Katie's POV

I searched around online for jobs, preferably a day job that paid well. I had been asking Johanna for weeks now but she keeps putting it off. She keeps on telling me her money is our money. But I didn't feel that way, I wanted my own money. What if something happened and I needed it? I understand she wants to take care of me, but sometimes I want to take care of myself too.

I found a perfect one, a day job. 9 to 5, paying $17 an hour in an office. Someone needed an assistant, the requirements were just a high school diploma, which I had. I applied and sent it in. After a few hours I was already getting a call.

"Hi is this Katie Barnes?" A man asked over the phone.

"This is she."

"Hello Katie, I'm calling in regards to the application you sent it. When are you available for an interview?" I thought for a minute,

"Give me one moment, let me check." I ran to mamas office and checked her calendar. "Well so this week my partner and I are both sick with a stomach bug. So does next Monday sound good? On the 13th?" I asked.

"That is perfect Miss Barnes. We will see you then." We hung up the phone and I jumped up and down in excitement. I heard mama come into her office, "what's got you so excited baby?" She asked, I was nervous to tell her. "I got a job interview..." I said softly, looking up at her. She looked at me for a few moments before smiling and nodding her head "good job baby, I'm proud of you." That was definitely not the reaction I was expecting. "It's next Monday." She nodded her head "what time?" She asked, picking up a pen, "10am." She wrote it down on her calendar. She motioned for me to come to her and I did, she pulled me into her lap and smiled down at me. "So, where is it?" She asked, rubbing my back. "A place called Motions, someone needed an assistant, it's 9 to 5 and it's $17 an hour." I explained to her, "Katie? Motions is huge, like it's absolutely amazing. Motions is a huge movie corporation." She told me. I didn't know that, "you'll probably end up getting paid a lot more than just $17 an hour. Marlo worked there when we were in college and she made $25 an hour just working the front desk."

Mama was still sick so she took it easy for the day, eating light and laying down on the couch watching Tv, "how about when I start feeling better you and Kaiden have a sleep over?." She asked me, I sat up from between her legs and looked at her, "really?!" I asked excitedly. She nodded her head smiling. "I know it's been a while since y'all two have had a sleep over. I thought maybe he could come over, we could order pizza, watch movies, eat ice cream." Of course I said yes, getting my phone out to text him all the details. "But you have to be good, so that means no bickering with me, no breaking rules, be a good girl, okay?" I nodded my head "I'll be a good girl mommy I promise."

I'm usually always a good girl, occasionally I'll talk back, break a rule or maybe say a bad word. But that's only sometimes. And mommy makes sure to punish me as she sees fit. Usually it's a time out or a spanking. But when I say a bad word she washes my mouth out with soap, one time we got into an argument and I said some really bad words, and she stuck a clothes pin on my tongue and made me kneel in front of the bath tub, that was the last time those words ever.

Anyway, I texted Kaiden and told him when he could come over and he responded right away in all caps "FINALLY" I guess he was pretty excited too.

It was getting close to dinner time and mama insisted on making dinner tonight even though she was still sick. She made orange chicken, egg rolls and white rice. She plated it all nice and pretty, sprinkling sesame seeds on top. " Bon appétit, my love." She said placing it in front of me and a tall glass of water. "I want you to drink that whole thing of water before you leave this table, understood?" I nodded my head and started eating, scooping up some chicken and rice and shoving it into my mouth. I loved Asian food so much, it was my favorite. And mama knew how to cook it, she just never really feels like it. I made sure to take drinks of water while I was eating so I wouldn't have to sit at the table for too long after I ate my food. I took a bite of an egg roll. Pushing it into the sauce from the chicken. "Mmmm mana this is so good." I told her muffled from the food in my mouth. She smiled and shook her head "don't talk with your mouth full Katie." I rolled my eyes and smiled, taking another bite.

When I was done eating I drank the rest of my water then handed everything to mama. She thanked me and put our dishes in the dish washer. I helped her put everything away, I could tell she was tired and she needed to lay down but when I brought it up she shushed me and held her hand up, which meant I needed to shut my mouth, so I did.

We took a quick bath and got dressed into some pajamas, she made sure to put a goodnight on me, I started to protest but she shook her head "sleepover, remember?" I shut my mouth and looked at the wall as she pulled it up past my butt. "You wanna sleep nakey tonight?" She asked, and I shook my head. "Not tonight" I said before taking my shirt away from her, I put it on over my head and then laid down, facing the other side of the wall. She sighed and I felt her get into bed, "Katie, you pee the bed. Just because you wear a goodnight to sleep doesn't make you any less of a big girl okay? You don't even realize you do it until the next morning. It's not your fault." She said and I didn't say anything, she was right. When I go to sleep I can really control my bladder, it was like that for a while when I was younger but I grew out of it. But it came back when I moved out of my parents house.

I felt her settle down and she placed her leg over me, and pulled me closer to her so I was tucked into the curve of her body, she laid her head on top of mine, "i love you mama." She kissed my head and started to rub my back underneath my shirt. "I love you too baby."