Popcorn Love by KL Hughes

forced her
reaction back down.
    “Oh, and classy bitches never sleep with a
dude on the first date.”
    “Absolutely.” Elena tipped her head in
satisfaction.
    It had been quite some time since Elena had laughed
this easily and naturally with another adult. Vivian was hilarious
and she often made Elena laugh, and of course her parents had their
moments, but Allison was an entirely different animal. It amazed
Elena how easily Allison pulled it out of her, the laughter and the
playfulness.
    “So, what was wrong with the guy?” Allison asked.
    Elena sighed and swiped a hand through her hair
again. It fell in gentle waves around her face. “What wasn’t wrong with him?”
    “That bad, huh?”
    “Well, for starters,” she said, “he was overly
confident, and unjustly so.”
    The curl of Allison’s lip made her disgust obvious.
“That annoys the hell out of me. My roommate dated a guy last year
who always tried to order for her, even at places like
McDonald’s.”
    “ Yes ,” Elena groaned, turning more toward
Allison. “That is exactly what he did, and I positively loathed it.
I can select my own meal, thank you very much!”
    “Right? Like, eat what you want, dude, but let me
order for myself. Oh, and why do guys always order a salad for
girls? What is that?”
    “Yes!” Taking a quick sip of her coffee, Elena
cleared her throat and then mimicked Brice’s snotty voice as she
said, “Oh, and the lady will have a side salad.”
    Allison snorted. “Did you eat it anyway?”
    “Oh no,” Elena replied, letting a wicked smile grace
her lips. “I didn’t even let him finish the order. I dismissed his
and placed my own.”
    “Seriously?” Allison clapped her approval. “That’s
great. I bet he felt like such an idiot.”
    “Oh, oh!” Elena added, suddenly finding herself
rather enjoying this, absorbed entirely in the exchange. “He then proceeded to imply during the car ride home that I
refused his order because I am unaccustomed to being pampered !”
    Allison brought her middle finger up to her mouth and
mock-gagged herself on it.
    “Exactly. I didn’t even bother replying.”
    “I wouldn’t have either. The guy sounds like a
douche. What was his name?”
    “Brice.”
    “ Brice? ” Allison grimaced. “Even his name sounds douche-y.”
    Elena smiled. “Now you’re just trying to make me feel
better.”
    “As long as it’s working.” Allison winked.
    Elena ducked her head a bit as she took another sip
of coffee. “It is,” she said quietly, like it was an admission.
“Thank you.”
     
    * * *
     
    “Don’t worry,” Allison said, awkwardly patting
Elena’s arm as they lingered by the front door. “I’m sure the next
date will be better.”
    “One can only hope.” Elena chuckled. She handed
Allison several bills that she had pulled from her purse before
walking the babysitter to the door, and Allison stared wide-eyed
down at the money.
    “Whoa, no.” She pushed the money back toward Elena.
“That’s way too much.”
    Elena reached out to curl Allison’s fingers around
the cash. “You earned it.” She squeezed Allison’s hand before
releasing it. “Please take it.”
    Sighing, Allison nodded. “Well, thank you.
Really.”
    “Thank you .” The warm night air rushed in as
she opened the door.
    When she was halfway out, Allison turned and shifted
from foot to foot as she adjusted her backpack. “So, I’ll see you
soon, right?”
    Elena nodded. “I will call when I need you
again.”
    “Okay then.” Feet shuffling, she offered Elena her
signature little wave, muttering, “Goodnight.”
    Elena leaned her head against the door. “Goodnight
Allison,” she said softly, standing in the doorway until Allison
was long out of sight.
     
     

Chapter Five

    Hazy eyes fluttered slowly open and began to focus.
Elena chuckled low in her throat, the sound muffled and raw from
sleep, as she came face to face with her son. He lay in her bed,
curled up in a ball beside her with his