struggles of a single mom

October 2037 - Phoebe Dai is 28, Whitney Riley is 27, Keiran Riley is 3 (Justus Lim is 29, Abhijeet Turner is 28).

Abhijeet calls once a week to see how they're doing. Whitney appreciates it, but she never knows what to say. "Our son is the most amazing kid in the world." "Childcare costs a fortune, and even with daycare I've used up all of my sick days for this year." "Sometimes I think my life was empty without him, and other days I wish you were the one getting up in the middle of the night every night with a cranky toddler." Usually she sticks with "We're fine."

She calls Phoebe early one morning. "Can we talk?"

Phoebe's running out the door to work, but she promises to come by that afternoon.

They haven't talked in a few months, but Whitney still considers Phoebe one of her closest friends. They met when they lived in the Warehouse Apartments with their college boyfriends; even though their lives have gone in very different directions, they'll always be best friends.

"It's so good to see you," Phoebe says.

"You too." Whitney's about to say more, but Keiran comes to the door.

"Mommy, juice!" he cries.

"Sorry, just a second." She gets a bottle from the fridge. "Baby, this is Mommy's friend Phoebe. Can you say hi?"

He doesn't say anything, just smiles shyly and drinks his juice.

"Congratulations by the way," Whitney tells Phoebe. "I hear you're doing great things in the State Assembly."

Phoebe shrugs and smiles. "Thanks. I love working in politics. But that's nothing compared to you. I'm so proud of you, raising Keiran on your own."

"That reminds me," Whitney says, "Justus lives here on the first floor. I've heard he's been having lots of problems - skipping work, going to the Warehouse drunk and passing out in the common room."

Phoebe rolls her eyes and sighs. "That boy will never grow up."

Phoebe and Whitney play chess while Keiran plays with his xylophone.

"He's really good," Phoebe says.

She smiles sadly. "He's already asking when he can have a piano. How can I get a piano into this tiny apartment, let alone pay for it?"

"Hey, don't worry about that," Phoebe says, patting her hand. "You'll figure those things out as they come. Right now you have an adorable toddler who loves music. Just enjoy that."

Whitney is still thinking about what Phoebe said hours after she leaves. Keiran is such a sweet, easy child. Every night when they sing a nursery rhyme together, his whole face lights up.

"Yeah baby," she says to him, "we're doing just fine."

*****

I didn't plan to mention Abhijeet in this update, but every time I play Whitney or Abhijeet, the other one calls early in the morning. I imagine that they're calling so Abhijeet can stay in touch with his son.

Also, Justus really has been hanging out at the Warehouse until he passes out. I'm not sure how to get him to leave. I imagine that he's in a downward spiral because of his breakup with Phoebe. I'm not sure what to do with him now; he might move away or he might just hover in the background.