Warning: Mention of mental health disorder
"Hey. It's been a while, hasn't it been, mom?" Lisa smiles bashfully at her mother who is seated across. She can barely meet her mom's eyes. Both due to her shyness and also embarrassment.
Olivia Manoban smiles at her daughter assuringly. "It's okay. I understand. You have that book you're writing so that must be taking up a lot of your time."
Lisa smiles a real, genuine one after being assured by her mother. "It's finished." Just the mention of her book is capable of making her beam. "I sent it to three publishing houses but the first two rejected me. As for the third publisher, I'm really hopeful. They were thrilled during their initial look of my book so I have high hopes for this last one."
"I can't believe my daughter's going to be a published writer!" Olivia utters in delight. "But before the world reads it, can you grant my request and let me read it before it gets published?"
"I'm not sure," Lisa's apprehensive demeanour is back. She tugs on the end of her sleeves to cover both her hands for comfort. "You know you've always been my toughest critique, mom."
"Oh, you still don't get it, do you?" Olivia asks amusedly. She reach across the table to put her hand on her daughter's. "I don't criticise your work to discourage you, I do it so you can turn it into your strength. Don't let other people's harsh words bring you down. Use it to better yourself because at the end of the day, no one else's opinion should matter more to you than your own. You create these stories and you know it the best." She laughs lightly and gives her daughter a gentle smile. "I'm not your biggest critique, my Lisa. You should only let yourself be your biggest and only critique."
Lisa finally let her mother's words sink in. She needs it now more than ever.
"How's work treating you, love? You lost some weight." Olivia caresses her daughter's sunk in cheeks concernedly; once very plump and full.
"Work's......still the same." An exhausted sigh follows from Lisa but this time, she tries to be the one to assure her mother with a smile.
Lisa's smile doesn't put Olivia's concerns at ease though. "I wish you'd quit. I can tell that you're miserable there."
Lisa works at a restaurant as a dishwasher. It's whats been keeping her afloat for the past five years now ever since she decided to pursue a career as a writer.
Her mother's right, she's miserable and she knows it but until she gets a steady pay check working her dream job, being a dishwasher would have to suffice. Being a college drop out means not a lot of options is available to Lisa.
"Mom, you know I can't quit." Lisa utters the sad truth.
"I'm sure there are plenty of other jobs available out there that doesn't require a degree. Maybe you can ask your uncle Ivan for a job in his store. You know he prefers working with family, right? Someone he can trust."
They've gone through this before but Lisa calmly explains her reasons again. "Uncle Ivan's store is six hours away from here, mom. I can't afford to move that far away. How else am I suppose to visit you here?"
"You're right." Olivia sighs in defeat. Her hand threads through Lisa's short brunette hair and she begins to stroke it carefully. "But I want you to promise me one thing, okay? I want you to do something to help regain the old you. I miss the old you. I noticed in your past few visits that the twinkle in your eyes, the smile on your lips, the radiating glow you have are gone. I don't want you to be miserable, love, especially when I'm not there to look after you. Please, promise me that."
"I promise, mom."
Bile rises up to Lisa's throat as she said it. It appals her that she's capable of lying straight to her mother's face.
