Joe had finished his English homework by the time dinner was plated up, he put his books down before making his way into the living room sitting down at the table with his mother and Joan. He looked down at his plate still not recognising what was there, he was always willing to try new food though so picked up his fork tasting a bit discovering he liked it.
"It's stew and dumplings." Joan stated seeing his adventurous face.
"Your father and I used to feed you these all the time when you were a baby, you loved them and stewed pears." Dianna stated this time a smile on her face as she looked back at her memory. When she was looking after Joe. He was a good baby like he was a good boy now. It wasn't until he was eleven that she started to get ill.
"I think I could get used to having them again, they are yummy." Joe grinned the two of them laughing as they all took another bite.
"So Joe what do you want to do when your older?" Joan inquired.
"I wanted to be a doctor but I don't know if I have the brains to do that but I'm kinda of wanting to be a nurse. I haven't helped mom out all these years just because I've had to, I've enjoyed it as well knowing that she could barely get out of bed without my help." Joe expressed Dianna smiling, she didn't care what he wanted to be as long as he enjoyed it.
"I'm sure you have the brains to be a doctor but if nursing is what you want to do then go for it, I get the same feeling when I'm helping out families like yours every day." She explained. Joe didn't care that people don't think nursing is a manly job or not, it was what he wanted to do and he would do it. It was his choice and nobody else's.
After dinner Joe helped Joan wash up before he carried on with his homework. There was time to watch some TV on their small TV set before Joe headed off to bed. He knew that his mother was safe with Joan and that she would put her to bed when she was ready. Dianna didn't feel the need to go to bed early just so he son could get some sleep. She could get to know Joan who would be staying the night anyway and would both go to bed when they were ready.
"Good night Joseph." Dianna kissed his cheek as he leaned down giving her a hug.
"It's weird going to bed at this time, I don't know if I can get to sleep." He joked as he pulled back.
"I'm sure your that tired you'll just drop off." Joan decided Joe smiling.
"Thanks and goodnight." Joe made his way up the stairs slumping down on his bed after changing in some comfortable and warm pyjamas, they couldn't afford heating. Joe couldn't help but lay there and wonder what the future would be like for him and his mother. How long would Joan actually stay for before she couldn't stay no longer. Their lives would just go back to normal at that point.
Joe woke up around three in the morning hearing his mother screaming his name. He got up and darted out of the room before heading into his mother's room surprised when he saw everything in her room gone besides the furniture, he wondered back into his room seeing the same situation before making his way back into his mother's room.
"I-It was Joan, I caught her when she knocked something over, call the police." She whimpered Joe rushing to the phone calling the police telling them everything that his mother told him. He ran his fingers through his hair stood at the foot of the bed not believing that someone would do something like this. Especially when you could tell that they weren't well off.
"Joe," Dianna whispered Joe looking over at his mother laid on the bed. "She's taken everything, nana's broach, your father's engagement ring to me. Everything." She mumbled beginning to cry. Joe wrapped his arms around his mother as she cried gently into her.
"I'll find them one day mom, I promise." He whispered. They meant so much to her.
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