"The time you enjoy wasting is not time wasted."

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We have been working for Mr. Ricci for about two weeks now and it's been pretty good, plus the pay is amazing. My mom enjoys it, I think we're finally getting settled into our new life. I'm watching TV when my mom comes home from the store.

"Thanks for cleaning the kitchen!" She tells me from the kitchen.

"No problem mom."

"Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?" My mom asks me after she's done putting the groceries up.

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" My mom knows that we just moved here and even if we didn't I'm not the best at making friends.

"Well I didn't think it was funny." My mom says with a serious face.

"Are you actually asking if I have any plans? Me? Are you sure you're asking the right person?"

"Yes Daisy! I'm asking you." She says seeming to not get why I'm confused.

"When have I ever had plans."

"No need to get all snazzy, I was just wondering." She says with a faint smile on her face.

"I know mom, maybe I'll make friends when the first semester starts. Orientations in like a month and a half too. Maybe I'll be ahead of schedule." I hum, she just smiles at me.

"I want my baby to have some friends, ok? Stop worrying about me all the time." She says in a playful way but I know deep down she's being dead serious. It doesn't soften the blow that much but I swallow my emotions.

"How can I not worry about you? Who else would cook for me?" I say jokingly to keep up with the light mood. It works because next thing I know she's playfully hitting me up with a towel while I run into the living room trying to dodge her blows.

"Funny you say that because I wonder what you're going to be eating tonight." I sit on the couch and dramatically put my hand on my chest like she's deeply hurt me.

"How could you leave me to fend for myself." I say in a joking Shakespeare play manner. "But seriously what are we eating cause I am starving!" She sits next to me on the couch.

"Well we could go out to a restaurant if you'd like because to be honest I don't feel like cooking." She whispered the last part to me.

"Why are you whispering?" I ask and we start laughing again.

"I do not know but do you wanna go?"

"Sure, I'll go get ready. Where are we going." I ask going upstairs to my room.

"Lets be spontaneous and pick one at random." She says walking away.

"Ooooh, you rebel you. I like it." I say smiling and walk into my room.

"Oh hush." I hear her say as I close my door.

•••

"So where do you wanna go?" My mom asks me as we are driving.

"I don't know, you kinda offered to go out so I thought you had a place in mind?" I told her in a duh tone.

We see a local wing spot and decide to stop there. It's got TV's everywhere playing some football game. The bar at the front of the restaurant is full of people with beers yelling at the screen. A man comes up to us and we place our orders.

"Daisy, I have something to tell you." My mom says and her face lights up slightly.

"Yes?" I say wearily.

"How would you feel if I told you I was going on a date?"

"Are you really?" I ask excitedly.

"Yes!" She tells me with the biggest smile on her face. I love seeing my mom this happy. She rarely ever dates because she's always working or taking care of me so I'm happy she's getting back out there again.

"What's his name? How old is he? Does he have any kids? What does he do for a living?" I interrogate her. My mom has been on maybe 2 dates since my dad and even those weren't her doing. My aunt is always encouraging her, telling her to get back out there but the truth is I think she's scared I mean I would be too if I had been through what she had.

"Jeez Daisy, can I find these things out myself first." She says laughing.

"So when is the date?"

"Its tomorrow at 6:00."

"That's great mom! I'm really happy for you." I tell her genuinely.

"Yeah, there's just one problem." She says changing the whole mood.

"Which is?" I hesitantly ask.

"I needed to pick something up from Antonio at 6:30 and that's the only time I can get it."

"And...."

"..And I need you to pick it up for me. He'll show you where it is, its just some files." She says knowing that I have no choice but she wanted to make me feel like I had one.

"Fine, but only because you're going on a date." I tell her and she smiles, then tells me that I'm the best daughter ever.

After our food arrives we continue to talk about her date and how she met him. She tells me they're going to some fancy restaurant, apparently he's one of Mr. Ricci's friends so he's more than likely rich.

While we are eating a man at the bar starts to argue with everyone else at the bar. He must be drunk. We continue to eat our food until the arguing gets louder, the man only stops when he gets a phone call. He gras his stuff and leaves.

"That was weird." I tell my mom and she nods.

"He's either extremely drunk or on drugs, and not the good kind." My mom, says making me laugh.

Once we are done with our food at the restaurant we grab our boxes and walk outside. When we walk outside we see the man who was in the bar talking to some man. It looks pretty sketchy so me and my mom walk a little faster to our car. The two men exchange something then the man from the bar looks around and walks off. When he moves I can see who the person is. He looks like Mr. Ricci's son? He starts to walk in our direction, not even noticing us.

"Is that? Jacob?" I hear my mom say and she waves him over to us. He makes what looks like an irritated face then smiles and walks toward us.

"Angela!" He says and gives my mom a wave.

"What are you doing out here?" She asks him.

"Oh I was just grabbing some food, what about you guys." My mom clearly doesn't realize where he just walked over from but he looks at me and knows that I do.

"All of those chefs you have and you decided to come out for food?" I ask suspiciously just to get under his skin.

"Sometimes I just want something different." He says looking me in my eyes. At this point it felt like we were having a staring contest.

"Hmm."

" Well I should go get my food." He says and walks away waving bye to my mother and I.

"He's such a nice looking young man, don't you think?" She asks me oncewe get in the car.

"He's alright, I've seen better." I say shrugging.

"Oh please, where have you seen better? On TV?" My mom says chuckling.

"That counts!" I say as she drives off.

• • •