This Woman's Work

Chapter 2

He arrived at the bakery the next day, dressed casually in a white t shirt, black jeans and white trainers and waited for someone to instruct him. He looked up as the door opened and the owner's daughter walked in, completely absorbed in her own world as she grabbed an apron and tied it around her.

"Erm excuse me," Caleb said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. She jumped "Sorry I didn't mean to scare you. I'm Caleb, our mom's are friends."

Her eyes widened in realisation "Oh so you're the guy that takes drugs and goes to wild parties am I right?" She asked mockingly

"Yeah, you could say that. Your mom said I could work here"

"Look, I'm going to be honest here, I'm not exactly leaping for joy that you're going to be working here. You might have some whole tragic story as to why you're here but as long as you work hard and don't ruin our reputation we might get along. I'll give you a chance but you have to work hard to earn my respect alright?" She said not unkindly but with assertiveness that let him know where he stood.

"That sounds fair. So what's your name?"

"Morowa O'Brien, nice to meet you" She said offering her hand.

"I'm Caleb Leon. Where do I start?"

"I'll need to show you the ropes before the customers come in. It's morning so we'll be busy" She told him tying her hair up before leading him over to the coffee machine. She managed to teach him the basics in between the morning rush and while he initially struggled slightly he began to get used to it. He looked over at Morowa often, checking that he was doing things right, not wanting her to think bad of him or for him to mess up. He'd not known her for long even though their mom's had been friends for a while yet he couldn't help but respect her and hope that they'd get on. She was interesting and he hoped to bring her out of her shell a little. She seemed friendly just a little wary of him due to some of his actions and he understood that. It wasn't many people's wish to associate with drug users but he was grateful that she was giving him a chance.

He'd never used to take drugs but when he'd hit 18 and wild parties happened every weekend it was hard to ignore how prevalent the drug scene was and while he'd initially refused to get involved eventually he couldn't ignore the temptation and slipped silently into their world. He'd always been smart at school, academia had always been kind to him, he'd been popular, sporty and had always wanted to play in a band. His parents had been so proud but when he'd been introduced to the drug scene his pride in himself diminished and by the time he realised it, he was in too deep. Caleb was well aware of the dangers and serious health risks taking such substances posed but he lived for the buzz, that thrill that rushed through his veins, relished it even. He craved the spike in his blood pressure and the adrenaline that coursed through his blood.

There would be another party at the weekend and he had decided to attend though his conscience was screaming at him to decline. The thrumming bass lines, flashing lights and intoxicating atmosphere was too much to resist. He knew that it would have to be discreet, hidden from his parents but he promised himself that this would be the last time then he would focus on recovering and creating a life for himself. Not just for his parents but for him. Maybe he would try and learn how to play the guitar and drums like he'd always wanted and start a band like he'd always dreamed about. A smile lit up his face. Music was his escape, a release from the pressures of the real world. He couldn't wait.

Author's Note: Hey guys, thanks for reading the second chapter of This Woman's Work I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you all so much for your lovely comments on the previous chapters. Please vote and comment, constructive criticism is always welcome too. Thanks again, bye for now.