His Savior ✔️

26

As soon as I walked in the house, the smell of chicken hit my nostrils. I closed the door feeling tired from practice, "hey mom, I'm home!" I yelled as I dropped my bag on the floor and looked at the mail that was on the table. They were letters from colleges telling me about how great they were. I tossed them back on the table and walked into the kitchen where my mom was standing by the stove. "You made chicken?" I asked her excitedly. I walked towards the stove and kissed her cheek. I loved chicken, I didn't know why.

My day wasn't so great, but it was starting to be a lot better because of this chicken. My mom turned the chicken in the hot oil and turned looking at me. "How was practice?" She asked me. 

"It was okay, did you discover anything interesting today?" I questioned. My mom spent her day discovering new things pertaining to the environment and its effect not only on mental health but also other diseases such as cancer. It was one of the reasons, we moved so much. My mom shook her head no, "you will soon," I patted her back encouraging her. 

"Huntingdon College sent you a letter," my mom said. It was one of the nearby colleges. "You should apply, you can get some of your prerequisites there," she said. I nodded my head. 

"It's not like we are staying in Alabama all our lives," I said. I would be moving soon anyway, it made no sense to apply to a community college over here. My mom gave me the look that said I had to do what she said, "okay fine," I finally said. "I'll apply over the weekend," this time I feel like I would actually do it and finally stop avoiding planning for my future which I hated. I had no idea what tomorrow would bring and I used to love and appreciate that, but now that was not enough. 

I now had to plan for what I wanted to happen, I had no idea what I even wanted to major in. Now all I cared about was graduating and playing soccer, nothing more and nothing less. The doorbell rung and I frowned, I wondered who would be bothering us this time of day. "Get the door, hon," my mom said. I walked lazily towards the door and opened the door to see CJ on the other side. I gave him a small smile even though I saw him a  few hours earlier in Physics class. 

"Hey," he said. 

"I guess you finally showed up to my house on a day besides Saturday," I joked. He chuckled, "what's up?" I asked him, "I just came home and I really want to go take a cold shower and eat chicken," I said, just thinking about it made me happy. 

"You like chicken?" He asked me, I nodded my head. "Um... I just came to check on you, I guess. Earlier you seemed really upset and I am so sorry if I said or did something to upset you," he said putting his hands inside his pockets. The cold air blew making his hair fall on his face. I watched as he passed his hand through his hair trying to through his hair back. Why was that the hottest thing I've ever seen?

"Oh, thank you," I said the events that happened earlier replaying through my mind. "But I am fine, that was just crazy Bianca being crazy, but I am fine," I said laughing it off. 

"You sure that was just you being crazy?" He asked, I nodded my head quickly. I didn't know why I was being emotional, maybe it was about to be my time of the month. That was the only excuse I had for acting like this or even being bothered by what people thought about my family and questioning things myself. "So, you are not upset?" He asked me. 

"Not really," I replied, "it's just with Thanksgiving coming up and hearing you guys talk about family, it had me a bit emotional, nothing I can't handle," I assured him. 

"You do not have to worry about not celebrating Thanksgiving because it is not that official of a holiday. There are only a few countries that celebrate it. Now Christmas is the legit holiday," he said. I laughed, I barely celebrated Christmas either. My mom and I spend the day together and we often times buy each other gifts, but we do not do the whole Christmas tree and decoration thing. "But you really shouldn't be worried, every family is different and you should not expect yours to be like everyone else's."

"Thank you," I told him again, "you should become a therapist or something," I said. He shook his head no and chuckled. "You are absolutely right, I should like my family just the way it is. If I don't, I'm just being selfish right and I am being a bitch if I-" I felt a tear fell down my face, I paused. "I have to go," I told him before I officially broke down in tears in front of a guy I might like. I really did not know what was wrong with me, why was I acting like this? I was about to close the door when CJ pulled me towards him and gave me a hug. 

I was surprised by his action, last time I hugged him he just stood there frozen. I assumed he did not like people entering his personal space and touching him. "No, it doesn't make you a bitch," he whispered in my ear. I shook my head and pulled away wiping my tear. I closed the door and took a seat on the porch. 

"I feel like I am cheating on my mom or something," I said. CJ came and took a seat next to me. 

"Why?" He questioned.

"My mom has been taking care of me my whole life. She has provided more than enough for me, she has been both a mother and a father. She has been my best friend, my mother, and my everything. She has sacrificed so much to make sure I am happy and that my life is perfect and here I am fantasying about what my life would have been if things were different," I said. "I'm thinking about how my life would have been perfect, we would have been a big happy family living a boring suburban life, but I would have been happy because I was with my family. I would have a cool sister and we would argue all the time, but deep down we both know we love each other and maybe I would have an older brother who is overprotective and would slap any boy who dares messes with me," I chuckled thinking about it. 

"There is nothing wrong with fantasizing, that's what makes us human. As humans, we like to think about how different our lives would have been. Maybe it would have been better, but we have to remember the grass isn't always greener on the other side. There is nothing wrong with thinking about your father."

"I think there is," I said. "I am thinking about a man who doesn't even care enough to pay child support," I said getting up from my seat. "I'm really tired, I will see you tomorrow CJ. Thank you for checking up on me, that's really sweet of you," I told him. 

He got up also, "yeah," I said. 

"And I am so sorry about earlier, you were trying to ask me something and I was being rude. I promise that is not how my mom raised me," he chuckled. 

"No, it's fine, you were upset and being crazy Bianca. However, it would make me really happy if you'd go on a date with me," I chuckled and nodded my head. "Is Saturday good for you?" 

"I have afternoon practice, but I should be free by seven," I told him. 

"Okay then, I'll take you someplace you'll love. Maybe to eat chicken which is a really weird thing to like growing up in America. I will pick you up, I know the address, straight across from mine," I laughed and looked at him. 

"Yeah," I said.

"Bianca, what's taking you so long?" My mom asked coming towards the door, "oh hey CJ," she greeted him. 

"Hi Dr. Patricia," we stood there awkwardly for a moment. "I will see you tomorrow," he said after a while. I nodded my head and walked inside the house. My mom walked inside also and I closed the door. 

"Oh, young love," my mom said giving me a smile as she walked up the stairs. I chuckled and grabbed my bag from the floor to go take a shower.