YEARS

ter screen; it was 2:47 pm on a Tuesday afternoon. She had been in front of her computer for o

f California, Berkeley a few weeks afte

was sure her paper would be highly commended. Her hard work was getting paid off, she w

xt class with her post-graduate students. Opening a drawer, she broug

Tasha said to her students four minutes

son," a few of the studen

out a stack of papers from the envelope and handed them to the stu

he students passed

she said after all the students had their papers. "And we are g

tart?" She asked the young man sitting at the far end of t

answered and read

she left the school premises. She bra

someone called as she

ore she turned around and looked into

e moved closer to her.

of ramen noodles. "I have been very busy these days with work a

table stock and added them to his shopping cart. "

been showing interest in Tasha for over a year. Sometimes he comes over to help her

as he used to because Tasha was not inter

She picked a bottle of rice vin

eft him to go to the cashier. He joined her a few minu

d her car trunk w

led brightly at her and closed the trunk up. "Tasha," he called out softly

e in a relationship with anyone," she

he finally said, "Okay, will you at least go

ame gently. "Did you list

er eyes directly with raised brows. "But pe

an hurt me?" She pres

"It's so glaring in your eyes . I promise," he raised his h

angled her car key in front

**

rawberry from his

ook. She studied the sleeping form of her son for the longest t

ooked into Tyson's eyes, she saw the face of the man who had hurt her. She wished her s

ears slipped down her cheeks. She had promised herself never to

r hand and stood up from the bed. Tasha leane

r the past seven years, burying herself in her work whenever her heart bled for the ma

and she reached for her phone, seeing that it was her moth

lo,

er mother greeted f

stifled a yawn. "How

said. "I'm sure you are in fr

wn her laptop. "I have to put the finishing touches to the paper that I'm presenting at the confere

ant last?" Her mom a