"I won't break you
I will not let you down"

"Get away, ew." I whisper-shout at the mosquito that entered the store and will not stop flying around my face. If mosquitos could understand us, I would tell it to go after Aimee instead.

"I'm ready to check out." A customer informs me while I'm still awkwardly swatting around and almost hit myself in the eye. I take a second look at her outfit. She has everything yellow. Shirt, pants, purse, shoes, and jewelry. Safe to say I think it's her favorite color. Suddenly I find myself thinking about minions.

I smile at her and start ringing her items up. We are pretty busy so far today. Aimee is putting out the new clothes shipment we got this morning. I'm just shocked she's actually helping. She only does when a cute guy comes in. As I say thank you to the customer, I feel my phone buzz and am about to check it but put it back as another customer comes up to the counter. I'll just check it later.

"I'll be back Audrey, Im going outside for a little bit to talk to Chris on the phone." Aimee barely gets out as she passes me to get to the front door. Chris? Oh yeah, that "rich guy". I just hope she doesn't take too long. Some more customers just entered the store and if they all checkout at the same time its going to be a long line which usually equals unhappy customers.

Twenty minutes later just like I thought, 8 customers have all lined up at the register. Its not too bad but they have alot of items so I go get "queen" Aimee to help.

"Please wait a minute, I'm going to get another cashier to help the line go faster. I'll be right back." I say with a smile to the customers.

As soon as I open the front door I see Aimee sitting on a bench talking on the phone. I try to get her attention but she's to busy talking.

"You know, you are so funny. I can't wait until we have our dinner date soon." I hear her say to Mr. Rich guy. I finally yell her name and tell her to come help me. I think I see her roll her eyes but she tells the person on the phone that she has to go and that she sends kisses. Now its my turn to roll my eyes.

"Sorry for the wait, I'm ready for the next person." I say as I get back behind the counter.

About 2 hours later, it has finally slowed down and I remember about my phone. I tell Aimee I'm going to lunch and she just nods her head while painting her nails a deep red. I hope she can handle the store for 30 minutes.

I go down the street to a sandwich shop, order off the menu, pay and finally get to sit down.

I check my phone and see 3 text messages. I smile as I see they are all from Nate.

Testing.... 123

Hello?

I'm dying here, its a federal emergency, can you call me when you can? (If you're not busy)

I laugh at the last one. It was sent 20 minutes ago. I guess I'll call him. Federal emergency and all.

"Hello." he answers on the fourth ring.

"Hmm, it doesn't sound like your dying, whats this emergency?"

"Just wanted to talk to you."

"Thats all?" My heart is beating really fast for some reason after what he said.

"And I have a shopping emergency."

At that I laugh "All shopping emergencies are very important. Are you all right? Do you need an ambulance? Should I call 911?"

"Your sarcasm, while funny and I find adorable is not helpful at the moment. Im at the mall trying to find my sisters birthday gift. I have to find and send one by today so she can get it tommorrow. Any ideas?"

Did he say I was adorable? No, he said my sarcasm. Okay, I need to stop overthinking things.

"Um, get her a gift card?"

"Last year she complained that they were "impersonal" so I would never hear the end of her complaining"

"Okay, Im going to name random things until you think one of them is good enough. Brainstorming.Will that help?"

"It could work. Lets try that." He agrees.

After several minutes of naming things he picks one.

"You know, I think that will work. Lea loves makeup. What was it called again? Ana something?"

"The Anastasia Beverly Hills countour kit."

"Yeah where do I get that? And whats contour?" He sounds confused.

"At Sephora I'm sure and I think it helps shape your face or something. I dont know. I only named it because this girl at work was talking about it." Aimee had been raving about it while talking with a friend on the phone. I rarely wear makeup because I'm bad at it and too lazy.

"Ok. Thanks for your help. I would have been lost. You saved me."

"No problem, I'm just glad you picked something, I was running out of ideas. I was going to start telling you things like, get her a great white shark or a zebra."

He laughs and says "How did I not think of that? Screw the makeup, I'll just get her a shark."

"Its very practical, you just need a giant aquarium though."

"Makes sense. Hey, do you wanna grab a bite to eat after I buy the shark?"

I want to say yes but remember Im working.

"Can't. I'm working right now, I'm actually on my lunch break."

"How about tomorrow?"

"I don't work but I have to take care of Kay." Mom works and our neighbors are going out of town for a week so they can't watch her.

"What if I bring food over and we just hang out? I promise to make sure no ice cream slash food is dropped due to me." When he says that it reminds me of how we met.

I dont know what to say because I'm suddenly nervous, but something tells me to say yes. I mean we are friends now (so he said).

"Okay I will text you the address later." Too late to back out now.

"All right, see you tommorrow. And thanks again for the help. Couldn't have done it with out you."

"No problem, bye." I hang up the phone and hope I made the right choice.

My alarm then goes off telling me its time to go back to work.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Goodnight mom." I tell her as I pass her open room. The day went by fast. Its already 11:45 at night. I told my mom about Nate coming over tommorrow and she asked if he was my boyfriend. I explained that we were just friends. She had just replied with a smile "yeah, sure." Like she didnt believe me.

When I dont hear her respond, I go into her room.

As soon as I walk in I see her on the bed looking at some photos.

"Are you ok?" I ask her.

"Oh, hey, I didn't hear you. Yeah, just looking at some old photos."

I sit next to her on the bed and start looking through the pile. They're mostly pictures of Kay and me. Some are from school field trips or when we are just goofing around.

I notice my mom stop at one particular picture. I look over and see what it is. It's me, Kay, mom and dad.

"I thought I had gotten rid of any picture with him." She mumbles.

When Kay was 5 and I was 16, my mom found out my dad was cheating and when she confronted him about it he didn't even deny it. The day after he packed up and left. He just left a letter that said goodbye. Apparently he married the woman he had an affair with and they have a child.

At the time my mom didn't have a job since she stayed home and took care of us. He never offered money to help pay bills. Even when the divorce was final and the judge ordered him to pay child support, he rarely paid on time if ever.

So instead of complaining, my mom decided to get a job and cut herself off from him. She offered weekends for him to come visit us but he never came. He was a school teacher but said he had to "grade papers" or made up other excuses. After that he has never contacted us again, nor did we try.

In "better times" he was an okay dad. He was never mean to us but he wasn't there for us as often as our mom. He was just there. It was weird now that I think about it.

"Do you miss him?" I find myself asking her.

"I miss the old him. The one I fell in love with. But he changed, then he left. But that doesn't matter because I have you and Kayden." She then smiles and picks up a picture of the 3 of us the first day we moved here to Kemah.

"You will always have us. You know, your the best mom. Like in the world. Thank you for always being there for us." I then give her a big hug.

"Great now I'm going to cry." She jokes but wipes some tears that escaped her. She then adds "You should be asleep so you can be ready for your lunch date ."

"Mom, its not a date date. Just friends eating lunch...." I try to explain.

"If you say so. Do you like him?"

I get up give her one more hug and say "Goodnight, see you in the morning."

As I start walking out she says "Night, and I know your avoiding answering the question." She boasts.

I go to my room and try to fall asleep. And try to not to think about the last question.

Chapter Note: I hope your enjoying the story so far!