Mosdenea

Chapter 26--The Ferry O'Love

"Can you go?" I asked Victoria once our shifts were about to come to an end.

"I doubt it," She sighed out. "I have to help my mom at home."

"Dang," I said under my breath as I swept under another chair. The salon was having a busy morning but was slowing down. I was about to clock out and spend the rest of the evening with my friends. We were going to go to Bayside to celebrate all of us declaring our majors.

"What about next weekend?" I asked.

Victoria let out a small high pitched laugh. "Next weekend is Valentines. I'll be with Carlos."

"Valentines is next week?" I asked baffled. I had totally forgotten that we were in February and that Valentine's Day was so close. I still had to figure out what I was going to get Aaron. It's nearly impossible finding him gifts. What do you get someone who has everything?

"Just text me if anything comes up," Victoria shrugged while taking her apron off. She headed towards the back and I followed her with the broom. "I've got to go. Chao Chica."

With that she clocked out, blew me a kiss, and was out the door. I quickly finished up my work to head out as well. After saying goodbye to Isabella, I followed Victoria's actions and clocked out. On my way to Daisy I called my mom. She had been trying to get into contact with me over the last few weeks. Every so often I would text her but I couldn't remember the last time we had an actual conversation.

My mom quickly picked up the phone and enthusiastically shouted, "Parker!"

I smiled as I got into my car. "Hey mom."

"Why haven't you called?" She asked, "I've been waiting for this for a long time."

"Uh-huh," I rolled my eyes and placed the phone on speaker mode. "I've been busy."

"I am your mother and I am paying for your tuition, I deserve a phone call at least once a week."

"Sorry," I said even though I wasn't at all sorry. I had been busy lately. I don't have the time to constantly be calling my mom. "Besides, doesn't dad pay for my tuition."

"That's not the point Parker," I could picture my mother rolling her eyes. "The point is you should talk to your family more often."

"I text my brothers," I admitted as I thought over our group chat. We always send each other weird pictures. It's like having an Instagram and Snapchat but we 'post' more frequently and only to each other. They mainly send memes. I once sent a picture of me at the beach and said to them Be Jealous. The three of them replied with pictures of them flicking me the bird. Classic sibling bonding.

The whole ride home my mom continued to talk. It reminded me as to why I never call. Once my mother starts talking she never finds a way to stop. The change in subjects happen subtlety until eventually the conversation drifts entirely to something new and odd.

When I told her I declared my major I could already hear the disappointment and the hesitation in her voice. I could easily tell her about the skyscraper Aaron had me design. But I think it'd be much better to arrive home over the summer and tell her how successful my year was. Yeah, I thought to myself. I'll wait to see her face.

The conversation on my end can be summarized like this:

"Uh-huh."

"Yeah."

"Nope."

"Ok."

About forty-five minutes later of traffic and driving through the crowded Miami interstate, I finally took a deep breath and said, "Mom I have to go. I've got to study."