The Mom Next Door

8-Another

*jens pov*

I continue to watch tv until I see Sofia come down the stairs. "Hey babe, you finally up?" I ask and she yawns. "Yeah." She says tiredly.

"Your mom will be back in a couple hours." I say and stand up. "You want some breakfast?" I ask and she nods. I make her some cereal and give it to her. She's oddly quiet today. "Hey, what's wrong?" I ask and she shrugs.

"C'mon." I tilt my head and she sighs. "My moms just always at work." She says. "Well that's what happens when you're an adult. You know she'd rather be with you if it was her choice." I tell her.

"I know, but today was supposed to be our day. Everything always gets ruined." She says. "Hey, it's not ruined. I'm sure your mom will make it up to you." I say.

She stays quiet and I sigh. "She loves you a lot Sofia, more than anything. She's only going to work for you, so she can provide for you." I tell her. "I knowww." She sighs. "Don't let it bum you out. At least I'm here, right?" I smile and she giggles.

"Yeah. Plus I like you better than my dad." She says and we both laugh. "Alright, well finish your breakfast, then go get dressed. Maybe we can go to the park or something." I suggest.

She quickly finishes her breakfast, then she goes upstairs and gets dressed. She comes downstairs and tells me she does wanna go to the park. So we leave and I lock the door behind us.

She takes my hand as we walk down the sidewalk. I could've drove us to the park, but it's in the neighborhood and it's really close, so we decided to walk.

Once we get there, Sofia runs straight to the swings, and I follow behind her. We both like swinging the best, so we basically swing the whole time we're here.

Eventually we get tired and decide to head back. Once we get back, we watch tv on the couch after we eat lunch. Then we both end up falling asleep.

An hour or so later, I hear the front door open, but I'm still half asleep so I keep my eyes closed. Eventually I open my eyes and see Leah bringing groceries inside from her car. I get up and walk outside to help her. I walk out to her car and she jumps once she turns around and sees me.

"You scared me." She giggles. "Sorry, need any help?" I ask. "Sure, those are the rest of the bags." She says and points to them. I grab them and shut the trunk. Once I bring them inside, I help her put the groceries away. "How was work?" I ask.

"Mmm. Not any better than I expected it to be." She shrugs. "Was Sofia okay?" She asks. "She was fine, we went to the park today." I say. "Did she have fun?" She asks. "She did." I nod and smile.

"I'm glad. She always has a good time with you." Leah says. "Really?" I ask. "Uh- yeah! She's always going on and on about how much she likes being with you." She tells me and I can't help but smile.

"That makes me happy." I say. I finish helping her with the groceries, then she makes a snack while Sofia is still asleep. "You hungry?" She asks. "A little." I nod and sit on a stool.

"So, how's school?" She asks once she hands me a snack and sits on the stool beside me. "Um, it's okay. Kind of a pain, but I'm slowly getting through it." I say and she nods. "I remember my college days, and they were not fun." She says. "Really?? I know college is hard, but I'm having fun." I say.

"I know it sounds surprising, but high school was definitely a better experience for me." She says. "Oh wow. I could never say that." I say and she giggles.

"College was such a step up from high school. I love the freedom." I say and she nods. "Understandable." She agrees.

We talk a little more, then Sofia eventually wakes up. Leah pays me and I head home.

-

"Dad, I literally just got this babysitting job, now you guys want me to look into getting another job?" I ask. "Well, sweetheart, you can't just stick with this forever, you need to slowly work your way up." He says.

"I get that, I do. But you don't think it's a little too soon?" I ask. "Not at all. You can at least look for another job. I'm not asking you to go to a thousand interviews. Just see what your options are." He shrugs. I sigh and tilt my head.

"I know. I've been doing that for awhile. I just wanna focus on one thing right now." I tell him and he nods. "I know. And I want you to know that I'm really proud of you. You're doing great in school. I know me and your mom nag you a lot, but I'm really happy with your decisions." He says and I smile. "Thanks dad."

A/N

Sorry I took so long to update😭