Going Down In History

I tried my best to not wake my sleeping boyfriend while I made him dinner. It was a lame attempt to cheer him up. I decided I would go out tomorrow and ask my boss for full time instead of applying for college. College was no use if we were going to move again, so I was the proud employee as a waitress at Hooters. I know what you're thinking, but the pay is good and the tips are even better and I was more than qualified to work there.

I stopped my cooking when my phone rang loudly and vibrated against the counter. I grabbed it up quickly and pressed the glowing green button before holding it to my ear.

"What! I snapped quietly at whoever was on the other end.

"Is that any way to talk to your mother?" I mentally kicked myself and sighed into the phone. I guess she took that as a response. "I want to see you before you leave." There was no way she knew that fast.

"What are you talking about?" I was more confused now than I had been in a very long time.

"Don't play dumb Charlie. He probably lost his job and what other option do you have?" She paused, "and of course you refuse to come home so I assume you're leaving with him." My jaw dropped for the second time that day. Were we really that predictable? I hope not.

"Mom I—" I paused and thought of the right words to say, "we're leaving in the summer." I didn't know if this was true or not, but it gave her plenty of time to see me.

"All I ask for is to see you at least once before you vanish." Her voice was soft and she was pleading, but not like she was earlier. "I want to meet him too." I knew this was coming. I groaned at her request.

"Mom, you can meet him as long as you promise to leave him in one piece, mentality and all." I didn't really like the fact that her and Chris were going to be in the same room, sitting across from each other and talking.

"Fine, I won't chew him out for taking my only daughter away from me. I will be in San Diego on Sunday to see you. Meet me at Red Lobster at noon." Before I could reply, she hung up. I had a perfect idea of what I had just gotten myself into. Sunday was only two days away. I worked all day tomorrow and then that dreaded day would come next. I wasn't ready for this.

I turned back to the homemade mac and cheese I was making, decided it was cheesy enough and threw it into the oven. My thoughts wandered as I set the timer and I just stood in the middle of the kitchen staring at the oven door.

There was one thing that did strike me as odd about my mom's request. She was taking a full day off of her busy life to come all the way down to San Diego to see the daughter she had left alone almost all her life. Something, surely, was up with her, but, as soon two arms wrapped around my waist, I forgot what I was thinking about.

I turned to see Chris smiling tiredly at me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a hug that he looked like he desperately needed at that moment.

"Did I wake you?" I asked as soon as we pulled apart from each other and I could see his face clearly. It was more tired than I had ever seen it. He looked a lot older than he was due to the massive bags under his eyes that didn't contrast well with his rather pale skin.

"No," he replied to my relief, "but your phone did." He smiled sheepishly and jutted his thumb over his shoulder to point at my phone that was now on the counter again. I didn't even remember putting it down.

"I'm sorry, I should've turned the volume off." I looked apologetic and he pressed his cheek to my own in a comforting manner to whisper in my ear.

"It's okay. It's not your fault." I knew he wasn't saying this to me waking him up, but saying it to relieve the guilt I had for him getting fired because of our relationship. "I still love you." He pressed his lips to my temple and pulled me back into a hug. I nuzzled my face into his neck and took a breath of his scent.

"I love you too."