Danger; Shawn Mendes Edition

53

Kelsey's Point of View:

"How have you and my son been since we've last seen you?" Karen turned to me after she dried her hands on a towel once she had finished washing the dishes.

Putting away the last of the plates in the cabinet, I smiled, settling myself on a stool of three that stood next to one another beside the counter. "We've been good, same as before to be honest." I lightly laughed.

"Nothing new?" She leaned back against the sink, standing adjacent from where I sat.

I shook my head, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Not really."

She narrowed her eyes at me skeptically. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

I furrowed my eyebrows together in confusion. "No..." I cocked my head to the side, trying to decipher why she has asked that. "Why?"

She shrugged, waving a hand dismissively. "No reason... just curious." She smiled warmly towards me.

I returned the kind gesture. "How have you been?"

"The same as always; I stay home, clean the house, and do the laundry, gossip with the girls on the phone before James comes home." She giggled shamefully before continuing, "I make lunch, Manny comes home then I make dinner."

"Sounds boring" I laughed.

She nodded in agreement. "You have no idea."

"I don't know how you do it." I stared at her, slightly baffled. "I could never manage half of the things you do in one day."

"You're still young sweetheart."

"Oh, please." I shook my head. "You make it seem like you're fifty." I rolled my eyes, smiling soon after.

"Stop it." She blushed.

"I'm being serious Karen! How old are you anyways? Twenty?"

She laughed. "I wish." Licking her lips, she shook her head. "I'm thirty seven."

My eyes practically fell from their sockets. "No way"

She nodded. "I know, I'm old"

"Old?!" I emphasized, perplexed. "More like young! You're a mother of thr—two and you still managed to keep a body like that and work as hard as you do?" I put a hand up. "I don't even want to imagine myself in ten years."

"Hush now," she smiled big. "You are going to be just as gorgeous as you are now."

I felt my cheeks heat up. "Thanks Karen but I seriously doubt it."

"Anytime sweetheart," She laid a kind hand on top of mine. "And don't say such a thing. You are beautiful and my son seems to think so too."

If my cheeks were red before, I could only imagine how bright they were now. I let out a girlish giggle which made Karen laugh immensely, finding my embarrassed state adorable.

"You are perfect for my son, you know that?"

I bit my lip, looking over at her. "Thank you." I smiled.

She waved a hand as if to say it was nothing but the truth. "I mean it, you know." She nodded her head. "I know I've said it before but I don't think I've actually elaborated on it much."

"There's no need—"

"No," she shook her head. "There is. You see... ever since the death of my baby girl, things have been hard on us and especially on my son. I've seen how broken he had become after everything that had happened. I've seen him at his worst and his best. I've seen him with countless girls and none of them brought the smile on his face like you have."