Page 21 of Back to Willow

The rhythmic ringing is interrupted by a whiny voice, “Mummy, are you coming home already?”

“Not yet. I still have a couple of hours of work. How are you feeling? Are you feeling better?”

I hear shuffling and then Dylan’s voice returns to the phone, “I am alright! Nana put the Lion King on for me to watch.”

“Of course.” I chuckle. It’s his favourite. “Did you have dinner yet?”

“Nana tried to give me soup. I hate it.” I can almost imagine the frown on his face. Dylan is not a fan of soup.

“I know, but you have to eat something so you can get better.”

“I know, I know,” he groans.

“Don’t be stubborn, okay? I have to go back to work now.”

“Okay, Mummy. I love you.” I hear some background noise to my side but ignore it since I am already about to hang up.

“I love you, too.”

Sighing, I lean my head back onto the wall. There’s a little relief to the fact that he hasn’t gotten worse, but if it’s not going away too, I probably have to take him to the doctor tomorrow. The problem is that this kid has such a strong hate for hospitals, it’s almost unreal.

He might very well punch or kick the doctor if he gets irked up just enough. It wouldn’t be the first time.

“Shouldn’t you be working?” The now-familiar and gruff voice startles me.

I clutch my hand to my chest and turn to my right-hand side to look at the person I’ve been dreading seeing since school started. Professor Adell. I swear this man’s snarky comments and hostile behaviour are not what I need tonight. But, of course, life couldn’t get too easy, could it?

“I work, Professor. I am using the time from my break to make an important call.” I look at my watch, and even though I still have five minutes left, I feign surprise. “Would you look at that? My time is up.”

“So, you use your work breaks to call on your poor little boyfriend? I heard he is sick, can’t he stomach the flu without you? You surely can be apart for a few hours while you work…or not?”

I scoff at the ridiculous speculation. Of course, he’d think I was calling my perfect little boyfriend. When will this man stop making assumptions about me? He has this image in his head where I have the perfect world, where I never had to work for what I have or what I want. He’s made-up a la-la-land where everything was given to me on a golden platter.

The creativity is there, in that dark brain of his, I’ll give him that. But I won’t give him what he wants and lay out my life or react to his provocative actions. Why is he doing this in the first place?

“This is not professional behaviour,” he snickers.

Oh, because his behaviour is?

“Is that how you’re going to act when you graduate and find a job? I mean, does your boss even know how attached you are to your phone?”

I fist my hands by my sides and clench my jaw. One can only take so much...right?

“My employer is very well aware of my behaviour and my phone calls. Let’s not forget that I am free to spend my break time as I wish. And that,Professor Adell, is what she’ll probably tell you if you want to make a complaint.” With a final huff, I turn my back to him and head to the staff room, leaving him—hopefully—dumbfounded by the entrance.

When I come back out, I expect to see his grim face seated down by one of the booths, but he’s nowhere to be seen. That knowledge itself is a relief because it means he won’t be taunting me anymore tonight.

Maybe I was too harsh on him? I didn’t mean to be, but he was pushing my buttons tonight, and with Dylan being unwell, I don’t have the patience to deal with his tantrums.

The problem is that I’ll have to face him tomorrow in his class.

Great. Just great.

A little later, I’m busier to the point that I don’t even see Johanna come in and sit down. I’m finishing up a request from a couple when I see her wave like crazy to catch my attention.

A chuckle leaves my lips as I signal for her to give me a couple of minutes while I leave the request for the kitchen. Once I’m done, I head to her booth, sitting down since it’s calm at the moment.

“You came alone? Where’s your date?” I ask, looking around.

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