Page 91 of Fierce-Hyde

“That’s ten years younger than you,” she said.

“I know,” her mother said. “He didn’t have a problem with it. He loved when I was cooking and I did his laundry for him while he stayed here. He was staying here more nights than me going to his place.”

She held back the laugh. “Sounds like he wanted someone to take care of him.”

“No,” her mother said. “He just said he enjoyed being with me and it was closer to his work from my place.”

More like using her mother then.

“Well,” she said. “Now you don’t have to worry about cooking or doing his laundry either.”

“But I wasn’t putting money away while I was dating him. I thought for sure I’d end up in his place and not have to worry. He talked like we were heading that way.”

“Then what happened?” she asked rolling her eyes. Typical of her mother’s actions when she met a man.

“I don’t know,” her mother said. “I mentioned my lease was renewing in two months and that it’d be nice to move in with him and not worry.”

“When was this?” she asked.

“Yesterday morning before he was leaving for work.” Her mother stopped to blow her nose. “Then last night he came over to get his things and said he needed a break.”

“That’s when he said you were moving too fast?”

“Yes,” her mother said, crying. “I asked when I’d see him again. What he meant by a break.”

“Did he answer you?”

“He said he’d talk to me in a few days. But then I checked online and saw his profile was activated last night. Probably when he walked in the door to his place. What a jerk.”

“Sounds it to me,” she said.

“That’s not helping me any,” her mother screeched.

“I’m trying to be supportive,” she said, sighing again. “But we have these conversations all the time, Mom. You knew him for a month. You’ll find someone else.”

Her mother always did.

“I know,” her mother said. “But you said I could vent and that is what I’m doing. But I was too upset to type it.”

“Are you at work right now?” she asked. That just occurred to her.

“No,” her mother said. “I called in sick.”

Here they went again.

“Don’t do it too much, Mom. That is how you end up getting fired or written up.”

“I just needed today. I’ll be fine. I think so. In time.”

“I’m sure you’ll bounce back like you always do,” she said.

She said a few more appropriate things and then hung up the phone.

She got back to work and tried to put it from her mind.

When lunch rolled around, she ate at her desk and then decided to see if Raina was around. Not that she wanted to vent about her mother because she knew what that was like, but she needed to see someone with a happy family life.

She walked up the stairwell to just move her legs. The one thing she hated was sitting all the time.

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