Chapter 48
1009words
"Please call me Gizelle; I'm only six years older than you."
Valdo smiled, "If it makes you feel any better. You look way younger than your age." She did. Whenever we went out of town people would always think she's my sister instead of my mother.
My mother smirked at Valdo, "Are you flirting with me?"
"No ma'am. I only have eyes for your daughter."
She looked at Valdo, "Don't call ma'am again even though I'm a grandma."
He held up his pinky fingers, "I won't. I promise."
My mother looked at me and smile. "I like this one. Keep him."
"I won't let her go." I smiled. I didn't want him to let me go either.
My mother smiled. "I'm guessing you're planning on going back to ...."
"New York." I added-in.
I looked at her and Valdo then nod, "Yes. New York is my home now. I have real friends, a family. I'm sorry, Ma. I don't think I can come back here. Not after all that's happened."
She nodded sadly, "I understand. So are you guys leaving tonight?"
I shook my head, "No. We were planning on staying a few days. Get some papers sorted out. I left all my documents here. I have some things to collect from school as well."
"I'm so sorry you didn't get to graduate. You would have looked great in that ugly green gown."
I chuckled, "I'm kinda happy I didn't get to put on that ugly gown."
"So are you planning on going back to school?"
I nod, "Next year I'll do my ACT and SAT. For now, I'm just going to be a mother to my baby."
"I'm sorry you didn't get to go to university as planned."
"It's okay. I realised that I wouldn't have been a good Civil Engineer."
"You've changed your mind?"
I nod, "I don't want to build houses anymore. I want to build families. I want to be like Hannah, Valdo's mom. She's amazing. She is a single mother, just like you. She got pregnant young just like us. Now she spends her days helping other single moms. I want to help other persons just like Valdo has helped me. I'm not sure how exactly I'm going to do that, but I'll figure something out."
"I'm proud of you no matter what you do."
"Thank you, ma'" She shook her head, "I should be thanking you for coming back to me. I tried looking for you. I hired an investigator for a few months, but he was too expensive. I had to let him go. I want you to know that I never gave up on you. I'm sorry for the way I acted. I can't say sorry enough."
"It's okay; I forgive you. Let's not get sad again."She wiped her tears, "It's just that I'm so happy to see you."I know."
"How long will you be staying?"
"A week."
"Have you booked the motel yet?" Alton was a small town, and so the only place tourist had available to stay were motels. Motels that were used by the town prostitutes. Motels that barely get cleaned properly. I remember Peter one of William's friend telling us exactly how gross the rooms were. I shook my head.
"To be honest, we didn't even think about that. "
I looked at Valdo and frown. "I hate the idea of staying in those nasty motels."
"Can't we stay here?" Valdo asked.
"It's a one-bedroom." My mother responded.
"That's fine. You three can sleep together, and I'll sleep out here on the couch."
"You don't mind?" My mother asked.
He shook his head, "No. I don't. My mother and I lived in a one-bedroom apartment too. We had a pull-out couch. That was my bed for fifteen years."
"This is not a pull-out couch." I inserted.
"I'll be fine," he assured.
"Your back will hurt you."
"It won't."
"Are you sure you'll be okay sleeping on the couch?" My mom asked.
"I'll be fine. I've slept on worse, believe me." I did. His mother told me that they were living on the streets at one point too. Homeless isn't something to be ashamed of.
"You guys must be tired. How long have you been travelling?"
"I'm pretty exhausted. It's a fifteen-hour drive from our apartment to here." You could tell he was exhausted by the bags under his eyes, but he didn't let it bother him much.
"You drove all the way here?"
Valdo nod and smile, "Yeah. Jacoby has no idea how to drive a car."
"That's my fault. I never had one for myself, nor have I ever driven one."
"That's sad. Sad because cars are amazing, especially fast ones."
She laughed, "I agree. I hope you guys took stops on your drive here."
"We did. We have been to four different states in the past thirty-six hours. It's truly amazing. We stayed at a fancy hotel last night. You'd love it." It was my mother's fantasy to have dinner in a fancy hotel with a handsome, rich man. She never got the chance to, but she still holds the dream close to her heart.
"Maybe one day." She pushed the fantasy away, "Have you guys eaten?"
"I'm starving." I looked Valdo for his response.
"Same."
I looked at my mom, "What about you?" I looked at her up and down. She looked like she lost around ten pounds since I last saw her, maybe even more. "When was the last time you ate?"
"Yesterday, I think," she said casually. "Ma'! You must be hungry." It's always been like this with her. She would work long shifts and forget to eat. I always had to remind me to take care of herself.
"Baby, it's no big deal."
"It is. We're going out. To the fanciest restaurant in town and you're going to eat all the food we never could." I don't know what made me say that, but I just wanted to celebrate been back with my mother. I missed her so much.
