Grapes Bridges and Stars

Chapter 2

When I got home, there was a note for me left by my mother. "There's some Mac and cheese in the refrigerator. 12 day." That meant she was staying at her job until 12-1 am. My mom worked for the Reinherd. They're about 60 years old with eight kids. They have some health issues. I'm not sure why my mother is the only one that helps them when they have eight children. 

My father, on the other hand, owns a corner store. I work there sometimes on the weekends. I'll be working there a lot more when I graduate if I don't get my writing career together. 

Since my father doesn't get off until 9, I would be home by myself for a minute. I, of course, decided to write. I wrote a few poems. I even wrote one about strangers meeting. Of course, I was inspired by meeting Bryson. I realized that's what I was thinking about mostly. 

Thinking about it, I went over to the box I would show Bryson that next day. I looked through them. Some of them I frowned at. I wasn't always confident in my writing. Sometimes I hated it, but I like to save them all to remember to do better the next time.

I wanted to call Lorise. I didn't know how long she would be at Robert's house, but I called just to see if she was at home. 

"Hello?" I heard a soft voice. Definitely not Lorise. 

"Uh, is Lorise there?" I asked. "Liberty? It's Mrs. Karslow." Lorise's mom. 

"Oh hi, Mrs. Karslow. How are you?" She sighed a tired sigh and said, "I'm getting there." She sounded upset. "I'll tell her that you called."

"Thank you, Mrs. Karslow." I hung up wondering what that was about. 

Once my father arrived home, I heated up the Mac and cheese. We usually ate together, but my mom is not here so it's just us.

"How was your day?" I asked. "Oh it was fine," he said taking a fork full of Mac and cheese. "How was yours?" 

"It was nice!" I smiled. I looked at him and he looked exhausted.

After we ate, the phone rang. "Hello?" I answered. 

"Hey Liberty, you called?"

"I did. How was Robert's?" She sighed happily. 

"It was wonderful! He's so charming and funny," she said dreamily. "Here you go." I joked. 

"Whatever, Robert is my baby, okay? You'd understand if you had a boyfriend," she said.

"You know how I feel about that." I could hear her groan. 

"One day you will see. One day a guy will sweep you so far up off your feet you'll be touching clouds." I rolled my eyes. She's always trying to get me to go with somebody. 

"Well Lorise, right now my feet are glued to the ground."

"What am I gonna do with you?" She asked. 

I went to bed around 11, but woke around 1:30 am. I heard my parents talking. 

"They say if we don't get the money in three months, we lose the store." My dad told my mom.

***
The next morning, I woke up to the smell of delicious breakfast and a message on the refrigerator. "Lorise called." My mother must've left it. She left to go to the Reinherd's.

I turned on the tv. Good Times was on. 

"Hey Liberty, you made breakfast," My father asked me taking a piece of bacon. "No momma did." He changed the channel to the news.

I definitely didn't forget that I was meeting Bryson at the coffee shop today, so I went to get ready.  After getting ready, I called Lorise back. She immediately began rambling.