Escapade | Daniel Seavey AU

11

A tattoo, she's letting me get a tattoo. I stared at my mother from across the dinner table, she nonchalantly ate the chicken she prepared, making small talk with Brennan that sat beside me. My food was untouched.

Why am I overreacting, it's just a tattoo.

"Daniel, eat your food before it gets cold," she finally looks at me, a disapproving look on her face. "And you're almost eighteen, you're going to be an adult and I won't have control over you—I never had control over you, I didn't force you to be at the top of your class, you did that all on your own."

"You're really cool, Mrs. Seavey," Brennan admitted from beside me, "my parents are work-a-holics so they aren't home a lot."

"Please call me Keri," my mom finally broke the wall between Brennan and her, meaning that she likes Brennan. "And you could come here as often as you want, you can join us for dinner as well."

"Thank you, Mrs. S– I mean, Keri," Brennan sent her a dimpled smile. "And Daniel, when do you want to get a tattoo? I have a friend in town, if you want." I looked between the two, contemplating my decision. The contemplation evident on my face.

"I'll ground you if you don't," my mom warned.

"You know, other parents would ground their child for getting a tattoo, not the other way around." Then she pulled that move: she rose her brow at me. "Alright fine, but it can't be today—I got back from church, I'd feel like I sinned."

"Next week Saturday?" With a sigh, I nodded, finally slicing up the chicken leg on my plate and stuffing it in my mouth to avoid talking. Conversation flowed greatly between my mom and Brennan, even better than it ever had been with Corbyn. Then again, he'd usually just hang around with me when he comes over.

When lunch was over, Brennan didn't leave just yet and stayed to talk with my mother even more. This time, they were talking about the fox that she saved that time. She ended up naming her Taz, and she'd been taking care of her ever since. I saw a picture of once skinny fox and Brennan successfully made her look healthy. "She remembers you, Daniel, I showed a picture of you to her and she pressed her paw at the screen."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, before she proceeded to smack my phone out of my hand," she grinned and laughed when she finished her sentence.

"She's not violent?" My mom asked, ignoring the statement of Taz's dislike towards me.

"No, since I saved her when she was quite frail and would've died if I didn't see her, she's a sweetheart to me," she explained, "I can't let her out though, last time I did, I think she brought back one of my neighbor's bunny." Both my mom's and my eyes widened. "It wasn't dead though, fainted in shock, but when I placed it back by my neighbor, it got right back up."

"Oh thank goodness," my mom sighed, chuckling with her hand pressed over her chest.

"Anyway, I have to get going, it was nice meeting you, Keri, I'll see you tomorrow, Daniel," she said. She stood up, waving at the two of us before climbing into her car and drove off. My mom and I stood by the porch, watching as her car disappeared out of the neighborhood. She sighed.

"What?"

"She's such a nice girl," my mom smiles longingly before turning to face me, her brows creased in annoyance. "You should be nicer to her."