ALLY:

I was on my lunch break with my best friend, Trish De La Rosa, and we went to Subway to grab some food. Sitting across from each other in the cafeteria, Trish told me,

"So, Ally,"

as she was unwrapping her subway sandwich from the little paper,

"Who's this guy you've been into?"

I giggled.

"He's super nice, he's super cute, he works as a contractor and his name is Austin Moon."

Trish's eyes lit up as she chewed her food.

"I know him. He's one of Jace's friends, and his daughter Jessica has known Alanna since they were born, now they're in eighth grade. Time goes by fast. They're totally inseparable."

I said,

"Wow, that's amazing. Hey, maybe sometime, Austin and I can go out with you and Jace."

Trish listened gravely to me as she chewed her sandwich.

"Love that idea, mija."

My best friend was latina and often integrated spanish and english into the same sentence. She was in fact the first person in her all mexican-catholic family to have a white person as a significant other. I said,

"Our first date was at my house. We got some wine and got some panda express. We may have a bit too much wine though because the next morning, we woke up in our birthday suits in my bed."

Trish giggled a little and swallowed.

"How'd you guys meet anyway?"

She asked as she picked out a bag of doritos.

"It was the day Sofia had an asthma attack and I was getting her more medicine for her inhaler at the drugstore. He was buying his daughter napkins because she got her first period, and he was getting his son's pills."

"Poor thing. How is she?"

I said,

"She's doing much better. Sofia had the cutest first impression when she met Austin. She just answered the door for him and she saw the roses he had for me and she kissed him right his on his cheek because he was being nice to her."

Trish gushed. Just then I felt my phone ding. I took my phone from my pocket. My phone was a gold iPhone 6S covered in a coral and gold hardcover case. My lock screen was me and Sofia at our home and we were in our pajamas and snuggling up on the couch.

Sofia had her Flounder plush toy and a Sebastian plush toy in one hand and a plush panda bear in her other hand in the picture. I squealed a little upon getting a text from Austin. Trish asked me,

"Did you get a text from Austin?"

I said,

"Yup."

"Oooh, what does it say?"

It says,

"Hey, beautiful. I wanna know if you're free Friday night."

I texted,

"I so am!"

He texted,

"Great. I'd like to have you for dinner. Sofia's welcome to come, too. I'll tell my kids to keep Friday open. They're teenagers so they want to hang out with their friends lol."

I texted,

"Lol great. Because I wanna meet Max and Jessica."

He texted,

"Yes! What time are you off of work?"

I texted,

"I have to be there by nine. Work ends at five."

"How does six work for you?"

I put my phone down and I said,

"I have another date with Austin on Friday! He just texted me asking if I want to have dinner with him."

Trish squealed and she said to me,

"That's amazing, mija! Just think maybe one day, you and Austin might be getting married and might have more kids."

I said,

"If I'm lucky that'll happen. I think Sofia deserves a father figure, and I'd really like him to be like Austin. Or better yet, if I do end up marrying Austin like you said, I'd like him to be her father figure."

My latina best friend said,

"Glad you dumped David's ass before Sofia was born."

"Me too. David was such an asshole. I dumped him before Sofia was born because all the shit he was putting me through. Cheating on me by having sex with promiscuous teenage girls, drinking and using drugs. Hell, he even got arrested for tons of DUIs and statutory rape. There's no way I want Sofia knowing about, let alone growing up with, a man like David."

"I'm glad you have your daughter's best interests at heart."

I said,

"Oh, I love Sofia more than life itself."

When I got home from work that day, I opened the door to the apartment, where my mom was sitting on the sofa while Sofia was in the arm chair breathing into her nebulizer, with her little pink blanket, covered in cupcakes, lollipops, macaroons and popsicles with little smiley faces. Sofia's pediatrician, Dr. Martina Guiterrez, recommended that I had her sit before a nebulizer and breathe into it for twenty minutes a day. I had to bring her in every three months because of her asthma. I said,

"Hi."

My mom smiled in my direction, saying,

"Hi, sweetie."

I went over and embraced my mom and she kissed my temple.

Sofia detached the mask to her nebulizer from her lips and gasped for breath a little. I got down to my daughter's height and I said,

"Hi, princess."

I kissed her cheek.

"Hi, Mommy,"

she said to me, and let out a few coughs. I asked her,

"Sweetie, how long have you been breathing?"

My mom said,

"Don't worry, I've been timing her on my phone. Just before you came in, my alarm went off."

"OK good."

I went into my room and I took my makeup off, washed my face and got into my pajamas. I tied my hair into a high ponytail. I pulled out a frozen pizza with sausage, pepperoni and vegetables from Costco from the refrigerator and I preheated the oven, pulled out some racks, plates and cups. After I put the pizza in and timed it, I sat down beside my daughter and I said to her,

"Guess what, Sofia?"

Sofia asked me,

"What?"

I asked my daughter,

"Remember Austin, that guy who came over here a while ago?"

"The guy who gave you roses?"

I said,

"Yes, him. Anyway, on Friday night, we're going to his house for dinner and so you can meet his kids."

Sofia's face lit up.

"Yay! I like him because he's nice to my Mommy."

I said,

"I like him, too."

I kissed Sofia on her cheek.

"He likes you a lot."

Sofia asked me,

"Has he asked you to be his girlfriend yet?"

I laughed.

"No, but that's OK. We're still getting to know each other. And we're going to meet his kids, too."

Sofia asked me,

"How old are they?"

I said,

"Austin says they're both a little older than you. They're teenagers."

"OK."

We later sat down to go have dinner and while I was making Sofia's lunch, my mom was grabbing wine from the fridge. My mom said to me,

"I heard you and Sofia talking about going to Austin's house. Are you excited?"

I said,

"Yeah I am! I really like this guy, I can't stop thinking about him."

"He gave you flowers when he came over here for dinner, so I think he likes you, too."

I smiled. It felt so weird, yet so good to be in love again. Much of my time had been invested in my expenses and taking care of Sofia. My mom had pitched in with that as well. My mom worked less hours than me, so most of the time she would get Sofia from school and watch her until I came home.

On Friday night, I was let out early from work so I could get ready for my date with Austin. On my way home, I got a text from Trish that said,

"Go get him, bestie!"

It had kissing emojis and a heart emoji. I texted,

"Thanks, Trish."

When I came home, I undressed from my scrubs and I got dressed in a short sleeved rose and gold soutache applique dress, a white half sleeved shrug, gold sandals and pearl stud earrings. I was in the bathroom clipping in some of my hair extensions. My hair was very short, not going any further than my shoulders, and when I went to special events, I wore extensions. I was about to do my makeup when Sofia walked in, holding a little pink lip-gloss with Ariel from The Little Mermaid on it.

She was looking at my hair and asking,

"Mommy, did your hair get longer?"

I giggled,

"No, sweetie. These are just extensions. Mommy will take them out when we come back here."

I took out my eyeshadow and started applying pink glittery eyeshadow to my eyelids. I did black mascara, black winged eyeliner, pink blush and red lipstick. I was done doing my makeup and I got down to Sofia's height, and I asked her,

"Do you have your inhaler?"

Sofia reached into the pocket of her denim jacket and pulled out it with the spacer. I said,

"Shake it."

My daughter shook it and I removed the cap. She opened her mouth and proceeded to inhale and exhale several times until I told her she could stop. Sofia put on her Ariel lip gloss as I put her inhaler in the pocket of her jean jacket. Sofia followed me as I went to the kitchen to get the dessert I was planning to bring to Austin's- a box of Vanilla cupcakes from Safeway. I said,

"Bye, Mom. We'll be home around eight thirty, nine."

"Goodbye, sweetie."

About to unlock my car, I asked Sofia,

"Are you excited to see Austin?"

She said,

"Yeah."

I was very eager to see the first man I had loved since that asshole David and I was very eager to meet his kids, too. Sofia climbed into my car and I buckled her in her carseat and drove to Austin's.

If you like the chapter, remember to favorite, follow and review! Love you all so much! Have an amazing day! Peace, love, hugs and kisses. Also my condolences to Laura Marano, following the passing of her beloved dog Velvet :'( :'(