Discretion by Allison Leotta Page B

skeptical about long-term romance. She hadn’t found the words to broach that with him. It seemed too cruel to say: “Are you sure you want me to stay over? Because Olivia will be confused if and when we break up.”
    Anna wanted things to work out with Jack, but she hedged her bets. A month ago, he’d asked her to move in. The offer was, in some ways, a technicality, since she spent most nights here. She demurred and kept her apartment in the city. The rent was ridiculous, especially for a place she didn’t use. But it was like keeping a life raft strapped to the side of a yacht.
    Anna looked at the pan of eggs, then back at Olivia. She could hear Jack upstairs in the shower. They would need to leave for court soon. There was no time for him to make a whole separate breakfast for Olivia after he got dressed. Anna had never thought that winning over a first-grader would be so challenging. She wished her own mother were alive to give her pointers.
    “Tell you what,” Anna said. “We can make anything you want. And you can make something for your dad, too. We’ll surprise him.”
    Olivia was fascinated by kitchen gadgets but not allowed to cook on her own. She narrowed her eyes, considering what was more important: defying Anna or using the toaster.
    “Okay,” Olivia said.
    Anna watched as the little girl toasted three slices of bread and grabbed ingredients from the fridge and cabinets. Olivia covered the toast with peanut butter, then bologna, then honey, then crushed some Fruity Pebbles on top. “For crunch.”
    Anna considered, then decided against trying to guide the creation. You had to pick your fights.
    “Your breakfast,” Olivia said, handing Anna one of the gooey slices of toast.
    Was that a peace offering? The toast looked disgusting, but Anna couldn’t turn down the chance to make the little girl happy. She took a bite. Her teeth sank through the layers of sugared cereal, honey, bologna, peanut butter, then toast. Each clung to the roof of her mouth, adding a new layer of horrible. After chewing for a long time, Anna managed to swallow the bite and suck the gooey bits from between her teeth.
    “Delicious,” she pronounced.
    “Have some more,” Olivia said, sliding into her chair at the kitchen table.
    Anna put the concoctions on three plates and sat down at the table. She stared at the toast, and the toast seemed to stare back at her, mocking her with glittering honey dripping off floppy pink lunch meat. All she wanted was a granola bar. Olivia sat next to her, watching expectantly. Anna took a swig of coffee, braced herself, and took a bite, then another. With a concerted effort to override her tastebuds, Anna ate the entire piece.
    When she was done, Anna smiled at Olivia. “Thanks for my breakfast!” She looked at the colorful blob still sitting on the little girl’s plate. “Aren’t you going to eat yours?”
    “Of course not. It looks terrible. I’ll just have a granola bar.”
    Olivia trotted out of the room just as Jack came in. He surveyed the mess and grinned at Anna. “For a woman who’s so formidable in court, you certainly are a pushover with Olivia.”
    “The difference is, I want Olivia to like me.”
    He kissed her lightly on the lips, but he didn’t claim that—somewhere deep inside, perhaps—Olivia really did like her. Anna appreciated that Jack was honest.
    “Why don’t we stay at my place tonight?” Anna ventured.
    He shook his head. “You know how hard it is to find an overnight sitter.”
    Anna nodded. Jack was ten years older; he had a child, a mortgage, a firmly established schedule. She wished there was a way to integrate him into her life, but there was always a reason why it didn’t work. If Anna wanted to be in this relationship, she had to become part of his life.
    “You look gorgeous,” he said, running gentle fingers through her hair. She usually wore it in a ponytail but had blown it out this morning. It looked sleek and professional, tucked behind