Game Over: Life's Over

Ticking Time Bomb

Mom and I stayed at Eric and Theo's for most of the day. They were good hosts who seemed to like having guests over.

Theo hadn't baked anything for us but he picked up gourmet cookies for us and had a dozen cookies with random flavors and toppings for us to choose from. It was something only rich people bought, especially for guests, and it made me think they were trying to make a good impression so we would officially go with them. Considering our options hadn't been the best, they were really the only ones we liked enough to consider beyond the first meeting.

It made me sad to think that some kids like me could end up with some of the bad ones just because they were vulnerable and in need of a caregiver.

I knew that I should have talked with them more since I was the one who would be living with them in just a few weeks but I wanted to explore the area and see where I'd be living. I didn't know how permanent the living situation would be so I needed to be comfortable. There was a possibility I wouldn't even notice or care about the place once I turned eighteen but I tried to ignore that. I wanted to trick my mind into staying the same so I could actually enjoy being eighteen and not revert back to a baby immediately.

It was a scary thought that I could go back to being a baby the second I turned eighteen. I hated thinking my brain could be rewired and there was a possibility I wouldn't be myself anymore. The physical changes were bad enough but the ones that weren't as visible really scared me.

I felt like a ticking time bomb.

Suddenly, I wasn't so hungry for the Oreo crumble cookie in my hand.

The sliding glass door slid open and Theo stepped out onto the patio. He had a cup of coffee in one hand. He walked over to where I was sitting on a cushioned chair and took the open chair.

"What do you think? Can you see yourself living here?"

"It's actually not much different from my house. Mom never has guests over but she decorates as if she's trying to impress someone. The kitchen is a lot nicer, though. My mom doesn't cook much."

"She said she's busy a lot because of her job. Does that leave you home alone by yourself most nights?"

I nodded. "Most days I go to my friend's house. His mom is super involved so she sort of... picks up mom's slack."

He didn't say anything for a minute. His voice was quieter when he spoke. "Are you worried she's not going to come around as much once you move here?"

I hadn't thought about that as much as I should have. I knew Mom. I knew her schedule and how often she bailed on plans we had together. She couldn't help it and I knew it was important because of her job. That didn't mean I wasn't still disappointed though.

"I know it's a possibility. She's busy a lot."

"She's been involved thus far. Take that as a good sign. Some parents would make you figure it out all on your own and then just sign what they have to. I've heard stories where parents just run the second someone else is taking care of their kid."

"I'm sure it'd be easy for Mom to do that if I forgot her."

"I wouldn't worry about it. She seems like she wants what's best for you. I can already picture her making a fuss if we do something wrong."

"She's good at yelling at people."

He laughed. "She gets paid to argue so I'm sure she's good at it."

"What do you do for work?"

"Well, I used to work in the city as a personal shopper for a couple of businessmen but I just quit doing that."

I really hoped he wasn't like Eileen. I couldn't imagine going back to square one so close to my birthday.

"Why?"

"Being a caregiver is a full-time job. Someone has to be here to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't get hurt. I've kept little jobs here and there so it wasn't a hard job to quit if or when we found a child to care for."

"You don't need the money?"

"We'll get a stipend to spend on things like food or clothing for you. I've heard some people take advantage of the program and spend the money on themselves or use it to make big purchases. I'm not sure why the government doesn't ask for receipts to make sure it's being used for the right purpose."

"Yeah, I've heard about that."

"Eric's pay will bring in enough money for important things like the mortgage and bills each month so this extra money can either be saved or used for things we might end up needing for you."

"What, like more baby gates or something?"

"It's a possibility. Just like you, we don't know what's going to happen. What we have now is just the basic stuff we're required to have."

"All I saw was a baby gate." It didn't seem like they had enough but I was sure there would be an inspection of the house before I was allowed to live there.

"We have safety locks on the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and the cabinet under the sink. And there are latches on all the other drawers and cabinets. It makes them harder to open."

"I'm surprised the place isn't just covered in bubble wrap."

Theo chuckled. "I am, too."

I picked off a piece of Oreo from my cookie and ate it. "So you don't plan on taking advantage of... me and the whole caregiving thing, do you?"

"Of course not. I couldn't imagine hurting someone who depends on me."

That was a relief to hear. I really didn't want to be stuck in a bad situation. There was no telling if I would regress on day 1 so I really didn't want my living situation to be awful along with my life.

Mom stuck her head out and gave me a quick smile. "Ready?"

Theo sat up and looked back at Mom. "Leaving already?"

"We have a long drive ahead of us."

Theo nodded and got to his feet. "Right. I forgot. Well, we really appreciate you being able to come."

"Of course. Your home is so nice and you've both been so welcoming. We appreciate the hospitality."

I rolled my eyes. Mom always had to lay it on thick.

Mom stepped out onto the patio and got her phone out of her purse. "I gave Eric my phone number but let me give it to you, too."

I grabbed my cookie and headed back into the house. I was definitely ready to get home and be somewhere familiar. I wasn't sure how long I'd have at home with Mom so I wanted to take advantage of it for however long that would be.

---

I don't know if you can tell but I had Crumbl cookies on my mind when I wrote this chapter. Are you guys a fan of them? The closest one is about an hour and a half away from me so I don't get them often. But I'm going in two weeks and I'm super excited.