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I roll my eyes, even though she can’t see me, as I pull up to the drive-thru. “Hang on, Mom, let me place my order.” Once I’ve done so, and pulled around to wait for my delicious yumminess, I continue where I left off before pausing our conversation. “He was there when I went out with Bria, and he bought the two of us a round of drinks. I went over to thank him.”
“I see.”
Hmm. Those two words hold a wealth of ‘Mom’ in them, so I wait patiently to see what else she’s going to come up with, grinning like a lunatic which probably has more to do with how tired I am, than the fact she mentioned his name.
“I think you should let him know you’re interested, Sunday,” she finally says.
“Mom!” I exclaim. “How doesonesimple conversation over a drink translate to me being interested?”
“Sunday Marie Cross, you can lie to yourself, but you can’t lie to your mother,” she admonishes me. “You’ve always liked that boy, so why not show him?”
“Maybe because he has more to consider than just himself? He’s got a kid, remember? Plus, who’s to say he’d want to get involved with me anyhow? I definitely don’t look the way I did in high school.”
“Sunday… really? You’re going to go there with me? Your daddy hasn’t said or even acted like my mastectomy scars bother him.”
“Daddy’s one of the good ones, Mom. Not all men are like him,” I retort, thinking of Jonas and his reaction when I was first injured and hospitalized.
“Not all men are like that good-for-nothing ex of yours, sweetie. I suspect Jett’s more like your dad in that regard than you think. What would it hurt?”
Nothing except my heart shattering into a gazillion pieces if I’m rejected by him.
“Fine.Ifthe situation presents itself, I’ll let him know I’d be interested in seeing him as more than friends, okay?”
She sounds almost giddy when she confesses, “That’s all I want, sweetie.”
The clerk knocks on my window, and I roll it down to take the bag and thank her for bringing it out to me. “Mom, gotta go, hot, fresh chicken is now onboard.”
“Heaven forbid I come between you and your food. Love you, Sunday. Be careful and I’ll talk to you later on when you wake up.”
“Love you too, Mom. Bye!”
* * *
“Okay,Pudge, now that we’ve got the clothes going, let’s go take a hot bath while I eat some chicken,” I say to the kitten who’s been purring at my feet. Leaning over, I pick her up, and cuddle her as she licks my face with her sandpapery tongue. “I love you too, fuzzy butt.”
I make a plate of food, then store the rest for later, before heading into my en suite. Once I’ve stripped off my work clothes, and tossed them into the hamper I use strictly for my scrubs, I start the water in the tub, then go into my closet where my dresser is, and find a comfy nightshirt to wear after I’m done. As I slide into the water, I groan. My body aches letting me know I’ve done too much.
“Can’t be helped, Pudge,” I tell her as she curls up on the wide ledge to watch me eat. I’m pointing a chicken leg at her, but she doesn’t grab for it, which I’m impressed by. Instead, she meows as though she’s agreeing with me. “Your grandma thinks you need a companion, what do you think?”
She meows again and I nod. “You’re right. You will be lonely when I’m at work. How about I check the shelter to see if there’s anyone you might like?”
Moving closer to me, she nudges my head then trills before she takes a running jump and leaves the bathroom behind. “Yeah, I’m kind of done with myself too, little girl. Time to focus so I can take some meds and get some much-needed rest.”
ChapterSix
Jett
With the schoolon lockdown for a few days while they sterilize the rooms, and the students affected have a chance to recover, Dusty and I are taking care of some necessary yard work, which translates to he’s picking up the weeds I’ve pulled, and placing them inside the extra-large garbage bags, he has been chattering my ear off. The mowing and trimming are already finished, leaving this particular job left to do, which I hate.
“Dad?”
“Yeah, Dusty?”
“You gonna ask that lady friend of yours out if you see her again?”
“The one I told you about? The one that I saw last weekend, right?” I query, sitting back on my heels to look at him. “Does it really bother you that I’m single?”
“I just don’t want you to be alone, Dad, like we talked about. I mean, how many times have I seen my own mother since she left? Once? Twice? She wouldn’t even recognize me if she passed me on the street, I bet.”
