An Assistant To An Actress

The Zoom Meeting

The sound of my alarm wakes me up. I turned my alarm off and glanced at the peaceful sky and tall skyscrapers in my window. I heard the daily city noises as I used the bathroom, the angry car horns from multiple cars, someone's laughter, and a trendy song from someone's device. I flushed the toilet and rinsed my face with cold water as I grabbed the nearby towel. I glanced at the mirror; everybody said I looked exactly like my mom as I had her dark brown almond shape eyes, pointed nose, and full lips. The only different thing is my hair which is curly like my dad's, and jet black. I heard my phone by my bed go off in a similar ringtone. I glanced at my phone, seeing a Facetime request from Mom immediately. I answered it. 

''Hello'' I said 

''Hi, Sweetie,'' Mom said, flashing a simile. I looked at the background, which shows the pink tiling, so I assume she is in the kitchen. 

''How are you?'' I asked 

''Great!'' Mom said, ''I just had breakfast'' Then she flipped her camera to her plate, which showed half-eaten sunny-side-up eggs and bread crumbs. 

''Anyway, how's New York treating you?'' Mom said, flipping the camera back to her ''How have you seen the Empire State Building? Or the Statue of Liberty?'' 

''Nope, I haven't got to see any of those. Just been helping Dylan out with his job,'' I said 

''Oh,'' Mom replied. ''That's great. It's so nice to see you all bonding,'' she said, her eyes trailing down. ''Are your brothers home?'' she asked 

''Let me check'' I said 

I walked downstairs holding my phone and headed to the kitchen, seeing all my brothers eating at the table. 

''Whose on the phone?'' Wesley asked with a mouthful of cereal 

''It's Mom'' I replied ''She wants to talk'' 

''I'll grabbed my laptop''Dylan said ''We can put her on Zoom'' 

''Does she even know what Zoom is?'' Joshua whispered to me 

''I know what Zoom is'' Mom shouted through the phone 

Looking at Dylan's laptop and seeing Mom on the screen was nerve-wracking for me because it meant that she'd probably want to talk about the divorce, which also meant that it was happening, and there would be a whirlwind of emotions for my brothers. Which also means that I'll probably have to pick up the pieces. 

''So,'' Mom began after my brothers greeted me and told her about what they have been doing lately. ''Besides missing all of you, there is also something that I want to talk to all about,'' she took a deep breath. ''Me and your father are getting divorced,'' she announced. 

There was silence for a few minutes as nobody was saying anything to each other, yet Joshua (the oldest) spoke first.  

''Why?'' he asked 

Mom paused ''Well'' she started with a small simile ''We just grow apart,'' she said, ''And sometimes relationships are that way, and if it comes back, then it's truly meant to be'' she added. 

''That's dumb,'' Wesley and I said. ''Because if you leave a relationship, why would you return?'' Wesley asked 

''Bless your future wife,'' Dylan whispered 

''Same to yours, too,'' Wesley said

They began to bicker, mimic and tease each other until Joshua made an alarm sound to remind them where they are at.

''What do you need?'' Joshua asked Mom 

Mom shrugged, ''Just for you all to support and love each other'' 

Dylan and Wesley looked at each other 

''Sure you don't want an air fryer or something?'' Wesley asked  

''Whose money are you going to spend it on?'' Dylan asked 

''I have ways'' Wesley mumbled 

''Thanks for the suggestion West. I would love an air fryer'' Mom smiled 

''Then it's settled that could be your Christmas gift'' Wesley smiled 

''Hey mom,'' Joshua started. ''Why don't you come to New York? take your minds off some things'' 

All of my brothers mumbled in agreement 

''Oh, I don't know how many days off my work would allow me,'' Mom said 

''You never took a day off so I'm pretty sure they can allow a month or even a week,'' Dylan said 

''Besides, even if they don't, you'll be well taken care of to quit,'' Joshua said  

Again my brothers mumbled in agreement

''Please?'' my brothers sang while making puppy faces 

Mom waved off, ''Not the puppy faces'' she smiled 

''Will even throw our secret weapon,'' Wesley sang while looking at me 

Instantly I shook my head ''Nope not doing it'' 

''Oh come on'' Wesley ''It's for our mother'' 

I sighed, looking at all my brothers who wanted Mom to come and see them do their jobs. But then I looked at Mom, who was smiling at all of us because, I guess, we were acting like a family instead of strangers for a few minutes. 

''Alright,'' I whispered, and I glanced at the camera and made an extreme pout as I whispered in a baby voice, ''Please?'' 

''Aww,'' My brothers said while my mom laughed in delight 

''If the job said ok,'' Mom added 

My brothers did a victory cry as I waved goodbye to Mom and ended the Zoom call.