“Mom, do you think I can leave early today? Bailey texted me, hoping I could visit her and Cat today,” I asked although it was a greedy thing to do. Leaving her alone would mean she had to close the store by herself, but it had been long since I met up with Bailey. I hoped I could get to see her.
“Oh, is that so?” she asked, wiping the beads of sweat on her forehead. After folding the page where she was reading, she put the book down. Finally, her eyes met mine. It was hard to decipher her expression, but she was good about saying what she meant and saying it often.
“Okay. You can take the rest of the day off.” She smiled at me sweetly, destroying the skepticism in my head. It felt wrong to leave her behind, guilt consuming the rest of me as I stood there.
“Are you sure, Mom? Can you work around here by yourself? I could cancel meeting up with Bailey if you need me around,” I asked once more, hoping for her sincere answer.
Instead, she pushed me out of her spot and laughed at my pitying look on her.
“Don’t you believe in my multitasking skills? I could ace the job, even with myself alone!” She smiled again, pushing me more out toward the exit. I forced a weak smile, unsure of her decision. She was
decisive about it, but I felt like she needed me around. She got tired way too easily, but whatever. I’d asked, and she had responded. I was out!
“It’s really fine, Kylie. You worked hard today. Get outta here before I change my mind.”
“All right. I love you,” I called over my shoulder before jogging to my car. Freedom. Finally.
*
I walked into Bailey’s house, and Cat raced toward me, yelling in her high-pitched little voice. For a moment, I thought she was going to run into my arms and greet me warmly, until I caught Bailey running behind her.
They were playing hide and seek. I scooped Cat up into my arms, carrying her as she giggled happily. The two-year-old daughter of my best friend was like my own child too, being the most adorable kid I knew. She clung tightly to my neck, giggling hard as Bailey teased her about taking her out of my arms.
“You two seem to have some cool Mom and daughter time,” I spoke in between babble speech with Cat, who was still having fun over my goofy company. She was smiling sweetly, her cute baby cheeks pinkish in color.
“Yeah, you know how the word fun defines the time we spend together.” She took her from me, Cat finally recovering from her breathless giggles. Bailey closed the door as she led me inside, offering me to sit on their couch.
I shoved all the stuffed toys to the side and dropped down.
“It’s been weeks since we had a decent conversation. Catch me up! What’s the buzz around town?” Bailey looked at me with a happy grin. I grinned back, staring at her beautiful face.
“You know, just the usual. The store’s been doing fine. Mom’s great as ever too. Bossy, but she stays true to who she is.” I shrugged and smiled down at Cat, who was on the floor, laughing at something on TV.
“Great. That store’s been there through thick and thin. I’m amazed how your momma has kept it running so long. She’s a wise businesswoman for sure,” she replied, complimenting my mother’s hard work. It was true. Her unending sacrifices and extreme efforts to maintain the operation of our convenience store for years were the reasons it was still open and thriving.
“Yeah. I even felt guilty today. She pushed me right out of the store right after I asked for her okay to leave. With only the two of us manning the entire place, I probably shouldn’t have asked to leave. I just wanted to see you after you texted.” I leaned back and let out a long sigh. “To feel alive for a minute.”
“I know a good way to feel alive.” She smirked, and I swatted at her. “Not that I’ve had a man around for a while, but I hear that if they’re good in bed, life is just better.”
“Oh, Lord. Back to the store please.” I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. I’d dated a few guys, but no one worth keeping around. The only man I could even hold in my fantasies long enough to undress was Hunter. He haunted my dreams regularly, and I did far more than just undress him.
“You know, it’s pretty amazing that you and your mom have kept that store going with just the two of you. And the damn thing is growing. Business is doing well, right?” She lifted an eyebrow at me.
The expansion of our store was unstoppable. Since my mother was able to raise some cash from both her business and her previous field work as a nurse, she expanded our store. There’s one thing she wanted in life – to work full-time at the store, at a place she owned herself. Crazy enough, she’d pulled it off a few years back. I couldn’t be more proud and inspired.
“Yeah, but it raised some problems along the way. One of which was the problem with hiring outsiders. Mom wanted to keep it in the family. But that’s too difficult, considering that I’m the only child, plus the fact that Dad is gone.”
Bailey looked at me with a pitiful glance. I was growing weary, as was my mother, but she knew what she was doing, and I trusted her.
“When Cat gets a little older, I can volunteer her to work in the convenience store. I hope Irene would not object to that since I’m a part of the family by heart.” Her beautiful smile cheered me up, followed by Cat’s cute babbling.
“By the way, Hunter came by yesterday.” I spoke in a timid voice, recalling our weird standoff. I could still feel the fast beating of my heart as I imagined his beautiful eyes staring back at me. Bailey looked at me with a grin on her face, waiting for the next details of my tale.
“And? I can feel something juicy happened.” By the look on her face, she knew me all too well. I could feel my cheeks flush, burning a bright red. I bit my lower lip before uttering another word.
“Nothing too fun. He talked to Mom for a second, and I studied him like a stalker. I swear I feel like I’m 16 again when he’s around.
Her brows were raised, waiting for something more, but there was nothing to give her. It was pathetic, to say the least. Even Cat looked at me with a bewildered look.