Ghost Kiss

Lily

     The next morning I feel significantly better. I picked out a very comfy couch knowing that I would be sleeping on it until I get one of the bedrooms upstairs cleaned to move my new bed up there. I'll probably take the room across from the bathroom. It's the master bedroom after all and it's close to the bathroom. I get up and stretch. My wrist is still sore. I unwrap it to shower. I take off my pajamas and turn on the water. I give it some time to heat up and climb inside. Oh, the hot water feels so good. I could stand here all day. But I need to get at least the upstairs bathroom and a bedroom cleaned out and make it to the grocery store so I can stock up the kitchen. I hop out of the shower and start drying myself off.

     Knock. Knock. Knock. My head jerks towards my bathroom door in surprise. No one is supposed to be in my house. This is exactly what Mom was worried about. Her defenseless daughter lives on her own and some stranger breaks in and catches her off guard. Oh my god please don't make me have to say that my mother was right. No, please let me live long enough to say my mother was right.

     Knock. Knock. Knock. I hear the knocking again. I didn't bring my clothes in here to change into. I'm completely naked. I have no other choice than to wrap the towel around myself and hope that this person is harmless and just doesn't know the common rule of not just walking into other people's houses unannounced.

     "Who's there? What are you doing in my house?" No answer. I don't know if it's better to have no answer or have someone answer. I straighten my back and put on my bravest ass-kicking face I have and open the door slowly. I see no one there. I step out of the bathroom into my living room and there's no one here. I walk into the kitchen and still, no one. I go back in the living room to my front door. It's locked.

     At the worst time, my phone starts ringing. It scares the crap out of me. I pick up my phone off the table and see it's my mom. I guess she just wasn't patient enough to wait to hear from me.

     "Hi, Mom." "What's the update on the job? You never called yesterday to tell me." I guess pleasantries are out the window today. "Sorry, Mom. After the meeting, I went to the store and picked up some things and then went to the furniture store and got myself some pieces." Hoping that calms her down some. "Well I do wish you would've called, I was worried. So when do you start?" I told her all about my day yesterday but left out the part about the upstairs bedroom and my wrist. The last thing I need is for her to worry about me more than she already is.

     "That's wonderful!" she exclaims, "Being a waitress is a great way of meeting new people. Maybe even a nice man." And here we go again. "Mom, for the last time, I'm not looking for a man. I'm 20 years old and just starting college. I just moved out on my own. I want to be on my own for a while." I really try not to be too forceful with her but this is getting old quickly. "Don't you sass me, Lily! I'm not saying you need to let a man move in. It just wouldn't hurt to have someone around you can rely on and do things with and help you when you need help and take you out on nice dates and do other nice things for you. That's all I'm saying. It's not like I'm rushing for grand-babies so stop acting like that's what I'm doing whenever I bring it up. It's normal for a woman your age to have a boyfriend."

     Oh, this woman has the ability to turn it back around on me. But I know she means well. Her biggest concern is that I'm gonna be in some kind of trouble and the closest help I have is them two hours away. I get it. I imagine every mom goes through this same thing when it's the baby bird's time to fly. "Yes Mom, and when it happens you will be the first person I call, but until then it just feels like you're pressuring. But I love you and I know you mean well." "I do mean well. I'll let you get back to your day. I love you." " I love you too Mom."

     I hang up the phone and look at the bathroom door. I don't know what's going on. The front door was locked. No one else is here. Maybe the house was just making a noise like Earl said that first day here. She's settling. And I have done a lot of moving around in here so maybe it shifted some things. I shrug it off and get dressed.

     Upstairs here I come.