Chapter 17.
By the time they had got back into their town it was dark
"Do you want me to take you to get your car?" he asked before the turn off that would get them back to the cafe
"No, my mom can drive us tomorrow"
When the car pulled in the drive she sat for a moment, listening, her heart pounding, now she was expecting he would kiss her again
"That was so fun" She said, her insides working through the nerves, hands trembling.
"I haven't had an afternoon to beat it either. I enjoyed spending time with you. I hope we can do it again soon"
"Ok" was all she said, swallowing
Her mother opened the front door and yelled out to the car "Renny?
Is that you?"
Renny rolled her eyes "Nite Brody"
"Good luck. Nite"
"Yes its me mom" she said lowly
"Where have you been? Why aren't you answering my texts?" She was on edge, until she saw a look in her daughters face she hadn't seen in ages "Was that...Brody?"
She was caught, and suddenly all the nice turned to 'oh god' "Yes, i showed him the displays"
"I was there with Melody this afternoon, we didn't see you"
"Why were you there?"
"Don't change the subject. Putting up the signs on the fridge display, I sent you the pictures!"
Renny shuffled through her purse and found her phone, 5 missed calls and 12 texts "Geez mom" She shook her head, walking inside
"Melody couldn't reach Brody either, we were going to give it until ten then call the cops"
"Oh my god mom, calm down, we were at the zoo"
"The Zoo?" She paused "Which Zoo? A date?" he grasped at her ample chest, covered by a light silk gown, her hair in rollers to her jaw which gave her that kicked in bob, no makeup but some sticky patches on between her brows and on her crows feet and cheek creases, to supposedly help with wrinkles, but Carole had been lucky to have aged very well, probably because of these very routines.
Renny had to answer carefully, her mother was going to have plenty of questions "We went for ice cream at Lincoln Park Zoo"
"Never heard of it" She listened "Well was it a date?" She anticipated, eyes wide
"Ice cream" She swallowed
Her mother eyed her, checking for every indication she might be lying. Her skin was taught from the patches and when she squinted her eyes pulled in funny directions.
"Are you going out again?" She asked her daughter slowly, her radars on
"There are no plans other than work plans mom" she said, in a higher voice than usual as she started distracting her mother's eyes from hers, taking off her shoes, putting her purse away "Signs look fantastic" She picked up the phone, looked at the pictures and zoomed in "so colorful and happy"
Her mother was getting nothing, Renny had locked it up.
Carole straightened herself indignantly. She was mad as a snake, and she knew there was more. Mothers had instincts too, and hers was that her daughter was holding back information, and as for not answering texts and calls?
"Sorry I didn't respond mom, I didn't mean to worry you, my phone was on silent, you know I love the Zoo I was just too distracted"
"Ok" She forgave that "I understand, you always did love the zoo. Not so much petting zoos though" She pondered
"I trust them when they're safely in enclosures" She kissed her mom on the cheek "I'm going to shower and go to bed"
With that kiss, Renny enveloped her mother in light and calm, she saw the lilac smoke in her mind, a dancing ball filled with her own good feelings, and as her lips touched her mother, the smoke danced through to the pit of her mothers stomach where she held her worry and dissipated, releasing the energy she visualized. In her mind, she saw all this, and for small emotional distresses it usually worked, and the receiver was none aware.
"Love you sweetheart" She patted her daughters hand, "I just worry, you know" She gave a motherly smile
"I know. Goodnight" She went upstairs. It felt good to be able to help like that, and it recharged her.
In the shower, however shethought about not telling her mom about the "date", and felt bad, it wasn't that she didn't want to it was that she didn't know yet how much she would let Brody in, and her mother had a way of making things more dramatic than they were.
Brody was nice, and funny and definately good looking and it was great to be around him today, and spending more time with him wouldn't be so bad. In fact, she kind of wanted to, she liked being out, knowing someone new, who didn't know her like her entire town did back home.
She picked up her phone in bed, ready to answer emails, check on her games and catch up on her social media. She was clean, her skin still hot from the steaming shower and she was pleasantly tired.
As she was catching up, a text came through, from Brody
BRODY - Did you get told off?
She laughed, apparently Mellody had been just as mad for the blackout. He didn't touch his phone the whole time they were together either, that she noticed
RENNY - Yes
BRODY - I think they think we're 14
RENNY - Tell me about it
BRODY - I had a great day with you
She smiled, a girly grin, it came without warning and she shuffled in the bed, cozying in.
RENNY - me too
BRODY - So you'll go out with me again?
RENNY - yes
BRODY - Cool. Call you tomorrow
He wrote, ending it with a smiley blowing a kiss with a heart.
She clenched her jaw to hold the smile tugging at her mouth. She was a woman, after all.
YOU ARE READING
Signs
RomanceRenny and her very proper but sweet southern mother had moved to the small Wisconsin town, and started fresh with new lives. They had started a cafe, made friends and their neighbor, a man called Davis and his dog Ruby had infiltrated her life. With...
