"I told you it was a bad idea but you won't listen! He nearly took my son from me!" Daisy rumbled the minute she crossed the threshold of her bestie's house that evening.

"Calm down, Dee," Amanda soothed, knowing Daisy would not hear a word of it being that she was the one that made her take the boy out that day. "At least he didn't take him and I don't think he would. Maybe he just wanted to see the__"

"I can't believe you still take his side! Do you know what that bastard said to me? He asked me to forgive him! After everything he did, he asked me to forgive him, imagine the audacity!"

Amanda dragged her lower lip, her head banging from listening to Daisy shout. "I think you need to rest, babe. Trust me when you rest you will discover this is no big deal. After all, Daniel is safe with you..."

"Yes! He is now, but how am I sure he would be for long? What if that asshole thinks he can take him away from me!"

"He will not, Daisy. He knows it's not possible, you have the upper hand. But, I will advise you to take it easy lest your son thinks you are stopping him from seeing his father."

"But I'm trying to protect him," Daisy stopped from pacing and faced her friend. "I'm his mother and I'm doing what is best for him."

Amanda stood, seeing the frenzy on her face, took her shoulders between her hands to steady. She took a deep breath, smacked her lips and said cool, "You need to be laid, girlfriend. You have been so tense lately and I think it's because it's been a long time since you had some..."

Daisy couldn't believe her ears. She was going nuts and her friend thinks it because she needs a man? She sagged her shoulders and with a giant rip from her friend, stepped away. "I can't believe you will say that, Amanda."

"C'mon that's the truth, Dee. You remember when I was struggling with Tommy's recent defiance, you recommended I got some and I did. You saw the result."

Daisy rolled her eyes. "That was different!" She flailed her hands in the air. "Your son acting up and my son's father showing up to take him away from me are totally different." Amanda didn't look like she was listening which left Daisy hopeless. "You know what?" She picked her bag. "I have to go home to him. These days I don't know if you are for me anymore."

"Dee..."

"No, maybe it's because you are now getting laid consistently you now think I need to be like you... I will see you tomorrow at work." with that she stomped off the foyer and out of the house.

Amanda was conflicted with her friend's behavior. She never likes Daisy being upset because she hardly reasons with anyone. As far as Daniel is concerned, she could comprehend why Daisy is like that but still, she knows if the boy eventually grows up, he might want to go to his father which is why she wouldn't want by then for Daisy to be heartbroken. It would be better if they started now one step at a time to handle this.

Ethan fucked up, still, he was Daniel's father and she wants the boy to have one in his life.

"Babe, are you okay?" Her lover came behind her and Amanda slowly twisted around to smile at her. "I heard you arguing with your friend."

"Yeah..." She gestured towards the door and returned her hand dejectedly. "It's a rough time for her now."

"I understand. I hate Ethan for lying to me, but I think they share something very... Special."

Amanda shook her head with a humorous snort. "Please don't say that when she's around. I'm working on building your relationship, don't ruin it."

The other chuckled. "She is a difficult one..."

Amanda shook her head, her hand circling her lover. "She is not always like that. I think she is very scared of losing Daniel. I have to visit Ethan to make sure that he knew that I would never sit aside and watch him hurt my girl again."

"You think that's a good idea?"

"I don't know, but I have to do something for her. She would if she were in my shoes. That's what we do for each other."

They stood in silent contemplation until finally, they strode into the living quarters to see the evening Harvey's show which was Amanda's favorite.

Back in Daisy's mansion, she sat in front of her laptop checking out a design sent to her by one of the designers. But her mind wasn't there. She has been staring at that design for the last ten minutes but couldn't make any decision on it because so many things were bothering her. Her son's safety at the forefront.

She needed someone to speak to now more than ever but as it seems her friend found a lover and she was no longer important, she sulked. "Damn you, Ethan for making me feel this way!" She cursed under her breath and dropped the Laptop by the side and went to her bar at the corner of her study to pour an enormous quantity of Macdowell's into a glass which she tipped in her mouth at a gulp and smacked the glass back on the table.

She poured another and this time sipped it slowly, her mind rummaging through all the pains she passed through to birth her son and how all that might go to dust if Ethan decides to take her son. His family was very influential in the U.S and might try to file for custody particularly that cursed mother of his.

She recollected all the stress that woman made her go through when she was married to her son. How much the woman hated her and didn't want her to progress with her son. She tried everything possible to separate them and Daisy knew deep within her that she might have had an ample input in the separation between her and Ethan.

All that doesn't matter, they might be bigger than her, still, she would fight with everything in her to keep her son away from them. They are sick people and her son can't be allowed to mingle with the likes of them. But first, she would need to calm down as Amanda said. She can't afford to spook her son into thinking she was going crazy. No way.

There were three raps on the door and she sharply hid away the glass, picked the bottle and returned back to the bar before telling the caller who she knew would be Daniel to come in.

"Mom?" His tiny raspy voice sailed to her.

"Yes, baby?" She instinctively wiped her hands on her beige gown and strutted to him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah... I couldn't sleep and you weren't in your room, so I thought to Check you here.." She stooped to his height and cradled his face.

"I'm here, baby. Why can't you sleep?" She kissed his cheek affectionately and pulled him to the chair which he gingerly jumped on.

His small shoulders rose and fell, his hands fiddling together as though he knew what he was about to say would upset his mother greatly. "Are you mad at father?"

Daisy's heart lurched. She controlled herself from flaring at him. He was just a little boy still going through the euphoric stage of meeting a vile man who claims to be his father. For a kid who even though he hasn't bothered her much about knowing his father, she saw how he looked at other kids when they were with theirs. "Why are you asking?"

He looked down at his hands. "I heard you shouting at him... And also because he said he loves us but that he made you angry..."

That son of a gun! She clenched her lips tight, her smile still on for her boy. She took his hands. "Baby, can you trust me on this when I tell you he isn't good for you?"

"But mom, you always said I should forgive my friends when they wrong me."

"I know, baby. But he is... He is simply not what you need now. All you need is to focus on becoming better for yourself. Don't you want that?" She tugged him close, cradling his little face once. Looking at him was pure torture because of how much he looked like his father. But if it would mean making him stop thinking of the oaf, then she didn't mind burying her head in his.

He nodded gently and smiled, making him more handsome. She hugged him, thankful that he was such a sweet and gentle boy. Growing up, he didn't give her so much trouble. Always so calm and sweet. She hoped the unhealthy presence of his father would not turn him against her.

"How is Ella now?" She asked him to distract his attention.

"She finished her food," He ripped away excitedly. "Are you going to walk her?"

"I don't think I can, baby. But I will hire someone?"

"Okay, I w__"

Their attention was snatched by the loud shrill of her phone on her desk. When she grabbed it, she saw a foreign number.

Who the heck?!

She hoped it wasn't who she was thinking it was.

...