Learning to love again

Chapter 1

As the clouds drifted across the blue sky to an unknown destination, a child's laughs rang out filling the air with joy and a harmony he and the soaring birds created.

"Higher mom! Higher!" he exclaimed happily being pushed higher making him feel like he could touch the sky.

"My goodness, at this rate you'll touch the sky." laughed the woman making him laugh even more. "My son will fly away and leave me soon." she sighed theatrically.

"No! I'll stay with you forever!" he argued jumping off the swing after it slowed down.

"Oh, how lucky for me then!" she cheered happily. "That was a ten for me, my son's a great athlete." she praised making him smile proudly.

"Mom, can we get ice cream?" he asked tugging on her hand looking up at her with big round eyes.

"Sure!" she agreed her smile turning strained.

She couldn't tell her eighth years' old son that even a simple ice cream was too much of an expense. She'll deal with the consequences later, he rarely asked for anything almost like he knew their situation. Then again, children were smarter than we adults thought. Still, this was her rare day off and she wanted to spoil him a little.

"Which one do you want?" she asked after they found an ice cream stand among the stores and restaurants of Beach Boulevard.

"I want the chocolate one!" he said bouncing on his heels.

"Alright! We'll take one chocolate cone please," she said exchanging change for ice cream she handed to her son that held it like a treasure.

"Are you not eating one?" he asked looking up at her as they began walking away.

"No, I'm full enough just watching you eat," she said smiling to convince him of such but the dubious way he looked at her, she knew she failed to convince him.

"Here, you can have some," he said offering up his ice cream almost bringing her to tears.

Keep it together Denise!

"Thank you! My son's a gentleman!" she praised, taking the ice cream from him and sharing it with him as they walked along the beach listening to the wave crash into the shore. "It's time to go home now," she said as they finished the ice cream.

"Okay." he agreed easily satisfied for today.

Walking back from the beach to the high rise they lived in, Denise took in the sights of her hometown now that she wasn't running around.

Eight years ago, she never imagined returning to Aberdeen pregnant and bitter, after running away with a man she thought would be her last, but life is never straightforward. This was probably her punishment for being the selfish person she was before.

"Don't run!" she called after her son once they approached the high rise making him slow down. "Oh, need help?" she asked the man who was struggling with two big boxes at the entrance.

"Yes, thank you so much," he said being relieved of one box.

"Here, can you hold my bag for me?" asked Denise as she handed it to her son who held it close.

"Yes mom," he replied seriously holding the bag with utmost care before following them up to the eighth floor.

"Here we are, thanks for the help," he said putting the box down in front of his door.

"Oh, looks like you're our neighbour." she pointed out.

"Really?"

"Yeah, that's our place," she said pointing to the door next door.