A Write Kind of Love by Gravity 721
Chapter 12 by Gravity 721
Chapter 12


There never was anything good on, over nine hundred channels and not a damn thing on. How in the hell was that possible? Sighing in frustration, she stood and went to her DVD collection, trying to find something remotely interesting to watch. She’d watched them all over and over, the excitement was gone. Veronica swiped one anyway and started the player, popping the disc in and picking up the remote and flipped through all the boring crap in the beginning. Making her way into the kitchen, she made herself some popcorn got a drink and walked back into the living room.

Slumping down on couch, she set her drink down and munched loudly on her popcorn. Her thoughts wandered already, she should call up Lynne and see what she was up to on a Saturday afternoon, knowing her she probably wasn’t home. Veronica hated living alone, part of her wanted a roommate, but then again, she liked the freedom to do what she wanted, her independence was so important to her, having someone there would stifle that. Ok, so maybe she didn’t hate it, but there were times she wished she had someone here to talk to, someone that she could rely on to be there when needed, but also let her have her space. She couldn’t be tied down.

Veronica tried to focus her attention back on the movie, but still found it hard. She could be writing, reading, something she’d actually be interested in doing, but here she was watching a movie. She needed to be inspired to write something, and she wasn’t. Looking at the clock, she decided to call her Mom, it’d been a while since they last talked. Grabbing the cordless, she dialed and waited for her Mom to pick up.

“Hello?”

“Hey Mom.”

“Hi honey, what’s up?”

“Just thought I’d call and see how you were, if you were ok and all.”

“I’m fine, just getting ready to go out and do some hair.”

“Oh, I won’t keep you long. Got any plans for the weekend or whatever?”

“Well, I’m supposed to be going out with some ladies from work out to dinner and then a movie or something, I just hope I feel up to it.”

“You should go Mom, you always said you wanted to get out more.”

“I know, but I’m just so tired when I get home from work I just don’t feel like doing anything.”

“I know.”

“But anyway, how are things with you?”

“Pretty good, work is a pain, but you know how that is.”

“If you’re unhappy, get another job.”

“I know Mom, but I’d have to start over and I really don’t wanna do that.”

“I know honey, but ya gotta do what makes ya happy or else why bother?”

“Cause I need the money.”

“Well, it’s up to you Veronica, but you have to ask yourself how long you can put up with it.”

“Yeah.”

Her Mom sighed, yawning, “I’m gonna let ya go, I’ve gotta get going before I fall asleep on this couch.”

“I’m that boring huh?”

Her Mom laughed, “No, I’m always tired, you know that. So I’ll call you later then?”

“Ok, take care Mom and get some sleep please.”

“I will, love you!”

“Love you too, bye.”

“Bye.”

Veronica hung up and frowned, setting the phone on the couch next to her. Her Mom did so much that she worried that she was going to make herself sick. Besides working her full time job, she also did hair on the side. She was absolutely exhausted when she got home; Veronica remembered many a time her Mom fell asleep on the couch while watching TV. It just didn’t seem right for her to be so tired all the time; she worried consistently that there was something serious wrong. Reaching out, she went for her glass, when the phone rang. Brushing her hands off, she picked it up and turned it on. “Hello?”

“Well hello.”

Her heart dropped, “Hi Dad.”

“Am I bothering you?”

“No no, of course not. Just watching a movie.”

“Oh, well I won’t bother you for too long.”

She sighed, always the same thing where he was concerned. “Dad, you’re not bothering me, I don’t hear from you enough to bother me.”

“Well, I got the impression that I was bugging you.”

“You’re not, so what’s up?”

“Same ole thing, sick as ever.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Don’t worry bout me.”

Veronica rolled her eyes; she hated when he did that, “What’s wrong Dad? Seriously?”

“I said never mind, enough about me, what about you? You still working at the deli?”

She groaned. She knew where this was going already. “Yes Dad.”

He sighed, “You’ve got a college degree and you’re just working in a deli. Don’t you think you’re a little more advanced than that?”

“I know Dad, but I wanna save up first and…”

“That’s what you’re always saying. I just hate to think that you’re wasting away in that job. You could be out there on computers, ya know they make a lot of money.”

“I know Dad.”

“I don’t understand why you gave them up.”

“I didn’t give up anything, I took the courses, I just switched my major. Computers take a lot of Math, you know I’ve never been good at it.”

“I know.”

“So I can still do it, it’s just not my main focus.”

“So what do you plan on doing with writing?”

“Not sure, it’s hard to get published and all. But there’s quite a few things I can get into, I just have to look a bit.”

“And you dropped out of college.”

“I graduated, I’m just taking some time off.”

“You shouldn’t do that, you’ll never go back.”

She could feel her anger rising fast, “Dad, you said that before when I took a semester off and yet I went right back.”

He grew quiet, “Yeah, I know. I don’t see why you don’t come down here to work, they’ve got lots of openings for people with computer experience and with the schooling you’ve had, you could get a job where you make a good amount of money. You can even live with me.”

He wanted her down there all right, so he could control her, no way. “I don’t think so Dad.”

“What, you’re too good to be here with me? Is someone telling you not to?”

“No Dad, no one’s telling me anything.”

“Uh huh.”

“If you mean Mom then you’re wrong.”

“Hey, I didn’t say anything.”

“But that’s what you meant wasn’t it?”

“Forget it.”

“Just say it.”

“Never mind, I don’t wanna get into it and I don’t wanna upset you.”

“You’re not upsetting me.”

“Yeah well, I’ll let you go, I don’t wanna bother you.”

“You’re not bothering me, you don’t call me enough to bother me.”

“I don’t cause I figured you didn’t want to talk to me, or that maybe someone was telling you not to.”

“Dad…”

“I’m sorry, sorry, forget I said anything.”

She sighed heavily, rolling her eyes.

“Anyway, I just wanted to see how you were. Look into getting a new job, and hey, got a boyfriend yet?”

“No Dad, not yet.”

“Why not?”

“Dad, we go through this every time you call me, the answer hasn’t changed.”

“But a pretty girl like you with no boyfriend, that’s just not right.”

“It’s ok Dad, I’m in no huge rush to be with anyone, if it happens it happens.”

“Yeah, but I wanna be a Grandpa.”

“Dad, I’m twenty four, I’m not ready for marriage let alone a child.”

“Twenty four is old enough, don’t you wanna get married? I wanna walk you down the aisle.”

“I know Dad, but I’ve got plenty of time for that. There’s other things I’m focused on right now.”

“Like?”

“Like getting a career established and becoming more stable.”

“Well having a family will do that.”

“Dad, I don’t need a husband to be happy or to live, it’ll be ok if I never get married or have kids.”

“Come on, all girls want to be Moms and wives.”

“Dad…”

“Ok ok, I’m stopping.”

She shook her head, taking calming breaths, she was getting annoyed and frustrated with him quickly.

“I know I’ve upset you, I’ll just hang up now, I don’t mean to bother you.”

He did it every time and now was no exception, that feeling of guilt set in. “Fine.”

“Ok, then I’ll talk to you later.”

“Ok, love you.”

“Love you too.”

She hung up and set the phone back down, looking at the bowl of popcorn, setting it aside, suddenly she felt nauseous. Maybe he was right, but god she wasn’t ready to be in a relationship right now, it just wasn’t high on her list of priorities in life. He never could understand that and he knew what buttons to push to make her feel guilty about what she did in life be it in school, in work or just in life in general. He wanted her to be what he wanted, and she wasn’t and she consistently felt guilty for it. When she’d told him she wanted to write, he told her she’d never said anything to him about it. She had, she’d said something to him times and times before, but he just wouldn’t listen, he was so set on her going into the computer field, he wasn’t hearing anything else. When she changed her major, he was more than disappointed which made her feel bad.

And she felt bad now, she felt like she let him down all the time. Reaching out, she turned the movie off and stood, bringing the barely touched popcorn and drink into the kitchen and dumping them both out before going into her room. She could write now.


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