AR - Gurlberg

It’s nice not to have anything too urgent to do, but you are still bound by your contract, and you get constant texts from Tiff checking up on you. She doesn’t trust Pink Team to be responsible during the break.

But there’s nothing especially irresponsible about eating breakfast. It’s Florida, so it’s not that cold even in November. You sit with Adella outside the coffee shop across from her apartment. Well… your contract says you aren’t supposed to have a second muffin, but Tiff’s not going to know. It’s early. The place has just opened, and the only customers are getting coffee to go on their way to work. Nobody’s sitting except for you two.

Adella has to work today, but you also have to work out, so you are timing your visit to the gym to coincide with the end of her shift. You will see her this afternoon.

Thanksgiving is coming, so a lot of the students from the university will be going home soon. The town will feel empty with no students around. After you eat, you don’t see any cops around, so you risk a smooch on the sidewalk before you head home.

You find your mom in the kitchen in her robe, cooking. It smells great.

“Hungry?” she asks, glancing at you.

“I better not. I just had muffins. I’ll take some of this.” You get a mug and help yourself to the fresh pot of coffee before going over to her and leaning against the counter as she cooks, flipping thick slices of French toast. You’re wearing your clothes from yesterday, but it’s not like your mom didn’t know what you had in mind when you left last night.

“Did you have a good night?” she asks dryly.

“Of course,” you say, blushing a little.

“Good. Are you gonna move in together?”

“God. I don’t know. This whole situation is weird. I don’t know if she even wants to be here.”

Your mom nods, flipping the toast. “She likes it in America. And she likes you,” she says.

“Have you two been hanging out?”

“I wouldn’t call it that. But I tried to keep an eye on her. She speaks good English, but it’s not easy to just suddenly try to make it in another country.” Your mom smiles at you. “Do you know how to get set up with utilities? How to get an American motorcycle license? Could you have told her that stuff?”

“No,” you admit. “She wants a motorcycle?”

“Apparently. I made the mistake of taking her to meet the Free Gurls.”

“Mom, what were you doing there?”

“Uh, my best friend runs it, remember?”

“But that’s kind of separate from the gang, right?”

Your mom shrugs. “It’s a bar where I can drink for free,” she says.

“And get hit on all night. Mom, I didn’t know you went there.”

“Well, that’s the problem. They were all over Adella.”

“Trying to make me jealous?” you ask.

“No. I’m just saying that’s where she got the idea, and it’s my fault.”

You both look up at a slight creak from upstairs.

“Your sister’s awake,” your mom says, flipping the toast onto a plate.