Glassheart |bruno mars.

34.

I shouldn't have gone into Mode this morning,

I was only there for forty minutes and felt too jittery and oddly claustrophobic so I used the only plausible excuse I knew to get out.

Guess what excuse I used to get out?

Right now I was at the local coffee shop getting everyone in my section of the office coffee, though that wasn't in my job description anymore since I was writing a whole lot more but I had to get some fresh air.

My parents will be in town any moment.

I was waiting for the coffee I had ordered for everyone, I had even ignored Bridgette's glee of delight when I asked her if she wanted a coffee, so here I was – déjà vu – getting Bridgette her non-fat soy latte with cream and I didn't even care to think of the aura.

"Sorry, Tina, just a few more minutes, it's a busy day." Hazel apologized to me as she went to the machine to brew up more coffee for the customers ahead of me.

"It's fine, Hazel." I smiled and my phone started ringing from my bag. "I should take this." Hazel nodded and went back to concentrating on other orders. "Mom?" I answered without even checking my phone, I had that disappointing feeling in the gut that I only got when something bad happens like my parent's arrival.

"Hi, darling. We just made it to our hotel." She answered. "I've forgotten how beautiful Los Angeles can be..."

"How was the flight?"

"Not good, your father and I are going to have a long, long sleep at the hotel. So when are you going to come meet us? Show us around."

"Mom, this isn't your first time here."

"I'm sure things have changed since you graduated college."

Not really.

But I gritted my teeth before saying something that would result in an argument.

"..how about when I get off work? I managed to convince my boss to let me off at three today." I offered.

"Excellent. We'll see you then."

"Bye, mom." I hung up and sighed looking up at the black ceiling.

It was going to be a long, long day.

–

Work went by too quickly and before I knew it I was parked outside the hotel my parents were staying at.

I looked in my rear-view mirror and fixed my appearance since it was going to be scrutinized, had to look good and pure and healthy and happy for mother dearest.

I jumped at the vibrating phone on the passenger seat.

"Shit..." I mutter and try to regain control of my erratic heart. I pick up the phone to see my mother calling. "Hi, mom."

"Hi, darling, where are you?"

"I'm...outside the hotel now." I bit my cheek in anticipation.

"You answered your phone while driving?"

"No, I've been here for a few minutes...." Of course she'd jump to conclusions, that's her specialty. "I just wasn't sure this was the place..." I lied, now that was becoming my specialty.

Eventually I saw both my parents exiting the hotel and I stepped out of my car to greet them.

"Honey." Mom gave me a big hug as if she hadn't seen me in years, it's only been a month and a half. "How are you?"