Cater to the Stars (Niall Horan Fan Fiction)

Chapter Fourteen - Mother

"May I help you?" I asked as I adjusted the tiny seat turtles on top of the fresh baked cupcakes in the display case. The turquoise frosting made them seem as if it were supposed to be an ocean for the turtle to explore.

"Hello, my love." A female voice said to me. I stiffened and stood upright to make sure the person speaking was exactly who I thought it was.

I looked up to find the bright red lipstick and cheap purple eyeshadow covering her withering face. The ridiculous outfit she wore was enough to drive away any business I would ever have. A hideous polka dotted skirt with a blue zebra print blouse, it made me want to puke.

Claire came and his behind me, she hadn't seen this woman in three years, since I was kicked out of the house. Since she kicked me out, my father had been kind enough to give me this job, but she was ridiculously religious. "Hello, mother." I said coldly.

Claire pulled on the bottom of my shirt, I bent down to her level and she whispered a question in my ear. "Is that grandmother?" She asked and his behind my legs just a bit more, her tiny hands gripping the fabric of my jeans tightly.

I took a deep breath and nodded before standing up again. "What do you want now, mother?" I asked, my resentment of her had only grown since she made me leave home.

My father was the only person I could actually talk to in that house. I knew he was the one that sent Claire's birthday cards every year, his messy handwriting gave that away. My mother hadn't spoken to me since that day she gave me my two suitcases, containing everything I had ever owned in that house, and pushed me out the door in a fiery rage. The only reason she didn't kick me out when she found out was because I told her Adam would take care of Claire and I, but I didn't want to leave home.

My father knew Adam had left the moment I told him I was pregnant, he never saw anything in that boy. I have no idea what posessed me to even date him in the first place, those eyes, or his smile, maybe it was the way I could talk to him about everything I was feeling. Thinking about it, he reminded me of Niall, he made me feel wonderful and happy, but Adam couldn't make me angry in a matter of seconds.

"I've seen you in the papers, You've found somebody else to latch onto. Well, if the tabloids tell me correctly, then you have three." I could hear the disgust on her voice, she hated the fact that I thought I could date multiple people, she always believed in monogamy and not messing around, then again, she thought I should be married by my twenty-second birthday.

I sighed and picked up Claire who, in turn, buried her face in my hair. "Yes, I'm dating again and I can do what I want because I'm an adult." I replied calmly, but sternly.

My mother let out a shrill laugh that pierced my ears with so much intensity I thought my brain might burst. "Darling, I came to ask when you're going to settle down, actually start a family instead of dilly-dallying around here with your father's shop. You need to think of Claire-bear and how this affects her." Her smile was obviously fake as she looked at my daughter, she resented my "mistake" and could never get over it.

"I've made this business a success, mind you, and I won't have you telling what to do with my life! I'm twenty years old and Claire is going to start kindergarten in a few weeks. She'll be five in February, and I don't need you to help me with finding a husband!" I nearly shouted at her, nearly, I only raised my voice a few decibels.

She closed her mouth, I knew how stubborn she was in reality, but this was a public place and the lunch crowd was just beginning to roll in. My mother left in haste, spouting her hotel name at me before disappearing from my sight.

The encounter ruined my day, Claire seemed only slightly affected by it. She kept asking me about what she needed before starting school, what supplies she needed, how much I was willing to spend on new clothes, when we could actually go shopping. She was adorable.