disregard // paul lahote

10

It was rare for Marley to be able to have breakfast with her mom.

It felt foreign to sit next to her mother on the back patio in the crisp weather, with her knees pressed to her chest- fingers brushing the goosebumps that decorated her bare calves.

"You look tired, baby." Caroline Owens told her daughter as she fiddled with her chipped mug that was filled with scalding coffee.

Marley sipped her tea that temporarily warmed her body as it filled her stomach, closing her eyes as she leaned her head on her mom's bony shoulder.

"I'm so proud of you, y'know." Caroline reached out to place a hand on her daughter's knee, squeezing it lovingly. "I don't think I tell you that enough, but I am."

"For what, momma?" Marley questioned as she grabbed her mom's hand, squeezing it in response. She intertwined her fingers with her moms, brushing her thumb to smooth over the cracked skin of her mother's hands from the repetitive hand-washing her job required as a nurse.

"Everything, hon." Her mom murmured as she peered up at the grey sky. "I was always worried about how you would turn out because you grew up with a single mother, who was always busy working. But I was blessed with such an incredibly responsible, intelligent, kind daughter."

Marley blushed, pressing a quick kiss to her mom's forehead to hide her rosey cheeks. She had never been one to receive compliments well, especially when it was fairly rare to have a conversation like this with her mother.

"But I'm also worried that you're too responsible for an eighteen-year-old. Don't you want to go out, have some fun with your friends?" Her mother furrowed her eyebrows in concern, peering down at Marley.

"Working at Carver's is fun, momma. Plus I see Lorena and Suri every day." She grinned, placing her mug down on the wobbly side-table.

Her mom watched her, trying to see if she was telling the truth.

"And what about dating?" Marley's eyes widened at the mention of relationships; she had never talked about boys with her mother before. "Do you have time outside of work for relationships other than Suri and Lorena?"

Marley had never been in a serious relationship, because she had always been invested in her job, and her education. She had the odd crush here-and-there, and kissed a few boys- but she had never liked anyone enough to bring them home.

"Of course, momma." She fiddled with the hem of her sweatshirt, avoiding eye-contact with her mother.

"How about that boy that stopped by the house? Paul, was it?" Marley's skin flushed, suddenly remembering Paul's run-in with her mother. "What happened with him?"

After the incident, Marley had begged her mom not to mention it and her mom had obeyed her wishes until this moment.

"It was just a misunderstanding," Marley stated as she tried to come up with an excuse for her hysteric behaviour when Paul had stopped by uninvited. "I thought he was involved with bad people, but I was wrong."

Caroline raised her eyebrow in confusion.

"Bad people?" She questioned, stunned by her daughter's response- but it would explain her behaviour, and her desperate need to get Paul out of the house that night.

"I was wrong though momma," Marley assured her. "Paul's a good guy."

Caroline's lips pulled into a sly-grin, and it took a few moments for Marley to realize what her mom was thinking.

"I'm not dating Paul," She stated quickly and her mom raised her hands up in defense. "We're barely friends."

Caroline chuckled, patting her daughter's knee before pushing herself off of the chair, brushing off her robe. "Well, I'd like to see your friend again. Why don't you invite him over for dinner whenever I've got the night off?"