Single Mom // Michael Clifford.

23.

"Mom," Michael handed Annora to me and hugged Karen, it was such a beautiful sight, "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too," Karen smiled and then broke the hug, "Come in! I made your favorite Red Velvet Cake,"

Annora gasped, "Red vevet?" she asked.

"Aww, you must be Selita," Karen smiled at me and Annora, "and your beautiful daughter Annora,"

"Yeah, mom," Michael said, "My hot girlfriend and her annoying daughter,"

"Mommy," Annora whined and Michael chuckled, "I don't like him,"

"Michael, stop messing with her," Karen said, "You want cake, right?" she asked Annora.

"Yes! I want lots of cake!" Annora got down on the ground.

"Please don't mind her," I started to speak but Karen cut me off.

"Oh, shut up," She said, "Adults and their manners," 

"Oh, yeah," Michael said, "Selita loves peace and order," he mocked.

"That's not true," I defended myself, "I'm just saying, she eats like a monster,"

"She's been hanging out with Luke, duh," Michael sat down on the couch.

"He's cooler than you!" Annora fought back.

"Shut up," Michael rolled his eyes, "He gets his coolness from me,"

"No!" Annora looked genuinely offended, "He is really cool,"

"Calum is better!" Michael said.

"Ashton and Luke uncle are the best!" Annora challenged.

"Shut up, you don't know anything," Michael said.

"I know everything!" Annora spoke back.

"You're just a little kid," Michael mocked.

"I'm a big girl!" Annora said angrily.

I just gave a really sorry look to Karen and she smiled, she was so nice.

"How do you live with these idiots?" She asked me.

"It's a challenge," I laughed.

"Michael," Karen cleared her throat, "Why don't you serve Annora some cake and I'll have a conversation with Selita?"

"I'm going to UK tomorrow and I still have to work?" Michael whined.

Annora giggled, "Yesss, work for me! Give me food!"

Michael glared at her, "Go away, I don't wanna work for you,"

"This is why Luke uncle is cool," Annora shrugged, "Calum uncle and you eereetate me,"

"Eereetate?" Michael laughed, "Come loser, I'll serve you some cake," he picked Annora up and left the living room.

"Wow," Karen laughed, "Let's go upstairs? We'll be free from kids,"

I laughed and followed her.

"So, I see you met Michael 6 months back?" She asked.

I nodded, "Yeah, it was like... My best friend's dating Luke. She wanted me to introduce to Luke and that's how I met him,"

"He spoke about you a lot the first week," she smiled and sat down on the bed and offered me to sit as well, "He still talks about you,"

I blushed, I'm so ridiculous, I thought.

"He's really nice. He was really supportive through the time I told Annora how her dad is an asshole, and stuff.... I'm sorry for my language," I bit my lower lip.

"Don't be so shy!" She chuckled, "I'm glad he met someone like you, you know? He needed a stable relationship,"

I nodded, "But, I'm scared. I mean, he's a great guy but I feel all of this is too early for him. He has to take care of my kid, in some way. I feel... he deserves someone better, like, a whole person. I don't even give him all that much time. Somedays I'm just so caught up with Annora and I don't even text him back, and it's like.. he never complains. He's honestly too good for me,"

"I understand what you're saying," Karen replied, "It's scary. What's more scary is when you start trusting that person with your child and their future,"

I nodded, "Exactly!" I paused, "I mean, Michael is really nice, there's no doubt in that. But, he's a celebrity, in the end of the day. The traveling doesn't matter all that much, the thing that scares me the most is that ... what if he wakes up one day and thinks I'm not good enough? And realizes how much of a huge responsibility he has.. Like, Annora too! And that's the last thing I want. For him to think I'm a burden,"

"He'd never do that," Karen replied calmly, "Michael has had many girlfriends and trust me, he feels balanced with you. He's happy with you. I'm his mother and I'm not saying this only because of the fact that I'm his mother, I'm genuinely saying that he really loves you,"

I smile, "I love him too, but, after being through whatever I have, it's so hard for me to move on. It still feels like we're taking it too fast,"

"Oh, that's normal," She smiled back, "With Michael everything is fast and unpredictable, but he'd never leave you,"

"I'd never leave him too, to be honest,"

"What I don't understand is, why is he so happy if he's leaving tomorrow?" Karen asked.

"Oh," I answered, "Me, Annora and my mom are gonna go for one of the shows in UK, like a week later," 

"Oh, so he's not really doing this long distance thing?" Karen chuckled.

"He's asked me to visit him every week," I laughed.

"My kid is still a kid," She said.

"I love your kid," I said, it sounded really cringe. But it was true. And it was okay to be cringe, sometimes.