The Do-Over

by Mayra Statham

  Life wasn’t always paradise, but I loved our messes.

  Grape jelly stains and finger-painted walls were a hassle but filled our lives with incredible beauty. I loved Vince more than I had thought possible. Watching Vince be the dad I knew he would be was one of the greatest joys I ever had in life.

  We had love every day of our life.

  In good and bad, health and sickness, I was thankful Vince had asked for a divorce when he had. It was silly. Quirky. But true.

  Our do-over had been exactly what we needed to find our own happily ever after.

  The End

  Travel all around the world with us!

  Check out the Passport 2 Love Collaboration:

  Fly Girl by Aria Cole & Mila Crawford

  Resort to Love by Ja’Nese Dixon

  London’s Calling by KL Donn

  Dirty Prince by L. Nicole

  First Touch by Loni Ree

  The Do-Over by Mayra Statham

  Whoa! I Married the Pitcher! by Megan Wade

  Paging Dr. Hook Up by Mika Jolie

  Rocking Vegas by Regina Frame

  Stay Right Here by Terra Kelly

  Never Letting Go by Tory Baker

  Irish Whiskey by Tracie Douglas

  Check out Something Worth Saving

  Chapter One

  Nadia

  MUSIC MIGHT HAVE been playing, but I couldn’t make out the song. My head was too muddled with my own thoughts and the sounds of arguing coming from the backseat. I stared at the red light in front of me, trying to relax my body and mind, but it wasn’t working. It was impossible. My hands tightened around the steering wheel. I inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly. But nothing was working.

  I was used to the noise. With twin girls who were opposites one moment and one and the same another, it came with the territory. So, it wasn’t that. It was the failure, the feeling I kept trying and trying and just not measuring up I couldn’t seem to shake off lately. It left a singed sensation throughout my entire body.

  “Girls, come on.” I quickly glanced at the backseat, trying to keep my voice steady, hoping and praying I wouldn’t completely lose my mind.

  My girls were everything to me. I loved them before they took their first breath out in the world, but they were driving my up-the-wall crazy with their incessant fighting.

  “Mom! She started it!” Becca whined, but Vivian cut her off.

  “I did not!” Viv shrieked, making my eye twitch. “Mom! Tell her we can’t go to her stupid ballet lessons because I need to go to gymnastics!” she shouted. A throbbing started at my temples.

  “Ballet is not stupid!” Becs retorted. I turned to look out my driver’s side window then back to the front, my eyes on the traffic light as I silently counted to ten.

  “Mom! Becca said ‘stupid!’” Vivi yelled.

  “Whatever, you dummy! You said ‘stupid’ first, nerd!”

  “Mom!”

  “Mom! Vivi started it!” Becca shouted, and I snapped.

  “Enough!” I clipped sharply, daring to take a glance behind me. “I can take you to both activities, but you need to settle down. If you don’t, we won’t go anywhere,” I warned seriously, my patience almost nonexistent.

  Thank God, it’s date night.

  My eyes caught a glimpse of the perfect dress for tonight I had found at a little shop earlier in the week. A couple of hours out with Owen, grown-up conversation, good wine, and great food. Exactly what I needed.

  What we need.

  Silence finally fell over the backseat and I looked ahead just as the car behind me honked at letting me know the light had turned green. My cell rang and I answered it through the radio, smiling at the caller ID that flashed as I made my left-hand turn.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, babe.” The deep tone of my husband’s voice still made me smile after so many years. Looking at myself in the rearview mirror, I thought about our date.

  Maybe I could find a way to slip in a shower, shave, and have enough time to do my makeup before we had to make our reservation.

  “Hey, you’re on speaker. Taking the girls to gymnastics and ballet,” I shared.

  “Hi, Dad!”

  “Hey, Dad!” the girls chimed happily.

  “How are my girls?” he asked. I smiled at their reaction.

  “Good!” they answered simultaneously. A smile played on my lips; my shoulders started to relax. My girls’ fight was now non-existent. The power of Dad.

  “Oh, okay, good. Good,” he mumbled, sounding distracted as usual. He was probably working on files as he made the call. “Listen, Nadia…” By his tone, I knew. I knew I wasn’t going to like what he had to say, so I braced. “I don’t think I can make it on time tonight, babe. I’m sorry.” Again?

  “What?” I swallowed hard, trying not to let the disappointment show in my face or voice.

  “We had a complicated case, and then they want us to go over a couple of things afterward.”

  “Can’t you guys do that tomorrow?” I asked, hating the obvious desperation in my voice.

  This was the sixth date night he had canceled.

  In a row.

  “Babe,” he groaned, and I knew the answer; there was no point in sounding like a nag.

  “Okay.”

  “We’ll reschedule,” he added. I swallowed down the need to roll my eyes and cry.

  “Sure,” I muttered, my chest aching. Crystal-clear disappointment flowed through my veins.

  “I promise, Nadia,” he threw out carelessly. I bit my tongue. The setback settled and weighed in my chest. I tried not to wince at how little his promises were beginning to mean. When had that started? I remembered how not so long ago I could count on his promises. His word had meant something.

  “It’s fine.” I shrugged, needing to end the call before I said something I might regret and couldn’t take back. Something that I shouldn’t say in front of the girls. “Look, I’m driving. See you tonight.”

  “I’ll be late. Going to grab dinner on my way, so don’t worry about me, okay?”

  “Sure,” I mumbled, wincing, hating the anger I was starting to feel. Dinner. I hadn’t defrosted anything, since I had planned on ordering takeout for the girls and the sitter. “Girls, say bye to your dad,” I ordered, trying to maintain some kind of control over my emotions.

  There was no need for the girls to see me upset. Things happened. Dates got cancelled. It was part of life, I had to remind myself.

  “Bye, Dad”

  “Bye, Daddy!”

  “Love you girls. Be good for your mom,” he said. I opened my mouth to tell him I loved him, but the call ended.

  Without an ‘I love you.’

  Again. When had that started and why was it okay for it to be our new normal? I kept driving the minivan I’d hated the moment Owen had brought it off the lot as a surprise for me. A quiet pop song by an artist the girls liked played, but I wasn’t paying attention.

  I’m not going to get upset.

  This wasn’t the first time something had come up. But as much as I reminded myself of it, I couldn’t ignore how it felt different this time and how I knew it wouldn’t be the last.

  “Sorry about your date, Mom,” Vivian said softly.

  “Yeah, Momma, that sucks. Your new dress is really pretty,” Becca pointed out, since my dress was hanging by her side. I blinked tears away and swallowed down the disappointment. How many times had I done this last month? More like the last seven years, a small voice whispered, and the heaviness in my heart only grew.

  How much longer did I have it in me to keep doing it?

  “It’s okay, babies,” I told the twins, meeting their eyes in the rearview mirror before looking ahead. “It’s okay,” I repeated this time in a whisper directed at myself.

  Free on Kindle Unlimited.

  Other books by Mayra Statham

  Kappa Sweets Series

  His Smarty Pants

  His Hot Tamale

  His Airhead

&
nbsp; Her Goober- Coming Soon

  Timeless Series

  5 More Minutes

  Minute by Minute

  Last Minute

  Right Men Series

  LIE

  STEAL

  CHEAT

  DRINK- Coming June 2020

  Beech Grove Series

  Burning Bridges

  Donut Tucker Out

  Knoxed Up

  More than a Knight

  Quite Frankly

  Kissing Gabe

  Little Black Dress

  Mamacita Needs a Margarita

  Never Too Late Series

  Longing For You

  Wishing For You

  Lucky For You

  Six Degrees Series

  Crown’s Chance at Love

  Etched in Stone

  Carried Away

  Davenport Harbor

  Standalones

  Already Home

  Cookies & Kismet

  Mistletoe Wishes

  Something Worth Saving

  Taking Chances- Storybook Pub Anthology

  The Do-Over

  Zaiden- A Scrooged Christmas

  About the author

  Mayra Statham resides in southern California with her three kids and husband. When she isn’t writing or hanging with family, you can find her hidden behind a romance novel while enjoying a highly caffeinated drink.

  She loves hearing from readers.

  Connect with her on social media platforms @mystathamwrites or email her at mayrastatham@gmail.com