A chat with Zack's mother at the grocery store

After they left the cinema and went to get back their now clean clothes from the Laundromat, Zack and Heather proceeded to their last stop, the grocery store. Once there, the giddy duo split in order to round things up faster, while Zack went to get the charcoal, Heather started looking for the smaller things on the list, like the meat.

While the blue-eyed brunette was browsing the meat section, someone cleared their throat to her side. Heather turned her head to find an attractive older woman, with long, wavy dark brown hair, blue eyes and two large swells at her chest under a long, green floral summer dress.

“Heather Ravers, am I right?” The woman asked her in a friendly tone.

“Yeah, it’s me,” She replied, and then an expression of recognition came up on her face. “And you are Zack’s mother.”

“Yes, indeed I am, dear,” The woman confirmed, extending a hand to her. “My name’s Monica Bishop, it’s a pleasure to meet you, since I don’t quite recall having talked to you before.” She chuckled.

Heather nodded. “It’s nice to know you as well, Mrs. Bishop,” She said, suddenly realizing that despite their close two-year friendship, she had never met Zack’s parents outside of pictures, or Chloe’s and Gavin’s for that matter. “Zack’s here too if you want to talk to him, we had to come back to buy a few supplies.”

“I see,” Monica said. “Listen, Heather, just between us, is my son behaving himself? I must admit I was a bit wary of letting him go unsupervised on a two-week trip, you know?”

Heather blinked twice at the odd question, and then managed a smile. “Oh yes, Mrs. Bishop, we’re having a blast back at my father’s cabin, and I can assure you that your son is being a perfect gentleman, a little too much actually,” She told the older woman. ”Until today, of course.”

Monica laughed at Heather’s response. “That’s Zachary for you, Heather,” She said. “I think we’ve hammered good manners a little too much on him, but he’ll come around, you’ll see.”

Just as Heather was wondering if Monica had already realized she was talking to a girl who liked her son, said son walked from behind a shelf carrying two bags of charcoal.

“Well,” Zack began after catching sight of his mother. “Now I can officially say that we live in a very small town, hey Mom.”

“Hello, Zachary, Heather here was just telling me how gentlemanly you’ve been acting over the past week,” Monica said as she quickly hugged her son. “She isn’t covering for you, is she, young man?”

Surprised by the question, he just lifted the two bags of charcoal. “I’m carrying the heavy stuff.”

Heather snorted as Monica shook her head and smiled at her son. “It was very nice seeing the two of you today, I thought I wouldn’t see my little man for at least one more week.” She said, discreetly wiping a tear that threatened to escape her left eye.

Zack grinned. “See, Mom?” He asked with an eyebrow raised. “I think I remember telling you a long time ago that I know how to read minds.”

“Smartass!” Monica laughed. “Well, I still need to do my shopping, I’ll leave you two to yourselves,” She then hugged Zack again. “I’ll see you in a week, son, or sooner if you keep doing these little trips.”

Zack shook his head. “Ok, Mom, bye then.”

“Take care, both of you,” She waved to them. “Again, it was nice meeting you, Heather.”

“You too, Mrs. Bishop.” Heather replied just as the older brunette rounded the same shelf Zack had appeared from. She then turned to Zack and laughed. “Okay, Mr. ‘I’m carrying the heavy stuff’, let’s go.”

“It’s true!” Zack argued as Heather picked up the meat they would be buying.

While the young teens walked over to the front of the store, Monica observed them with a fond smile. She had to admit that when she got Taylor’s text earlier in the morning telling her to go to the grocery store near Bronze Square if she wanted to see her son with her future daughter-in-law, she was expecting the girl to be more blonde and her eyes to be of a greener color.

She knew very well her son had a huge crush on that girl Victoria, so she was surprised when she entered the store and found Heather instead. ”I wonder what changed.” She thought.

Monica always secretly hoped that Zack would fall in love with his best friend Chloe, seeing as the two of them always hit it off so well and she was very good friends with the girls’ parents, but she had to admit that very few times her son had looked happier than he seemed to be at Heather’s side, and she couldn’t even remember the last time.

They were young, so it was unpredictable how long it would last, but judging by how happy her son was around that girl, she now hoped with all her heart that Zachary and Heather remained together for a very long time.