BREEANNA BASCOMBE HAD BEEN UP ALL NIGHT.
Tiana*, her six-month-old daughter with big brown eyes and a light-brown complexion-a spitting image of Breeanna's ex-boyfriend Dayne Sitladeen-wouldn't stop crying. She tried everything. It was one of those nights when the last thread of patience snaps and so does a sleep-deprived parent: Breeanna yelled at Tiana.
It didn't work, of course. It just made Breeanna feel worse. She continued rocking and shushing Tiana until the baby eventually gave in to sleep.
The past few months hadn't been easy on Breeanna. Ten months prior, in May 2019, Sitladeen, a Toronto rapper known as Yung Lava, disappeared when he became wanted for the first-degree murder of 26-year-old Blain Grindley. Two of the men also wanted for the murder had surrendered, but Sitladeen left Breeanna without any clue about where he was headed or what he had done. At the time, Breeanna was pregnant with Tiana, the couple's second child.
She wasn't upset that Sitladeen was gone. They had broken up months earlier because of Sitladeen's lying and cheating and run-ins with the law. They met in 2014, when Breeanna, then 21 years old, was working at Conair, a hair-product manufacturer, to support her dream of being an actress. She saw a light shining over him, as if God had selected him for her. She was head over heels. But that feeling was long gone. Now, when Breeanna saw his face on the evening news as she nursed her newborn and tried to move on with her life, she was, frankly, over it.
This story is from the Summer 2023 edition of Chatelaine (English).
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Summer 2023 edition of Chatelaine (English).
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
THE NICE LIST
Chatelaine has featured cookies in its pages every December since 1928. That's almost a century of shortbread, bars, macaroons, gingersnaps, biscotti and so much more. We pored over every winter issue from the past 95 years to find our 10 all-time favourites-and added a new recipe to the mix, too.
A Little Chill
This festive cheesecake for a crowd has all the flavours of the classic holiday candy and is sweetened almost entirely with white chocolate. If you can get hold of peppermint oil, it will give an even more
The Science of Vinaigrettes
EVERY DAY AROUND 1 P.M., my stomach rumbles, reminding me to snap shut my laptop and shuffle to the kitchen to build my hearty lunch salad: leafy greens and toppings of different textures piled high with some protein.
Four Years on Ozempie
Doctors promised me the injectable medication would stabilize my diabetes and even help me lose weight. Today, I'm still suffering the consequences
THE GAME CHANGER
Carly Fennell is slowly making NFL football a safer game-one tackle at a time
The Healing Power of Bagel and Schmear
When my dad was diagnosed with lymphoma last year, I turned to the Jewish tradition of appetizing foods for comfort.
My Sister Is My Soulmate
After decades of thinking I needed to find The One, I realized I've known her my entire life
Decorate Your Mantel
A prop stylist's tricks for bringing festive cheer to your fireplace
Do Hangover Cures Really Work?
'TIS THE SEASON to be merry at least until the next morning. Hangovers, the after-effect of a night of heavy drinking, are so common and bothersome that there's an endless list of cures that people swear by.
Fringe Festival
We tried on countless mascaras at every price point to find the absolute best for fluttery lashes
