“Got any plans for when Eli goes to school?”
I looked around the kitchen for an answer. I had been thinking of getting a job, but just the thought of approaching that subject with Max had me breaking out into a sweat.
“What about getting a job?” Corey asked.
“Maybe,” I whispered.
“Kay, you’re twenty-two, there’s more to life than just being a mom.”
“I know that,” I sat up straighter.
I knew there was and I knew that I wanted more for me and Eli than to stay in this rundown apartment. But how was I meant to achieve that? Max would never let me get a job. Countless times he would say, ‘your job is to be here, as and when I say’.
“Look, I haven’t got long left,” he murmured something to somebody before saying, “Let me give you my buddy’s number, I hear he’s looking for some office help”
I searched for a pen and ripped a scrap of paper from the corner of a bill and jotted down the number as he reeled it off.
“How are you?” I asked before he got off.
“I’m good, sis. Be home in a few months,” I breathed a sigh of relief.
“I miss you.”
“I miss you too,” he choked out “Take care of my nephew.”
“I will.”
“And yourself.” I didn’t answer that time.
“Love you.”
“Love you too, lil sis.”
The line went dead, I pulled the cell from my ear and dropped it to the table. The smile on my face uncontrollable.
Chapter Two
Come Monday morning, I was a nervous wreck, I’d spent every moment cherishing Eli. Knowing that I wouldn’t see him for a few hours felt unbearable. I’d never been away from him for more than a few minutes at a time or on the odd occasion that Max would take me out.
He was busy though so that wasn’t often.
Working a full day at the local garage, he would then wind down for a couple of hours at the end of the day in the bar across the road.
He deserved to do that, after all he was the only one working. Which brought me to the same conclusion; if I was earning money maybe things would get better.
I hadn’t decided what I was going to do with the number that Corey had given me. I could feel it burning a hole in my pocket; it hadn’t been out of there all weekend as I didn’t want to risk Max seeing it.
I had to make a decision. Soon.
I strapped Eli in his seat and jumped into the driver’s side.
Eli talked all the way there, while I couldn’t bring myself to say much more than ‘hmmm’ or ‘yeah’.
I pulled up in front of the preschool, the windows covered in a painted jungle scene. It had only taken us about ten minutes to get here from the apartment. I’d only been here once for a meet and greet and Eli had loved it. The teachers seemed nice.
Eli needed to be with other children, being with just me wasn’t enough. He needed to make friends his own age, he needed to play and to be silly. Having your mom as your only friend was kind of sad. Luckily, Max had agreed with me that he needed to get out from under my wings. Though he didn’t say it in quite that way.
I clutched the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white as I stared at the door.