Read Online Breaking the Cycle by Zane - Free Book Online Page B

with Asia’s first spoonful of Dawn’s homemade baby food, right up until today. Normally, Dawn would give Asia a small portion of yogurt with granola sprinkles, and for a special treat, she would give her frozen yogurt, with nuts and sprinkles. Every evening, as the sun went down and the moon filled the sky, Dawn would read Asia a bedtime story, and it was truly their special thing. A mother-daughter moment that was the foundation of a bond that held them tightly together.
    Dawn took a spoonful of yogurt and placed it to Asia’s lips, but the little girl just yawned.
    “I’m sleepy, Mommy,” Asia said, with a long stretch.
    “Okay, Baby. No more for you tonight.” Dawn took the spoon, licked it, and gently placed it back inside Asia’s bowl, which was still about half full of soupy frozen yogurt, swirls of chocolate sauce, and a few melted sprinkles. Dawn made sure she gave her little girl most of the sprinkles. Asia loved those colorful little candy bits.
    “I love you, Asia. Mommy really, really loves you. More than anything,” Dawn whispered, even though she was alone. Her husband, Todd, was out on one of his weekly “hang out with the fellas” forays. “You look so much like me. But you’re even more beautiful than I am. You have my eyes, my cheekbones, and your grandmother’s pointy nose.” Dawn playfully plucked Asia’s nose. “You have a little bit of your daddy right there on your lips. But you act just like me. You have my mannerisms. You remind me so much of myself.” In Asia’s spirited little nature, Dawn saw herself almost reincarnate. And until today, she was thrilled by her little “mini-me.” Shards of a repressed memory shattered Dawn’s peaceful existence, to the point that she found herself gasping for air. Her knees had buckled, and her world faded to black as she felt herself retreating into a distant universe.
    “You gonna tell me a story, Mommy?” the little girl asked, as she struggled to keep her eyes open.
    Dawn held Asia tightly, and the little girl sighed and nestled in her arms. “Yes, I am. I’m going to tell you a story tonight, Baby,” Dawn said, as Asia lifted her heavy eyelids. Her deep brown, almond-shaped eyes were full, and Asia again yawned softly. Dawn continued. “One I’ve never told you before. It’s about me, a little princess who grew up to meet a wonderful prince. I was young, just 23 years old when I met your daddy, and we both worked for the Newark Star-Ledger . I was a copy editor when Mr. Todd Saunders stepped into my life. Yes, Mr. Saunders was something else. He was the hotshot reporter who had been spirited away from our rival paper, The Newark Gazette , and he was taking the newsroom by storm. Your daddy was suave, confident, and although he wasn’t what we call ‘fine,’ he definitely had it going on. He had quite an air about him. His attitude made him extremely attractive. Immediately, every woman set her mark on him. After all, he was a B.M.W. Black man working,” Dawn said with a little snort, and tried not to wince from the pain in her arm. She reached into her pocket, pulled out two bottles, and placed them on the nightstand beside Asia’s bowl. One was Tylenol 3, and the other one, Dalmane, was to help her sleep. The emergency doctor had given her a 30-day prescription for both, and had looked at her with a very unsettling gleam in his eye.
    “Are you sure you dislocated your shoulder by tripping on your stairs?” the doctor asked. He was a fairly handsome, medium tall, brown-skinned man, who appeared a little young. And a little too inquisitive. “I didn’t see a lot of bruising that would be consistent with this type of fall. Is there something else you’d like to share, Ms. Jones?”
    Dawn had laughed nervously. She had made sure to use a fake name and had gone to another hospital. It was across town from the one down the street from her apartment, and she had made all of this effort just so she wouldn’t have to be