Chapter 5
1149 Words
Dad wasn’t lying about the work part. For a person who never had to lift anything heavier than a bottle and maybe some weights, I was now forced into some serious manual labor. My smooth perfectly manicured hands now had now turned rough and chipped. At this rate, my hands will be rougher than a construction worker by the end of the year.
From cleaning gutters to the fireplace, installing fences and whatever else dad barked to get done I did it all. No muscles were spared. Two months in and I was toner than I’ve ever been in my life. In another month, I’m sure I’ll have a six-pack with a v-cut. Even though he, said it would be two days a week, those two days turned into five within the first week. Plus, he still has me up at six in the morning for our boot camp drills.
Seeing my little sister struggle, I took her load and spared her from the work. Just like me, my little Care wasn’t used to manual labor and unfortunately, she didn’t have the stamina I built during those grueling morning training with dad. I couldn't take her busting her as. any longer. The girl trips over air and constantly gets hurt just by being.
By staying clean and level-headed, I’ve been more alert and aware of what’s going on around me. I get the sense that I’m being watched. Passing it as paranoia, I try not to dwell too much on it. I’m used to being watched. As the daughter of Kelly and Collin smith, it’s inevitable. I wouldn’t be surprised if I got watched in my sleep at this point. The way dad has been up my behind, it wouldn't be that far-fetched.
Today I’m on soup kitchen duty. Since I still don’t have my car, I’m riding with mom. She’s been on a business call from the moment we walked out of the door. I can tell she’s been stressing and from the bit I can catch from her conversation, her stress level just went up. Who knew an interior design company would be such a headache? Maybe denying her wish to follow in her footstep wasn't a bad decision after all.
“Kay baby, do you mind if I don’t stay with you today?”
“Yeah mom, it’s cool. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, just dealing with a mega douchebag client”
I had to laugh. You know it’s bad when mom starts cussing, it rarely happens.
“I’m sorry mom, hope it works out”
“It better. I’ve been designing this house for two months now and this bastard still asking for revisions. You would have thought he was preparing a house for the queen of England.”
“Might be the king”
“To each his own, don’t make him any less of a douche”
We talked and laughed about this house she is designing and about the mysterious douchebag that got her all over the place until we arrived at the shelter.
“Your dad has a business trip and won’t be back till later tonight. Your sister should be here within the next two hours to keep you company.”
“Mom, Care has her own life, and I don’t need a babysitter. If anything, I should be babysitting her.”
“Yeah, right! Remember how well that worked out last time?”
“Bye mother. I’ll see you tonight.”
“Call me if you need anything. If I can’t make it, the driver will be here at eight. Love you Kay”
“Ok mother. Have a good day. Love you too.”
As much as I want to argue that I don’t need a driver nor do I need her to pick me up when I already have a car, I don’t bother. The last thing she needs right now is one of my spoiled brat rants. Lord knows she has gotten enough of that already.
My sister showed up five hours later with Nathan in tow, looking flustered and disheveled. It doesn’t take a genius to know what they’ve been up to. Giving them a knowing look, I smirked before barking orders about where the staff needed help at.
The day went by with no incident, with the extra security put in place everyone seemed to get the point. Even though there was still an hour left before closing the kitchen, it was already eight. Not wanting either mom or the driver to wait, I pulled Care of her animated conversation with Nathan and some of our regulars. Walking out of the door, I bumped into a man with the most gorgeous piecing light forest green eyes.
I couldn’t see his face, with a hoodie scrunched around his face everything was hidden but those eyes. We stared at each other briefly, before Care pulled my arms to get me out of the door.
“Sorry about that”
He nodded while still looking at me. Something about those eyes seems familiar. Has he been here before?
Feeling the tug on my arm, I broke the gaze, walking out. Seconds later hearing “My wife”
Shaking off whatever I was feeling, I got into the car with Care. Mom was once again on the phone with her assistant going over what I can assume was the same project.
“What was that about?”
“What?”
“That strange man”
“I don’t know. Never seen him before.”
“The way you were looking at him, I thought you were bout to hop on that”
“b***h”
“Watch y’all mouth. Your mother is sitting in the car. Now, who was she bout to hop on?”
We all laughed. Nothing gets past Kelly, especially when it’s gossip.
“Ma, weren’t you on the phone?”
“I’m done. Now spill”
“No one ma.”
“Some guy she bumped into. I literally had to pull her out the door.”
“Nothing like how I literally had to pull you off Nathan”
“What? I knew it, when did this start and when should I be planning the wedding?”
It went like this the whole ride home. The way we act it’s hard to differentiate that Kelly is our mother. We gossip and talk like high school girlfriends. Don’t let that fool you though when it comes time to be a mother, Kelly doesn’t play. Out of all her titles, that’s the one she takes the most seriously. Came out of her own mouth. She always said that no matter how much she loved dad and dedicated her life to him, being a wife would never compare to being a mother. Being our mother.
Bless her heart. We don’t make it easy, especially me.
- Writer
