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“Well, that’s very nice of you.”

Ana finishes the last bite of her blueberry muffin. “How long has it been since you’ve been out with someone?”

“I don’t know. I went out a couple of times when Jessie was little, but it wasn’t worth the trouble.”

Ana looks like she’s doing calculations in her head as she gets up from the table to help herself to a glass of water. “So, Jessie is six. Does that mean you haven’t had sex in like, three years?” My friend sounds horrified at the notion, and I can’t help but laugh before I give her the real number.

CHAPTER6

STELLA

“Ihaven’t had sex since Jessie was conceived.”

She clutches the edge of the counter. “What? You should’ve told me to sit down before springing something like that on me! Seven years! Are you kidding me?”

“I’ve been a little busy, Ana, and it’s not like I’ve had men lining up for it.”

She slides back into her chair. “You had two of them at the store this morning who wanted to get in line.”

“Only one of them asked for my number, and trust me, they weren’t the right type of guys.”

Her perfectly-manicured brows lift. “No? Something wrong with gorgeous and sexy?”

“Need I remind you of their cart full of marshmallows? They were like boys. I already have one child; I don’t need another. When I date, I’m going to be looking for a serious man. Someone who’s mature enough to be a good father figure for Jessie.”

Ana takes a long drink of water and appears to mull this over. “Considering you haven’t been with a man for the better part of a decade, don’t you think you ought to go out and get your wet on, and then get it filled real good before you think about finding someone to settle down with? My god, I think you qualify for virgin status again!”

Get my wet on and get it filled?Why did I enter into a conversation with Ana about dating? Before she even said a word, I could have predicted that her advice would be to go out and have sex. She makes it sound so easy, but sex is complicated.

I know better than anyone that a simple night of pleasure can change your life, and I’m not talking about the flowery happily-ever-afters that neatly wrap up all the smutty romance books that Ana reads. Sex can have lifelong consequences, and even if you don’t unintentionally end up pregnant like I did, there are also complications of the heart. I don’t think I’m the type of person who can have sex with someone without having my feelings get involved.

What’s important right now is getting my life on track with my new job and our new home. Making sure Jessie’s environment is stable and safe will always be my top priority.

On top of all that, I haven’t had the best luck picking men. Jessie’s dad let me down in spectacular fashion, and the couple of men I went out with after that turned out to only want sex, even though I was determined to learn from my mistakes and take things slow.

“I don’t think virgin status works that way, Ana, and anyway, I’m just not interested right now. Maybe when we’re more settled here.”

“Or maybe, love will find you when you’re least expecting it.”

“Oh, now you’re talking about love? I thought this was about sex.”

Ana’s smile is knowing. “Sometimes, when we’re really lucky, the two things coincide. That’s when it’s the best. You should open yourself up to that possibility.”

As I’m considering her words, my phone buzzes with an incoming text, and I catch sight of my manager’s name on the screen.

“I’d better get back to work,” I tell Ana. “Let’s get together again soon. Jessie would love to see you.”

“Oh! That reminds me.” Ana fishes around in her tote and pulls out a wrapped box. “This is for Jessie.”

“You don’t have to bring a gift for her every time you see her. I still feel bad about you and Marissa paying for her dance classes and buying her a tutu, and now she’s not even interested in dance.”

“That’s okay. She should try a little of everything and figure out what she likes. Good advice for her mom, too.” She nudges my arm with zero subtlety, then pulls me into a hug. “Don’t worry about any work you missed. I’ll put in a word for you with those big grumpy men who run the company.”

I’m laughing as I walk her to the door. G, who’d fallen asleep after all the excitement, wakes up to say goodbye to our guest.

With my spirits lifted after the visit, I get back to work, first responding to my manager, who was texting to tell me about a virtual meeting this afternoon about the company’s new app that’s launching next week, and how it will impact customer service.

She scheduled the meeting so that it fits with my availability. I have to leave to pick up Jessie at 3:30, and then I do a bit more work after we get home. I’m so grateful for the company’s flexibility and their consideration for my schedule, and I’m especially grateful to Ana for setting me up with the job. Most working moms aren’t nearly this lucky.