Solo

Chapter Five: Date Night

"Hey, give me a minute to freshen up," I called, making a mad dash to my room.

"Okay. I'll finish my tea with Grandma while you get ready."

Heaven forbid Grandmother should miss one afternoon of tea with my mother. I changed and refreshed my makeup. I wanted to look good just in case a certain hottie happen to be out and about.

"I'm ready when you are." I entered the kitchen.

My mom looked at my grandmother. "Don't plan on us for dinner. We might be out late." She turned and winked at me. Before my grandmother could react, we were out the door. I wondered what Mom had up her sleeve. I had planned on a matinee so we'd be back before dinner, but I wasn't going to pass on anything that would help me avoid my grandmother.

"So, what else are we doing besides the movie?" I asked, as we got into Mom's SUV.

"I thought the two of us could have a quiet dinner. I'd like to know what's going on with you. I figured you'd feel more comfortable talking to me alone."

"That sounds like fun."

"After dinner, I thought we could go bowling. I don't know how long it'll be before you start hanging out with your friends, so I want to make the most of this evening."

"I always have time for you, Mom." I flipped through the CD case. "Where are the oldies?"

"Already in the CD player." Mom turned it on.

Even though we couldn't carry a tune if our life depended on it, we sang the lyrics to the Oldies at the top of our lungs. At the edge of town, we resorted to humming and bobbing our heads. When we reached the main strip, my eyes started surfing the cars. "Eliana, can I help you find something?" Mom could tell I was distracted.

"No, I'm just checking out the stores," I lied. "I can't wait to see this movie; it looks really funny."

"Yeah; I love romantic comedies."

The theater was packed. Lucky for us we were early enough to grab decent seats. The movie was great and for two hours and five minutes, I didn't have Lucas on my mind. We didn't leave our seats until the credits were over because Mom wanted to know the names of some of the songs in the film.

"Where do you want to eat?" I asked when we finally left the theater.

"I want to take you to a small Mexican restaurant your dad and I used to go to."

"It's still here?" I chuckled.

"Well, we're not that old," Mom frowned.

I turned my grin into an overdramatic pouty lip. "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"Don't worry about it. The restaurant is across the street from the bowling alley. We can walk over after dinner."

"Mexican sounds good."

"I love this restaurant," Mom said when she pulled into the parking lot. "Oh, the memories this place brings back. This is where your dad asked me if it was okay for him to join the military."

"Wow, he asked your permission?"

"Well, he had already asked me to marry him and he knew the decision to join the military would affect both of us, so he wanted to make sure I was okay with it."

I couldn't help but smile. I knew my dad was a great guy, but this solidified it even more.

We followed our hostess to a table and got comfortable. "So spill it," Mom said.

Her abruptness threw me off guard. "What are you talking about?"

"I want to know everything." She leaned toward me with wide eyes.