#Chapter 21- Daisy

Cora For the first time in a long while, I forgot the chaos of work, the heaviness of single motherhood, and the sharp edges of everything that had happened lately. Shopping with Daisy felt… normal. It felt like before. Before the distance between Daisy and me. Before Zach and the warehouse and all the complicated mess that had become my life. Daisy looped her arm through mine as we wandered past the boutiques downtown. She pointed out a velvet dress in a window display that reminded her of something I used to wear when we were children, and we both burst out laughing. “Remember that ugly red turtleneck you forced me into for Christmas photos?” she teased. I rolled my eyes. “You begged for that photo shoot. I still have the picture.” She snorted and nudged me. It felt easy and real, as if time had rewound. After our third round of store hopping, I took her to a bench near the fountain where the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. I pulled out a small paper bag from