Thandie wrote all night. After Martin, she engaged in a conversation with Theo. He was funny. Thandie giggled a lot. They had one thing in common: They were both divorced.

Theo didn't have kids, but unlike Martin, Theo kept his cool when she spoke about hers.

He didn't speak about meeting her yet, and Thandie felt comfortable just talking.

She didn't write to her new match. Cole wasn't connected. The P.E. instructor had multiple photos of himself at the gym and on vacation. Psychically, he was her type. Dark Brown skin, Brown eyes, well shaved with solid arms. Cole definitely caught her eye. What stressed Thandie was the age difference.

Cole was thirty-four. The four years weren't negligible. Thandie feared the maturity gap. Again, she reminded herself that it was only conversations, and they engaged in nothing.

Oppo had managed to hook her. Thiane was right; having conversations was a worthwhile distraction. Thandie didn't see time fly with the leisure that seemed without consequences. Thus, the Monday morning alarm clock failed to wake the mom, who found herself rushing in panic.

"Royal Kenya, hurry up, wash your faces and teeth. You'll shower tonight. We're late."

Kenya hated missing her morning shower while Meia executed her mother's order with glee. Meia hated the morning shower, unlike her sister. Especially in winter when the bath tiles were cold, and she was half asleep.

Thandie hurried to dress Belle Ange. The little girl smiled as her mother quickly wiped her, changed her diaper, and tried to pull tights on her that were already too small.

Belle Ange grew fast, like all her kids. All except Meia, who wore most of Kenya's hand-me-downs, needed new clothes. Thandie tried not to think about all the things she needed to purchase. Oppo seemed a distant Oasis at that moment as Thandi's reality backfired in her face.

"Kenya, what are you doing? Get out of the bath. You have no time to wash."

"But mom, I don't want to go to school dirty."

"No one knows you didn't shower. Kenya, please don't try me."

"They'll know, mom."

Thandie grew her eyes for the menacing dark glare, "No one is going to know," she replied with her inner Barry White voice.

Kenya's lips drooped in disappointment, and she stepped out of the shower.

Each child had their character, and Thandie had to compose with them. If, for Meia, food was essential for Kenya, it was being clean and having not good but the best grades.

Kenya sought perfection, while her siblings let themselves go with the flow. Even Royal had his grumpy child moments. Being the eldest gave him a role, but he was globally like any boy his age who wished to play and laze about.

There, he tied his dreads in a low ponytail. The hairstyle wasn't allowed but was tolerated as long as the wearer neatly packed them.

Thandie didn't shower either. She hated it, but she had no choice. Teeth brushed and face washed, the Chiromas ran out.

While Thandie made her way to Cobbs Street to turn on Naylor Road leading to Bromley Street, Callum paced. He hadn't dared to send Thandie a message since her reply, and now he apprehended seeing her.

Would she greet him, or was he to make a first move?

The man looked at his watch. Was she running late, or Callum didn't want to think about the second option? That was to say, perhaps Thandie avoided the bakery on purpose.

The sound of running steps interrupted Callum's utterly wrong thoughts. His first analysis was the right one.

Callum watched Thandie rush past without throwing him a single glance. The woman could sure sprint.

All Callum heard was one of her daughters saying she was hungry and Thandie's strict reply, "We have no time. Don't try me now, Meia."

Callum only saw Thandie for a split second, but the man retained she had a different hairstyle. It wasn't something she usually did, but the style suited her all the same.

Only when Thandie dropped off her children, and the adrenaline plummeted did she realize she had run right past Callum without acknowledging him in the slightest way.

It was a good thing she wasn't ready to face up, but the day was a one-shot, and she couldn't rush past him daily, or could she?

Thandie forgot she wasn't the only one in the equation. Bromley via Naylor was the short route. She didn't see herself making a detour or attempting to explain to her children why she took a way that lengthened the itinerary by ten minutes.

No, she had to find another pretext.

Thandie avoided talking to her colleague that day. She never felt confident when she didn't shower. She had the impression her colleagues could whiff sleep on her since she knew when people weren't fresh from the shower.

The day was long, and Theo's messages didn't brighten up for her.

Thandie felt exhausted and washed out.

The end of the day sounded like the end of torture. Thandie went to pick up Belle Ange with only one wish: To take a hot shower.

Callum was alert at the bakery. His attitude surprised his staff, who saw the baker more on the floor than in his kitchen, but more surprisingly, he seemed obsessed with the shop window.

Never had he seemed as meticulous about its layout as then. Providence was on his side as it was when he stepped out to see the outcome of his work that Thandie walked past. Again, Callum didn't see her, but he felt her. He had to be the one to step back too far. The bump was inévitable.

Thandie avoided the worst, thanks to her quick reflex. She pushed Callum with one hand to prevent him from knocking into Belle Ange.

"Oh my, I'm ever so sorry."

"Please watch where you're going," Thandie said while protecting her daughter's head.

Callum's face reddened that he had played their first exchange so many times in his mind. Never could he have imagined it would occur in such circumstances.

Thandie stepped back as she remembered she hadn't showered.

She was offended for sure, thought Callum, who couldn't guess what preoccupied her then.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I was, I was checking my window."

Thandie cocked an eyebrow.

"ㅡ I must have scared the life out of her," Callum said while looking at Belle's Ange, who clung to her mom. Callum swiped a hand on his head," Eh, can I offer you some pastries to apoloㅡ."

"No, I'm in a hurry," Thandie turned on her heels and began walking away when she heard, "Mom, wait."

Meia hadn't moved. She remained next to Callum.

"Meia, come here."

The girl didn't budge. She turned and looked up at Callum, who suddenly appeared like Santa in her imagination. Callum had said something that captured her attention. Only an idiot said no to free food. One wore the Dunce's hat if they refused free tasty pastry.

"Meia.'

"Mom, can I have a doughnut?"

"No, Meia, come here." Thandie's posture changed. Even from where she stood, Meia knew she had risked a roasted behind if she wasn't compliant. The little girl lowered her head and advanced. Her mom was mean sometimes.

Callum didn't know what to say. His mind went blank. All he could do was watch angry Thandie push Meia in front of her once her daughter was in her hands' reach and strut away.

"Are you alright, Callum," Liz asked when he returned inside.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"The widow seemed angry," Keisha said.

"The widow?"

"Oh, it's a nickname. Ever since her husband disappeared, she's been acting like a widow."

"Do you know her?" Callum asked.

Keisha shrugged, "No."

"Don't you think she acts and looks like one?" Irene asked;

"She never smiles and always yells at her kids," Keisha added.

Callum noted he wasn't the only one who noticed Thandie without thinking that perhaps it was his behavior in her presence, his staff remarked.

"Her husband isn't dead, though," Callum said.

All looked at him suspiciously. Thus, Callum felt pressured to follow up with an explanation, "Eh, she lives on my street."

Liz crossed her arms and nodded, "Well, I'll be damned, she loaded then. One better win the lottery for a mortgage on Richmond."

"She probably killed her husband for the money."

They all could talk. Callum didn't care, for he knew better. The baker imagined how tiresome it was to raise four kids. Callum had only spent one afternoon with Liam but went home feeling as rinsed as if he had jumped on a trampoline for a whole week. The focus he needed to communicate and play with the boy emptied all his social resources. Thandie was a superwoman. Callum wished he would have the opportunity to tell her that someday.

While he praised her in his mind, Thandie muttered. She couldn't believe Callum's audacity.

What was he trying to do?

Callum gave her the impression of a puppy wagging its tail to get noticed. She was almost sure the man bumped into her on purpose.

Thandie decided to walk across the street from his bakery from that day on, and so Callum only observed her from afar. When Friday arrived, Callum looked like a shadow of himself. If only he hadn't bumped into her.

He had to do something, but what?

The man was scared of the reaction she would have if he sent a message, but it was the only means he had to make amends.

Hi,

How are you?

I know I've said this before, but I'm extremely sorry about what happened the other day. It wasn't intentional. I had the impression your children liked my pastries, and I'm sad to see they no longer visit.

I meant what I said. I'm thrilled to talk to you here, and I'd like to get to know you, but if you are not comfortable, please let me know. I prefer knowing that to have the feeling I'm irritating you in some way.

The message made sense when he wrote it, and Callum even felt comfortable sending it until the message left the draft to join those in Thandie's inbox. Then he banged his head against the wall. No grown man wrote something like that.

On the other side of the street, Thandie's eyes twitched. Oppo's notification red light shone bright. She had yet to connect to the app since her no-shower day. Even Theo got App-stood as Thandie did a total no-show, but there, her phone beamed, and her curiosity pushed her to at least look at the sender.

Thandie kissed her teeth when she saw who sent her the message. What on earth did this man want?