip was wanted for insider training. Anita had already divorced him, but when he fled the country, the alimony and child support payments stopped. If he were still paying, she might have looked for a part-time job.

When she stepped up to her desk, she heard her boss's deep voice. Kurt Dwyer laughed, and she felt a sour feeling in her belly. It was the same feeling she had when he asked her to make dinner reservations.

Unlike Anita, Kurt was not officially divorce. His lawyers were fighting with his wife's lawyers. Chip never put up a fight, so their divorce wasn't nasty. Mrs. Dwyer was an awful woman. She called the office and often accused Anita of things she would never do. Kurt Dwyer was a handsome, kind man, but she didn't need to sully her reputation more than it was; having a child as a teen and a criminal ex-husband was enough.

Kurt appeared with his amused smirk, and Anita had to force herself not to look at his lips. She had accepted her lot as a mother. Sex was in her past and her crush on her handsome boss was foolish.

"Tough morning."

"I'm sorry."

He put a hand up. "I told you when I hired you, I understand. My sister was just telling me what my nephews put her through this morning."

Anita knew Kurt was close to his nephews and was surprised he hadn't had children of his own. "I'll get to work."

"I have a lunch meeting with Nick. We can look at the revisions together later this afternoon."

She nodded, but didn't respond. Sometimes she felt sixteen not thirty-two around her boss. As she settled at her desk, she pressed her legs together.

When Kurt left for lunch with the prominent novelist, Anita continued working. She rarely passed submissions on to Kurt, but often passed some potentials to other agents. As she read a summary of a romance, she wished she could pursue it for herself. Instead, she put it in a pile for an agent who graduated from college after Anita but had advanced her career while Anita changed diapers.

She quickly checked her thoughts, because her love for Ian and Olivia couldn't be explained with words. Maybe one of the great romance authors could string the words together, but not Anita. The calendar on her desk reminded her that Ian was leaving for Boston in a few weeks. Summer brought on a host of problems. She hated shipping her son to Andrew just as much as his father hated the boy staying with her in New York throughout the school year.

Meanwhile, she had to piece together enough camps for Olivia. Her daughter would kill her if she had to spend time with her grandmother, Abigail Browning. Anita's own parents were too old, as she had been a late in life baby. Although they helped with Ian when he was a baby, their health had declined over the past twelve years. A girl of nine would exhaust them, plus their domestic help needed to take care of their needs first. Her father suffered from congestive heart failure and her mother had severe arthritis.

Anita felt the pull of her responsibilities as a mother and a daughter and an assistant. She took out her own lunch of cheese and crackers because she didn't want to borrow four slices of bread. As she ate, she called summer camps. Call after call, she realized she should have called months ago. With three weeks to fill, because she had already filled the first six summer weeks with a park and rec camp. She dialed the number of an art camp she heard about from a mother in front of the school. Smiling, they had a cancellation. With two weeks left to fill, she cringed as she called a science camp.

Olivia would have killed her, but even they were booked up. "Thank you. I understand."

"Bad news?" She jumped at the sound of Kurt's voice. He looked at her ritz crackers and orange cheese slices and frowned. "That's not lunch."

"It's fine. We ran out of bread."

"Who was on the phone?"

She let out a long sigh. "A summer camp. They're full. She'll have to spend two weeks with Abigail. Maybe she'll forgive me when she's twenty-five after years of therapy."

He laughed loudly. "Mrs. Browning isn't that bad."

"You're not nine."

"Two weeks? I could try the camp I went to in Maine."

"Maine! Two weeks! I'm looking at day camps in the city."

"She would love a sleep-away camp. My sister and I did."

Kurt disappeared into his office. Her phone lit up showing his line was in use. It went off quickly, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She ate a cracker just as the phone rang. "Mr. Dwyer's office."

A restaurant called to confirm his reservation for two that evening at seven. Anita hadn't made the reservation for him. Again she felt envious of the lucky woman.

Using the intercom, he called her into his office which smelled like him, his aftershave. Anita breathed it in. "The restaurant..." She stopped when he was on the phone.

He covered the receiver. "My old camp is booked. They recommended one in New Hampshire. They have a few open spots. What weeks?"

Her mouth was dry as she answered. Kurt smiled. "They have a spot." Her boss pulled out his credit card and secured the deposit. After he hung up, he smiled. "They'll email the forms to you. They need them back right away, so get started on them."

"We. We were going over edits."

With a dismissive wave, he said, "This is more important."

Suddenly remembering, she said, "The restaurant confirmed your reservation for your date tonight." She spun away.

"Anita, come back." She stopped walking and turned towards his office. "Two things. One, Olivia will love camp and, two, it's not a date. My brother-in-law is in the city for business."

She nodded, but when she went back to her desk, her steps felt lighter. At five o'clock, Kurt stood in his office door. She had just shut down her computer. Her kids were home, and she needed to stop at the corner market for bread. Hopefully, he didn't need her. "Goodnight."

"Hold on. I'll drive you."

"It's fine."

He shook his head. "I insist."

Typically, Kurt drove her home when they worked late which they rarely did because it meant Mrs. Katz would have to feed her kids. As she slid into his car, it felt cool since he parked it in the underground garage. His scent permeated the BMW sedan.

As he clicked his seatbelt, he smiled at her. She looked away from his dimples. Did the man know how gorgeous he looked?

"Don't worry she'll love camp."

"It's pricey. I'll bring a check for the deposit."

"It's my gift to Olivia. I'll pay for the two weeks. She'll love getting out of the city."

Anita was nervous about her daughter liking the park and rec camp, never mind two weeks in the woods of New Hampshire. Focus. "I can't take your money."

"It's a gift."

"I'm not a charity case." I'll ask my parents. Her boss helped people in need. Unlike most socialites including her ex and her parents, Kurt Dwyer gave without an invitation to a gala in exchange.

"I'll expect you to work extra those two weeks when you have no other responsibilities."

She didn't respond because the notion excited her and scared her. She had been a mother for twelve years. Maybe she deserved a vacation from the bickering and the peanut butter and the laundry. Then she thought of Ian gone all summer and Livvy in the woods with no bedtime stories.

When the car stopped in front of a small market, she looked at Kurt. He chuckled. "I thought you needed bread."

Nodding, she mumbled, "I do." Bread and pasta and something to put on the bread besides peanut butter. Without subsidies from her parents she wouldn't make ends meet. Occasionally Abigail sent Olivia home on Thursdays with some money and Andrew paid monthly except during the summer. Still raising two kids in New York City was expensive and Ian kept growing out of his pants. Her baby boy was as tall as her.

As she slipped out of the car and entered the small market, she felt her boss's eyes on her. Something felt different. Maybe it was helping her with the camp or driving her home, but things felt more personal. She didn't realize he knew her daughter's name until he said it. She knew everything about him including his nephew's names who she shopped for on their birthday and Christmas.

She grabbed a few items she needed the most and quickly returned to the waiting car. He smiled. "Did you get what you needed?"

She nodded. "You didn't have to."

"You are the best assistant I've ever had. I want to make your life easier."

She nodded. "I need to get home and make dinner and check homework and..." Do some laundry.

"Maybe one day you'll make a meal for me."

She laughed. "I'm not much of a cook. I serve jarred sauce."

He smiled. "Then maybe I'll cook for you."

Butterflies in her belly took flight. It was a pleasant dream. The car arrived in front of her building. "Thank you."

When she turned to leave, he put his hand on her arm. She froze as the sensation of his touch traveled through her. "Can I help you up?"

She shook her head. "I can handle it. Goodnight."

She breathed when she reached the elevator. Once in her apartment, Olivia ran to her. "Mommy, whose car was that."

"My boss drove me home. We need to boil water. Ian, honey, can you fill the pot while I change?"

Later as she sat on Olivia's bed reading Ramona Quimby, Age 8, Anita thought about telling her daughter about camp. Instead, she kissed her goodnight, and said, "I found an art camp for you."

Folding laundry in the quiet apartment, she jumped when her phone rang. "Hello Andrew."

"Anita, how are you?"

"Fine. Busy. Ian is growing like a weed."

"I can't wait to see him. I called to let you know I bought his plane ticket."

The rest of the call sounded underwater as tears dripped. Her son was leaving her for ten weeks. It was the ultimate example of the warning; you made your bed and you have to lie in it.

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