Game Over: Life's Over

A Little Messy

Hey, everyone. Thank you so much for bearing with me while I figure my life out. I'm so sorry to have to inconvenience you all with my personal problems but there are just some things that are more important than writing. BUT I wanted to let you all know that I found another full-time job so I'm working on getting back into a routine with my writing. I hope you like this chapter and stay tuned for more!

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Mom bought us lunch after we went to several stores. I was getting cranky and, after the run-in we had with Vicky, I was ready to stop shopping for a while.

I'd never been to the restaurant Mom and I picked to eat at for lunch. It was an Italian restaurant, a family-owned one rather than a chain. The booths were dark green and faced brown tables. The tables and bar area were really nice. The fake wine bottles and plants that littered the walls were a bit tacky, though.

I sat on Mom's side of the table, against the wall. The hostess had given Mom a wooden booster seat for me to sit in, fully equipped with a buckle that went around my waist. I tried not to express how frustrated I was.

The waitress walked over to us with a notepad in her hands. She was a tall woman with heels that clicked when she walked. Her red hair was pulled up into a ponytail, revealing large hoop earrings. She smiled at the two of us as she approached. "Hi, welcome to Stella's. I'm Amber. I'll be your server for today. Can I get you two started on something to drink?"

"I'll just take a water. Jake, what do you want?" Mom looked over at me.

"Can I get a Sprite?" I asked, speaking more to Mom than the waitress.

Mom nodded and the waitress wrote down our drink orders.

"Do you want me to bring a kid's menu over?"

Mom nodded. "Yes, please."

Amber nodded before she walked away from the table.

"What's wrong?" Mom asked.

"A kid's menu?" I asked incredulously.

"Honey, it's not a big deal. You eat smaller portions now so it's not a big deal to order from the kid's menu."

"It is a big deal. I'm not a kid, Mom."

"I understand that. But there are plenty of people who order from the kid's menu with no second thought to it."

I sighed. "That's not the point, Mom. It's that everyone keeps treating me like a kid."

Mom patted my leg. "There could be plenty of worse ways people could treat you."

Amber came back with our drinks and, without asking, had my cup in styrofoam with a lid and a straw. She set the paper menu down in front of me and then laid crayons on top. "I'll give you two a few minutes to look over the menu."

The menu in front of me had puzzles and colorful images covering both sides. There was a section on one side of the paper for the menu. It was standard kid food: chicken tenders, mac n' cheese, pizza, spaghetti, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

I stuck the straw into my cup and took a sip as I debated what to get to eat. Mom was being nice enough to take us out to lunch so I couldn't complain when she was doing something nice for me. Even taking me shopping was something I hadn't expected of Mom. But I was glad for the time alone with her.

Amber walked over with a notepad in her hands. She smiled at us as she approached. "Are you ready to order?"

Mom and I gave our orders and the waitress was gone again.

She turned to look at me. "I talked with Eric and Theo about our plans for Christmas. They agreed to let you stay with me Christmas night as well as Friday."

"Do I get time with them, too?" As much as I wanted time with Mom, Eric and Theo cared about me, too, and I wanted them to have time with me for our first Christmas. I also wanted more presents but I wasn't going to tell them that.

"Yes, you'll have time with them. You'll be with them for Christmas Eve and most of Christmas Day."

"Okay," I said. Christmas was coming fast and I didn't feel prepared for it. Being in the hospital over Thanksgiving really altered my perception of the season we were in.

Mom rubbed my arm. "It's gonna be a good Christmas. I promise."

I looked down at the place mat in front of me. "Is Collin going to be there when I am?"

"I told you I'm going to take things slow between us and I mean that. I don't want to rush things and make you uncomfortable. I won't do that until I think you're ready for it."

That was reassuring. I wanted Mom to be happy and have a life whenever I wasn't with her. I was just a little uncomfortable at the thought of meeting the guy she was dating. I'd never had a dad growing up so I was used to Mom being just Mom. It was hard for me to think that there was another person in her life besides me.

Amber walked over with a tray carrying our food and lowered it as she approached. "Salmon salad for you. And a cheese pizza for you, little guy."

My face flushed as Amber set the plate down in front of me. She smiled at me like she was proud of her nickname for me, which made me all the more embarrassed. If only she knew how old I really was.

"Can I get you anything else?" Amber asked.

"Just some napkins. He can be a little messy with anything that has sauce."

Amber laughed. "Of course. I'll be right back."

I groaned as Amber walked away.

Mom unrolled her silverware and picked up her fork. "Relax, Jake. You're always so tense."

"Because you live to embarrass me."

"That's what moms do best."

I rolled my eyes. "Can you hand me a fork so I can stab myself with it?"