Ava thought she had the world figured out until it was turned upside down. She must decide if she wants to be free or re-building the life she had.
Series Order: Baby Steps, Colossal Jump, Moving Forward, Little Leaps and Passing Motions.
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Mum bounds into the kitchen as the oven timer loudly beeps. She hits one of the silver buttons, turns some dials, then races over to the pot of boiling potatoes to take care of. The metal pot clanks against the side of the sink as she drains them.
"Can you mash these?" she asks.
"Sure can!" I smile.
Mum slides the pot and masher over to me, along with the carton of milk and some butter to mix with the potatoes. I grab the masher and quickly get to work. Once the potatoes are mashed into a smooth consistency, I scoop them into a bowl and take them to the dining room.
After a couple of hangouts with Axel, Mum spilled the beans about Axel to Dad. Being the curious, over protective father that he is, they both hounded me to invite the poor bugger over for dinner.
Despite my continuous explanations in regards to us just being friends, this didn't excuse the dinner invitation. So, I forcibly bit the bullet and invited Axel over. Mum has spent the last couple of days cleaning and now cooking for his arrival.
You'd think the Prime Minister was coming at this rate, but no, it's just a friend.
"Can you also grab the cutlery? Maybe a jug of water?" Mum calls out.
"Yeah, no worries," I reply.
On the way back to the kitchen, I hear the doorbell ring. My mother's eyes light up with excitement as she turns to look at me. I don't need to say a word, she rushes past me to answer the door.
I grab the cutlery from the drawer and return to the dining room. A few seconds after I dump it onto the table, Mum and Axel walk into the room. There's an awkward, yet amused grin on Axel's face which makes me worried.
Shuffling around the table, I embrace Axel into a tight hug. He presses a light kiss against my cheek which only inflames my mother's opinion. From the corner of my eye, I see the wide smile spread across her lips. I know this can't be good.
"Ah, this must be Axel!" Dad booms as he walks into the room. "The man who's stealing my daughter and keeping my wife busy."
"I'm also the super awesome, amazing, kebab master." Axel chuckles.
"You're also the funny type, I see," he comments.
The smile on Axel's face seems to brighten at the mention of his comment.
"This is already getting weird," I mumble under my breath.
"What did you say?" asks Mum.
"Um, beer, wine?" I offer with a smile.
"Two beers?" Dad glances at Axel.
"That would be great." He smiles.
Returning to the kitchen, I grab a couple of beers from the fridge. While I'm here, I take a jug of water and cups. With those items in hand, I head back and offload them. Dad and Axel are happily chatting about sport, while Mum is dishing up food for herself.
