Serenity

Twenty One

"D, we need to talk," my mother said coming into my room and sitting on the bed. Her brown eyes looked sad, but also full of concern.

"What's wrong?" I asked, sitting up on my bed. I knew she was about to bring some bad news by the look on her face and the energy surrounding her, but I wasn't sure what it could be.

She took a deep breath before she began to speak. She ran her slender hands through her brown, relaxed, shoulder length hair.

"Your dad didn't get the job permanently. They had a change in management and ownership of the company, and they fired a lot of the workers, something about rebranding. He was one of them ," she finally said.

"What?" I asked immediately frowning up.

I watched as my mother shook her head. Thin wrinkled lines were forming on my mother's face. Overall she just looked stressed and tired. She looked older than what she really was.

"He found out today."

"Where is he?" I asked wondering if he was too ashamed to come home and deliver this news to me himself.

"I don't know. He texted me and told me, and I haven't heard anything from him since. He's upset. Knowing him, he's at a bar somewhere."

"So what does this mean for us?"

I know it wasn't my dad's fault that he'd lost his job, but this family had also lost so much on his account. My mother had believed in him so much that she was willing to keep quitting her job and finding a new one. I had to keep leaving schools and all my close friends behind.

"I honestly don't know yet, Diamante'. I won't know until your dad comes home and we talk about it."

"Are we going to have to move again?'

"I don't know. Maybe, maybe not."

"I'm sorry, but if that's what y'all plan on doing, then I'm not coming," I said getting an attitude with my mother unintentionally. It wasn't her fault, but I was starting to not be able to contain my anger surrounding this situation.

"And exactly what do you think you're going to do?" She asked frowning up at me. "You don't know anybody. We don't have any family here. Where are you going to live?"

"I don't know. I'll get a job and get a small apartment or something. I refuse to keep uprooting my life because of this. It's selfish of him to think we oughta do that. What about you? Why don't you have a say!"

I realized I was angry at my mom because she never stood up for herself against my dad. She just let him do whatever. She couldn't have wanted this for our family, but it was kind of her fault too the reason we ended up here.

"Diamante', you need to watch your tone. I didn't come tell you this to argue with you. I told you this so that you could be aware of what was going on. If you think you're adult enough to manage on your own, then I encourage you to do that."

She got up from my bed and left my room without another word.

I let out a long sigh and grabbed my phone. I had one unread message from Isaiah.

Isaiah: You busy? I wanna see you if that's ok.

I quickly responded telling him that I wasn't busy and soon he answered back saying he wanted to come pick me up.

***

"What's wrong? You've been quiet the entire time," Isaiah asked, looking at me.

We sat in his car in a drive-in restaurant waiting for our food to arrive. I wasn't really in the mood to eat, though.

"There's just a lot on my mind."

"Like what?"

I wasn't for sure if I should tell him, considering the fact that I didn't know him that well yet. I didn't really like telling people my business.

"Well, there's a possibility that I might have to move again," I said, sparing the details.

"Already? Didn't you just move here?"

I nodded my head and looked out of the window. I thought about what I had told my mom earlier about surviving on my own out here. I was just speaking out of anger. I didn't know if I could actually do it.

"Cheer up."

Isaiah placed his hand under my chin and turned my face toward him so that I was looking him directly in the eye.

"Have some faith. You don't know for sure, so there's also a possibility that you'll get to stay," he said giving me a half smile.

"Now put a smile on that pretty face," he said, making me blush. "That's more like it."

"How do you stay positive?" I asked. It was hard for me to remain hopeful with the things that had been thrown my way recently. Maybe I could learn a thing or two from him.

"Well, where I come from, I didn't really have a choice but to remain hopeful. Things were hard, and I didn't always know what would come next, but my grandma always told me that the bad times don't last forever," he said.

Soon, our food arrived, and things were quieter between us as we ate. We sat and talked for a few more minutes afterwards, and then Isaiah finally drove me home.

"Thanks for getting me out of the house for a little while. I needed it."

"The pleasure was all mine," he smiled. "Maybe next time we see each other you'll be in a better mood."

"If there is a next time," I said. I could be gone tomorrow morning.

"What did I just say about being positive," Isaiah playfully nudged my shoulder.

"Sorry," I apologized. "Next time."

Isaiah stayed in the driveway until I got inside of the house. I waved at him as he backed out and headed home.

Suddenly feeling the weight of today's events, I sluggishly climbed the stairs to my bedroom where I changed into my pajamas and retired for the night.