The Royal Contract

Her fingers tightened at the stroller as she pushed it up the street. It was a short, mild uphill climb to their destination.

But first, she had to make some stops. So far, she had one more. "We are here," Sarah whispered to her daughter as she pushed her inside the shop.

They were in a shop, buying some sweet treats for Grandmama Angela. She always loved cakes, pies, and tarts. She could not live without them.

The shop was between her house and the park. Usually, she would order before bringing Luisa to the playground. Then, she would pick it up on their way back home.

"Hi, Leslie. What is your special today?" She asked the young lady who assisted the customers.

She checked the freshly baked goodies on the display glass counter while smelling the delicious scents. She could already see a few she would like to try.

"We have several to choose from." Leslie showed her their new bread and cakes on display.

"Hey, Luisa. I think I have something for you." The sales lady moved behind the counter and pulled something from under it.

Then when she returned, she had a gorgeous pink tiara for her. "This is for you." She placed it on top of her daughter's head.

"Now, you look like a real princess," Leslie said, giggling when Luisa reacted with a beautiful smile.

She could not help but think of what the young woman said. If only they knew the truth. But Leslie had no idea.

"Thanks, Leslie, but you did not have to do that." She said, grateful for the friendly people she had met.

"That is ok, Ms. Richmond. We made several baby cakes. That was the extra that we don't need anymore." She explained.

Their interaction was interrupted when new customers entered the store. She listed the items she would buy and gave the list to Leslie.

"She is so beautiful." The couple beside them commented as they stooped down and stared at her child inside her stroller.

She could not help but be proud of her little bundle of joy. Indeed, she was a gorgeous child, taking up most of the attractive features of her father.

Damn! Why did she have to think of him? But how could she not when she saw him every time she looked at their daughter?

Of course, her daughter also inherited some of her features, but the attributes of her father were more prominent. Sometimes, she could see telltale signs of his mannerism too.

"Thanks." She responded to the young couple. "Do you have kids?" She asked, trying to be polite to her new neighbors.

She had noticed them before. She saw them move into the house not far from her place.

"No, we don't have yet. But we are already expecting one." The younger woman excitedly declared as she held on to her flat tummy.

"We are just newlywed." The husband stated, both excited and nervous. "Is it hard to care for a child?" He suddenly asked.

"No. That is not necessary." She quickly shook her head, telling them to stop fixing her to the guy. "I am sure that guy is not over the death of his wife. So, we should not bother him."

She tried to convince her friends that she did not need to go on a date with a widower. But it seemed her new friends would not stop until they had set her up.

"Don't be ridiculous. I heard it had been over a year ago. And the guy had been on his first date, but it did not work out." Her friend informed them of what she gathered from the grapevine.

"Seriously, girls, you need another hobby." Sarah interrupted, both amused and scared of the abilities of these ladies. "You can't snoop around another person's life."

But she knew they were just normal wives and mothers who had too much time on their hands. They could not help but gossip in their spare time.

"Say's the reporter." One of the mothers commented, making her smile and chuckle with them.

"Fine," Sarah conceded. If there was someone who loved to poke her nose on none of her business, it was her. "But please, do not set me up, guys." She pleaded with them.

Finally, she and her new friends started talking about other things. One thing she liked about this group, she learned new beneficial insights on how she could raise her daughter.

As a first-time mother, navigating into her new life, motherhood, and career was challenging without help.

Although Angela was there to guide her, she still needed new input from mothers, more or less, her similar age.

"Why not?" Her other friend questioned, still unconvinced about her lack of interest. "You are still beautiful, young, and attractive. And very talented. So, why not try to date again?"

That sounded nice, but finding another man was not in her books. "I don't think I am ready for another commitment. Besides, I wish to enjoy my single life and my daughter." And among other reasons, she could not say or even admit to herself.

"Anyway, I am telling you. You are making a mistake." One of her friends reiterated. "If I am you, I will give it a try. One date will not hurt."

She could not help but laugh at her friends' effort to hook her up with a guy. "But I don't even know him. He might not be interested in me." Not that she was.

She just wanted to show her friends their suggestions sounded ridiculous. Nevertheless, she was glad that playtime would soon be over. She could return inside her house to clean for the rest of the day.

That was her routine every weekend when she had no work. And today, she was sticking to it.

"We can fix that." Her friend suddenly waved her hand, and the man smiled and strode towards them, carrying a handsome boy in his muscular arms.

It was too late to escape when her friends put her on the spot. It appeared it was a setup.

"He had been asking about you. He might slightly know you, but you can get to know him now." Her friend said, slightly looking guilty this time.

"What did you do?" She asked, as she suddenly wanted to strangle her.

"I just said I will introduce the two of you. The rest is up to you guys." She whispered before the man stood before them, greeting everybody.

Indeed, up close, he seemed to be a charming man. But he was still a handsome stranger she had no interest in knowing.