Flower ((A Dan Howell Fanfiction))

Chapter Nine:

It was dinnertime by the time I finished.

Xander sat watching me through it all. As we went downstairs for dinner, Xander continuously asked me question after question about how to create digital art. And I tried to answer him as best I could.

Emily was quietly listening to us through dinner, occasionally adding in her two cents when she felt. Adam just watched us all with a smile, watching intently as I tried to explain the process of capturing the digital art on video correctly, and that I was "a broke potato that can't afford anything."

Xander laugher; Adam laughed; Emily chucked, but she gave a fleeting smile before she turned her eyes towards her plate.

"Like, if I can get a job soon, that'll work with my schedule, then I can start to save up for a good camera and microphone."

Xander looked at me with his fork poised to take a bite. "A pal of mine uses a program called OBS. It's free."

I stare at him, mulling it over in my head. "Possibly. How does it work?"

He said he'd show me later and I nodded.

For the rest of dinner, we sat in comfortable silence,

Emily is washing dishes and putting them into the dishwasher when I step up to the counter beside her.

I ask: "Would you like some help?"

She looks over at me as she scrubs the sponge over a stubborn piece of food stuck to the side of one of the pots. "I'm okay."

I nod, and for second, I don't know what to do with myself, so I stood next to her awkwardly for a second, until I finally decided to leave the kitchen.

When I passed Xander's room, his door was open, and I could hear him talking to someone on his phone. I just kept walking to my room.

When I finally lowered myself into my desk chair, my phone went off. It was my Mom.

She was trying to call.

"Hello, baby," she cooes when I answer.

"Hi, Mom."

She is smiling; I can tell. "How has Emily and her family been treating you?"

"They've been so kind. And London is so lovely. It's always comfortable. The hottest day here is what spring is back in Texas. It's awesome. And I think they get snow here so I'm mega excited for that."

Mom chuckles. "I bet. The last time you saw snow was when you were three, but that only lasted for an hour."

I hum to myself. "How's Dad?" I inquire.

But Mom sighs. "He's having some problems at work. The restaurant is going down. If they don't get some recognition from someone soon, they'll have to close because nobody is going anymore."

I try to keep my voice steady. "How long has he been having these troubles?"

Mom sighs again. "A few months now."

Months. He was suffering while I was getting ready to leave for England. He wasn't okay when I was getting ready to leave him with Mom. I am so blind.

I grit my teeth and after a second or two, I bite my lip, fighting tears.

"Tell him that I love him."

"I will, baby. We miss you, baby girl."

"I miss you too, Mom." I'm now wiping away the little tears that are forming in my eyes, brushing them out of my eyelashes.