Her World

Chapter Four

    River unclipped Tucker's leash from his collar as she closed the door behind them. By now, her mother was home and in the kitchen cooking. It smelled delicious the moment River left the mud room, and she couldn't help but smile.
    "Hey, Mom," she called as she walked through the house. "We're home."
    "Good, good," Denise murmured, clearly focused on her cooking. "Did you have a good day at school?"
    "Yeah, it was fine," River said with a smile. "It was a pretty easy day. How was work?"
    "Same as usual," she shrugged. "Work is work."
    "Fair point," River replied, pouring some food into Tucker's bowl and making her way to the sink to refill his water. "At least tomorrow is the last day before the weekend."
    Denise simply nodded, and River shrugged, going over to sit in the bay window. "Do you think you'll have to work late again tomorrow?" she asked as she gazed outside. "If that's why you were late, of course."
    "I was actually out with a friend," her mom replied. "And no, I was going to talk to you about that after dinner actually, but since you asked we can discuss it now if you want."
    Confusion clear in her eyes, River nodded. "Sure thing," she said quietly. "What do you want me to know about her?"
    "Him," Denise corrected, turning to glance at her daughter, a mix of worry and happiness in her eyes. "He just moved here from Oregon; I met him on my lunch break one day. He offered to take me on a walk and we got to know each other better."
    River felt a rock in her stomach as she heard the light tone in her mother's voice. Surely she couldn't be in love with this man. They were just friends, right? She said they were friends, but what if she was just trying to ease her into the fact that she was dating someone.
    "That's great," she managed to choke out, forcing a smile. "What's his name?"
    "Mark," Denise said simply, not noticing the unease she was causing her daughter. "He's really nice. I think you'll like him."
    River nodded, getting up and taking a seat at the table as Denise brought over the kettle filled with sauce and placed it by a pot of warm spaghetti. "I'd like you to meet him soon. He said he wants to take us out to dinner tomorrow, if you would be okay with that? He's curious about you."
    River froze, just watching her mother in silence for a moment. She was overwhelmed with emotions. She thought about her father in New York. Years had passed since their divorce, but she still had hope in her heart that the two would rekindle their relationship in the future. She never imagined that her mother would find someone else. She knew she should be happy for her, but a pain stabbed her heart like fire, reopening the wound left behind the day her father moved out.
    Still, she hid that feeling. Maybe I should just give him a chance. Surely he can't be that bad. "Sure," she said, this thought in mind. Her throat was dry, and she hoped her mother couldn't tell. Besides, she deserves to be happy. I can adjust if that's what it takes, and they may not even be together. Maybe they're just friends like she said.
    "Good," Denise replied. "I'll get in touch with him tonight and see when we can meet up with him."
    River nodded, scooping out some spaghetti and sauce onto her plate. She took a drink before she began to eat, hoping her mom wouldn't try to talk to her about the situation more. Her mind was whirling, and she worried that she might cry. Just make it through supper, wash the dishes, and you can go upstairs. It'll be okay.
    "You okay, River?"
    "Yeah, I'm fine," River countered. "I'm fine. I was just thinking."
    She thought for a moment her mom would question her, but she took another bite of her spaghetti so she wouldn't be able to reply. She felt a small sense of relaxation as the taste hit her, and she managed a smile. "This is really good," she said, changing the subject. Tastes as good as it smells. Maybe better."
    "I'm glad you like it. I know it's your favorite," her mom paused. "It was always your dad's favorite, you know? I made it for him the first time he came over. I'm not surprised you love it so much. You may look like me, but you're just like him."
    "He always said you're an amazing cook," River said between bites. "He still does. He misses your cooking."
    Denise chuckled slightly. "Well I guess you'll have to let me teach you how to cook so you can fix him something next time you go visit him. I'm sure he would enjoy that."
    "I'll think about it."
    River didn't say anything else as she finished her plate and started on a second serving. Normally she didn't get seconds, but she couldn't resist. She hadn't felt like eating much for a week now, and it was nice to feel well enough to eat something that wasn't bland again. By the time she finished the second plate, she was stuffed. After sitting back for a moment, she got up and took her dishes to the sink. Her mom had already finished, so she went ahead and let it fill with water.
    She wasn't fond of doing the dishes - it was her least favorite chore - but she knew she should be grateful that she didn't have to do it every day. Her mother was lenient with her on chores, and she would do the dishes every other day, giving River a break. Occasionally she would offer to groom Tucker and do the laundry as well, and River appreciated that.
    Now, with this in mind, River felt guilty for getting upset that her mother spoke of a male friend. Her mother wasn't the type to jump into a relationship, and she hadn't talked to anyone since her father. Maybe, she hoped, they really were just friends and things wouldn't escalate too quickly. If that wasn't the case, she had plenty of time to worry later.