Write. Eat. Repeat.

Chapter 4: Cheddar

I cried myself to sleep last night—the last time I did that was the day I was supposed to get married. I'm having one of those "I need my mom" moments, she always makes me feel better. I tap the counter, the phone wedged between my shoulder and ear, as I wait for her to pick up.

After the forth ring I'm about to end the call, then she finally answers. "Ava?" her voice is groggy, like she just woke up. "It's 4:30am, are you okay?"

I fight back the tears I only recently managed to stop. "Sorry, I forgot the time difference, I can call back."

"No, it's fine sweetheart, let me get up." There's a rustling over the line. I grab an apple, and make my way to the couch, curling my pink booties under my legs. Through the line, there's the click of mom lighting the stove, and the sound of water filling a kettle.

"What's wrong, sweetie?"

I sniff into the phone. "Do you have that recipe for my article today?"

"I do, and we both know you didn't call me this early for a recipe." She's quiet on the other end, waiting for me to share.

"It's Br...I'm having a hard time with...Mom, he came back."

"I see," she says.

"And now I'm all confused again, and a part of me wanted to go with him, but my article is doing so well and I'm getting my very first cover. And—"

"And those are all excuses."

My mouth drops. That is the very last thing I expected her to say. "Excuses?"

She sighs. "Do you love him?"

"I—uh? I..."

Her kettle starts to whistle and I listen as she gets up and pours a cup.

"Love is a special thing, Ava. You don't get many chances for love in one lifetime."

"But...what about Brains over Boys. You're always telling me—"

A voice comes over the line—and it's not my mother's, it's a man's, "Hey, what are you doing up?"

"I'm just talking with, Ava. I'll be back soon," Mom says in a tone I've never heard from her. It's almost happy sounding.

"Do you have someone over?" I ask.

"Yes?" the male voice says cheekily, "do you?"

Mom giggles, and I pull my phone back and stare, making sure I have the right number. It's like I'm in the middle of the Twilight Zone.

"Ava," she says with a heavy breath, as if she was just kissing. "I met someone."

"Y-ou met someone?"

"Yes, and we've gotten quite serious about each other."

"But y-ou met someone?"

"Yes," she repeats. "I was waiting for the right time to tell you."

"How do you meet someone? You! You always tell me Brains—"

"Over Boys, I know. In hindsight that wasn't probably the best advice. John's been showing me how relationships can be different."

"John?" Even the way she says his name is intimate. "Different? How?"

"That you can do what you love, with who you love. The right person doesn't demand a sacrifice. Brains and Boys."