Until Then (NaNoWrimo 2021)

Chapter 13

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"Thinking before acting is wisdom but acting before thinking is regret."

Chapter 13

People used the word normal to describe almost every aspect of their lives for example how waking up in the morning was normal, or the fact that breathing was a normal thing. But the word was much more complex than that because every single person had their own definition of normal and there were over more than seven billion people in the world and counting.

Looking between Amy and his mother who had decided to join them for breakfast this morning Archer could confidently say that this was not their everyday normal breakfast. Amy kept quiet choosing to keep her comments and jokes to herself in case it annoyed her mother which in turn annoyed Archer because he didn't want his sister feeling like a prisoner in front of her own mother. But this was new and Archer wasn't sure how to handle the situation.

They finished breakfast in silence and while Amy sat with their mother in the living room watching TV as she drank her beer straight from the bottle Archer did the dishes while also trying to keep his eye on the two of them. When he was done he grabbed both his and Amy's backpack from the counter before he approached the two of them.

"Chestnut, come on it's time to go." Archer called out and Amy gave her mother one more look before running over to Archer. "Do you need anything before we go, mom?" Archer asked and Simona their mother reached for a cigarette. "You can't smoke in the house, it's not good for Amy." Archer said and Simona arched a brow at him but still did as she was told and returned the cigarette back into its pack.

"No, I don't need anything else." Simona answered drinking her beer instead and Archer nodded before he turned to leave but then he hesitated by the door. This was the first day she had come out of her room and interacted with them in any sort of way and although she was currently drinking she still looked sober compared to most of the times when she was completely passed out.

He wasn't sure why but Archer decided to trust his mother and ask her for a favor.

"Mom, can you do me a favor?" He asked turning around with Amy in his grip and Simona gave the two of them a look before nodding her head for him to continue. "I've got a school project to work on and then I have to be at work later on so I won't be able to pick Amy up from school, do you think you can pick her up instead?"

Archer wasn't comfortable with leaving Amy with their mother just yet but he didn't have any other options, he needed some books from the library to get some of his school work done and if he was going to make it to work on time Amy would either have to take the bus home on her own or someone else was going to have to pick her up and that someone else would have to be their mother.

"Sure, I can pick the little one up from school." Simona agreed giving Amy a small smile to which Amy grinned widely.

"She goes to Passion Daycare and Kindergarten, you can take the bus there I left some cash on the counter. Her class today ends by four so you need to be there before then to pick her up, do you think you can handle that?" Archer asked seriously and he could see the beginning of a frown on his mother's face.

"I'm not a child Archer I can pick up my own kid from school." Simona said with a glare and Archer conceded not wanting to anger her in any way. Saying their goodbyes Archer reluctantly left their mother to her own bidding, dropped Amy off at her daycare before heading to college as well. When he arrived Archer wasn't surprised to find Kaycee, all dressed in her new outfits and hair waiting for him by her car.

"You know you don't have to wait for me, it's cold out here." Archer said with a frown rubbing her arms in an attempt to ward off the cold. Kaycee knew why he was acting like this and instead of finding it annoying, she found herself actually enjoying the attention and care that Archer was giving her.