Emma

Emma In Love

Emma learned shortly after the divorce proceedings that her mother was depressive and sometimes unstable.  Sometimes she would work for hours on end, come home with a smile, and then stare blankly at the walls.  Marie didn't know what she wanted in life anymore.  She had such an existential crisis that it had spread from the innermost caves of her mind out into the vast unknown of reality.  She was currently flipping through channels, and Emma had been in the seat beside her texting Jeremy.

J - So how's your mom?

E - She's alright, she just wont move a whole lot.

J - Still upset about Mr. Thomas I see.

E - I don't know, they haven't talked in a couple months :/

J - How are you holding up?

E - It's been awhile, Mom's probably over it, she just doesn't know what to do right now.

J - How bad is the funk?

E - Week old Asiago level, she's in such a massive funk right now that her current writing stinks.

J - So what do you plan on doing

E - I could take her to the store and we can buy some tomatoes or something

J - Tomatoes?

E - She eats them plain, no sandwich, no salt, it's unholy.

J - Well alright then, tell me how that goes :D

Emma decided to drag her mom to the grocery store, and then after that, they took their bag of tomatoes and strolled through some of the art shops in town.  Marie happily walked up and down the road, just enjoying her tomatoes.  Sure it was a little weird to most people, her taste in food was particularly off for this region of the US, but nobody in her family seemed to mind.  

Emma and her mother eventually sat down at C street, and she waited patiently for a thought to pop in.  As she did, she saw a very familiar face at the end of C street.  She got up and waved, "Cairo!"

He turned and looked at her then ran over, "Emma!"

Emma pulled him into a hug, and then gave him a high five, fist bump, and side five.  Emma and Cairo had gone from homeroom acquaintances to proper pals.  She'd been texting Cairo all week too, she was wondering who he was taking to the dance, simply because her pal Ebony thought he was kinda cute.  

"So how are you?"

"Doing pretty good, my Dad was just down here seeing the sights again."  

"Your dad's here?"

"Yea, we just got into this school district a couple months ago, but we lived up near Los Angeles."  Cairo continued, "We were actually in a different country until recently.  Moved clear away from home."

"Ah, so you guys are from Egypt then?"

"Yea."

Emma and Cairo kept talking for a little bit while Marie sat down at the bench and kept her eyes focused on those two.  She was pretty happy Emma had her own circle of friends.  She spoke up, "Emma who're you talking to?"  Despite her having various friends visit the house, this one hadn't been around yet.

Emma replied, "This is my friend Cairo."

From the corner of C street, there was a sort of chirping.  Then the enthusiastic shouting of the words, "Marie?  Marie Thomas!"  Marie looked up, and was incredibly surprised.  She smiled.  "I can not believe it's you."