Take Two

12║Zach

T W E L V E;

My parents had, what they liked to call, Thursday night dates. Without skipping a beat- every Thursday for as long as I could remember they had their dates.

I always used to think that was what made their relationship so perfect but I knew now, that it wasn't what you did so much as the effort that you put in to the relationship.

The date nights were put on an indefinite hold after Mark's death, and I suppose they're on a definite hold now that my dad was gone. That's why I was a little surprised to see my mother in one of her favourite black dresses, hesitantly knocking on my door.

"I have something to ask you." She eyed me warily, watching as I closed the untouched school books that I had opened nearly an hour ago and pushed them off to the side of my bed.

I motioned for her to continue when I realized that she wasn't going to come any further into the room.

"How," she paused for a moment, running a hand through her hair, "how would you feel if I went out?"

"With Dad?" I scoffed. Somewhere over the past two weeks I had come to terms with the fact that my dad and my mum weren't the same people that they were when they got married and that maybe this split was for the best; my mum looked the happiest she had in months.

"Oh- um, no." Her eyes danced around my bedroom in an attempt not to meet my gaze, "you see, this friend of mine from high school is in town and he asked me out to dinner- it's not a date, though! I'm not quite ready for that yet."

"Mum-"

"If you feel uncomfortable at all, just tell me and I won't go."

"Mum-"

"Really darling, just tell me. I know that we aren't on the best of terms but you're still my baby girl and I want to know how you feel about this."

"Mum! Listen to me."

"Oh." Her head shot up and her eyes widened, "Sorry, Zo. Go ahead."

I gave her a small smile, shaking my head at how nervous that she was. I knew that I shouldn't like that she was going out with another man instead of trying to work things out with my dad- but there was no denying that her usual lifeless eyes had a certain spark to them. "I want you to have fun."

This time she shook her head, coming to sit on the edge of my head. "I don't think it'll be that easy."

"Why not?"

She let out a laugh that sounded more like a sigh, "I don't know if I'm ready."

I waited a moment before saying, "you deserve to be happy, Mum."

"Oh Zoe," She gave me a sad smile, running her hand over my hair, "so do you."

║

My boss was still reluctant to give me harder jobs- especially ones that involved actually talking to customers. But after the two girls that were meant to be manning the cash called in sick, she had no choice but to put me on the floor.

"Just be polite." Sarah told me, watching as I fiddled around with the cash register. She had given me a crash course on it but it still looked like a foreign creature to me.

"I can be polite." I told her, rolling my eyes. I had a sneaky feeling that Elli had told Sarah about my not so nice backstory based on the way Sarah seemed to be on constant pins and needles around me.

"I know you can, I also know that we get pretty rude customers in here on a Saturday and-"

"Sarah, please." I stopped her, spinning around with my hands on my hips. She had been standing very close behind me inspecting my every move, "just go, I'll be fine."