Sugar Mama’s Secret: Claimed by My Son’s Best Friend

Evelyn

"Evelyn. You are a university professor now. Not a woman on the run."

I whispered it to myself in the dark, trying to push Richard out of my head. His voice. The way he used to say mine like it meant something.

Up early because we just moved. Me and Marcus. New city, new apartment, fresh start. the whole thing.

Honestly, for someone with my luck, I'm surprised I found a place this close to work. Surprised I found the job at all.

No more buses. Four of them, every single morning, half my paycheck gone before I even got there. That part I will not miss.

I have a son in his twenties and people think I'm his sister. Every time.

Love? Don't.

I married his father and divorced him. The man was arrogant, cheap, and mean with his hands. I could not stay. I didn't.

My life was dark for a long time. I ran. I hid. Years of it.

Marcus doesn't remember any of that. He was too small, and the therapist said trauma does that, takes the worst parts and buries them somewhere you can't reach. For once, I think that's okay. He didn't need to carry it.

I am Evelyn Carter. I have been through a lot.

Now I'm free. Everything should be fine.

I walked to Marcus's room already annoyed.

Opened the door. There he was spread across the bed like something that had fallen from a great height. Hair everywhere. Blanket on the floor. Mouth open.

"Marcus. Wake up. The truck is coming and you're still sleeping. Are you serious right now?"

"Mom..." A long groan. "I didn't sleep early. Five more minutes. Please."

I stared at him. This boy. Same as he was at seven.

I put my hand on my hip and waited.

"Marcus. We are moving today. I'm going downstairs. If you're not behind me in five minutes, something will happen that you won't like."

He sat up. Hair going in four directions. Eyes barely open.

"Okay, okay. I'm up. Don't be mad."

He dropped onto the edge of the bed and frowned at the floor.

"Mom. Why are we even moving? My friends are all here. I'm going to be alone there. Just... the new kid."

I looked at him. He wasn't being dramatic. He was actually sad. This apartment was all he knew.. every corner of it, every year of growing up in it.

"You'll make new friends, Marcus. I promise."

I sat beside him and took his hand.

His sadness was always my weak point.

"That's good, Mom. But also... why don't I get a job? Help you out a little. I know how hard you work." He looked at me for a second and smiled soft, almost shy.

"Stop."

"I'm serious!"

"You're young. Live your life. That's final."

He smiled wider.

"You're young too, Mom. You know that, right? You should enjoy your life. You don't have to stay single forever just because of me." He paused. "I'd be happy if you found someone. Someone who actually treats you right."

I looked at him. He meant it. Completely serious.

Part of me wanted that once. Now I just wanted Marcus to be okay.

He was staring at me with this expression and shocked, like something occurred to him.

"Wait, Mom. All my friends are obsessed with you. Like, all of them. They'd never say it in front of me because I would genuinely end them. Anyone who flirts with you.. gone."

I laughed. Couldn't help it.

His father didn't deserve that loyalty. But Marcus never asked for my opinion on that.

I still remembered his face the day he saw his father with someone else. He'd pretended not to care. His eyes gave him away.

"Mom, you're everything to me. Father, mother, brother — all of it." His voice dropped. "There's no place for him in my life. He got married and walked away. Left you alone. How am I supposed to just go visit him? I don't want to. Let him go to hell. He's the one who broke you."

I pulled him in and held him tight. He laughed and hugged me back.

"Mrs. Carter is about to become the most beautiful woman in the neighborhood," he said into my shoulder. "It looked like an old area, so probably everyone there is ancient."

"Stop it." I pulled back, laughing. "I still can't believe that university accepted me so fast. Maybe our luck is finally turning."

"Okay." I stood up. "Pack your things. Don't make the workers wait."

"Yes, Mom. Yes."

"Marcus. The truck is coming and you haven't eaten anything."

Fried eggs and rice on the table. He sat down humming, kissed my cheek the way he always did, and started eating.

"Mom. I'm really going to miss this place."

"I found us a house, baby. Not an apartment. Isn't that what you always wanted?"

He looked up.

"House?"

Full stop. Just staring at me.

"An actual house? Not an apartment?"

His face did that thing, completely open, every feeling right there on the surface. Marcus never learned to hide anything. You could read him like a page.

I laughed at him. "Yes. I found it by accident. It's close to the university too, so no more transportation nightmares. We're going to be okay."

"Mom. I can't believe this."

He went quiet for a second. Thinking. I recognized the look.

Here it comes.

He glanced at me sideways.

"So... I can have friends over sometimes? Maybe a party or two?"

Said it to the floor. Waiting.

"Yes. No alcohol. Nothing like that."

His head came up. Pure shock, then happiness.

"I swear. Never. But I have to make friends first."

"Invite your old ones."

He nodded, reached over and kissed my hand with complete exaggeration.

"I love you. My beautiful lady."

I laughed again. Watching him grow up still caught me off guard sometimes. When did this happen?

"I love you too. Eat your pastries before they're cold."

The doorbell rang a few seconds later. They are workers.

I walked through the apartment one last time while they started loading things. Slow. Looking.

Every bad year of my life happened inside these walls. Every night I cried. Every morning I got up anyway.

Leaving felt right. It also felt like something.

"I'll miss you," I said to the empty room. "Despite everything."

"We're leaving, Mom. It's going to be better."

Marcus found my hand.

I nodded. "You're right. Let's go."