"Mom, can you at least hurry up? I'll be late for my ball practice" called my little boy from the living room.

"I'm coming Troy, be patient" I yelled towards him. "Just like his father" I mumbled to myself while shaking my head.

"I'm Janelle Hughes. A twenty-one year old single parent in school studying to become a social worker; temporarily working at Walmart, and boy it's not easy to- "

"MOM!" Troy shouted impatiently.

"I'm coming Troy" I raised my voice once more, coming out from my room.

"I'm ready now, let's go."

"Finally. Just hold up a sec, I need to put on my shoes."

"So you weren't completely ready and you were rushing me."

"I am ready, I just have to put on my shoes" I kissed my teeth at his sense of logic. He grabbed his basketball that happened to be beside the front door and walked outside as I followed behind him, locking the door.

We waited for the elevator which soon arrived.. it wasn't long before we were heading down to the basement of the building to retrieve the car.

As we drove the car out from the basement, something struck me.

"Troy did I make you lunch?" I asked hoping the feeling I was getting was wrong.

"No, but-"

"We have to go back upstairs Troy"

"Noo! It's too late now!" He whines. "Troy! You have to take something to practice" I state about to park a couple blocks away from the building.

"But there's no food at home anyways" he complained, causing me to sigh deeply as I continued to drive. I was hoping to approach a nearby McDonald's in sight.

I spotted one at the closest plaza by Troy's gym, I parked the car in front of the eatery while Troy began cheesing.

"Yay! McDonald's!" he joyfully exclaimed. I chuckled, shaking my head. We walked in to a not-so-busy McDonald's, the lines were quite small so that was good.

Once it was our turn to order, I looked down at Troy.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Happy meal" he answered.

"Troy you're six years old, a happy meal? Really?"

"Yes."

"Okay, fine. Happy meal it is" I told the cashier looking up to her beautiful dark skinned complexion. She had her hair in a long, straight ponytail.. throwing on a nice smile with her pearly white teeth.

"What kind?" She asks.

"The hamburger" she types the order in. "Your total comes out to $5.10." She gave me my receipt and I pulled out my wallet, just about to pay for the food when a man came up beside me and offers to pay for it.

I awkwardly looked up beside me and it was Craig, I managed to give him a fake grin and mumbled "Thank you." I grabbed a hold of Troy's hand to maneuver to the area where you waited to receive your food.

Craig approached us shortly after. "You're welcome" he said slickly. I mentally rolled my eyes.

"Hi" he bends down to Troy's level.

"Hi. Thank you for paying for my food."

"That's no problem, what's your name?" He smiles.

"Troy. Troy Hughes" he replies smiling, Craig smiles at Troy and looks up at me for a second with a straight face, before turning his attention back to Troy.

"Where you going with that big bag?" He tickled Troy's stomach while Troy giggled uncontrollably.

"Basketball practice, because I'm going to be a basketball player. I want to be like Stephen Curry one day."

"Wow!" Craig responded to Troy as if it were the most amusing thing that he's ever heard. "I'm sure you'll be better" he winked, getting up. The food had finally arrived and I pulled Troy beside me as I exited from out of the fast food restaurant.

"Ay, can you chill?" Craig asked me irritatedly, following us for whatever reason.

"I am chill. I'm only in a rush, now good bye" I opened the car door for Troy, closing it as he was secured into the back seat. I got inside the car into the driver's seat and sped off.

"Troy what have I told you about talking to strangers?"

"I was only trying to be nice."

"Do you know who that man is?"

"No."

"Exactly. Therefore, he's a stranger to you. You don't go telling your business to strangers. A simple hello and thank you is good enough. Do you understand me?"

"Yes!" he spats at me "Yes what Troy?" I raised my voice, reminding him of my authority as his mother.

"Yes ma'am" he said more respectfully.

I dropped him off and then I headed to school. I was a student attending Everett Collage. As I walked in one of my classes, my class mate Delilah was coming out of the washroom, she turned and looked at me, almost about to laugh.

"You're late.. again."

"Delilah you know that I have a so-"

"I know-" she says almost irritated. "It's just you know they don't tolerate lateness here and you will get kicked out if you don't stop this nonsense" she continued as I sighed, knowing that she was right.

"C'mon let's go" she patted my back.

I couldn't help being late on a daily basis, I had no help, I was on my own. Troy's practices usually start around 7:30 in the morning and school for me starts not too long after that. Before I can get Troy out of bed to get ready, time has passed.. not to even begin with the McDonald's incident that happened today, like honestly I'm doing my best with absolutely no help.
___

The bell rang indicating the dismissal of school for the day. I hopped out my seat that I've been in for the pass three hours and proceeded in the direction towards my car. I drove off the school scene, on my way to the mall, it was only two in the afternoon and I was starving.

I went to the food court first and got a bite from A&W and got a little something for Troy there too. I walked over to an empty two seated table and sat down ready to devour the my papa burger when someone hovered over me, I looked up and acknowledged Craig. "Ugh" I rolled my eyes disgustedly.

"You mind if I sit?" he asked with a cold drink in his hand. I didn't even reply, praying that he got the hint to leave me alone.. but unfortunately, he didn't get the memo. Instead, he sits down directly in front of me eager to spark up a conversation.

"Uh.. yea I mind. What do you want?" I spat at him, giving him no room for comfort.

"I just wanted to talk to you Janelle."

"As you can clearly see.. I'm eating, and I don't have time to converse with you sir."

"Janelle, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing I'm fine" I said, watching him shake his head.

"Well, I just came from Philadelphia and I was wondering if I could have Troy over for the weekend" he looked a bit hopeful. Ha. That's funny.

"Is that why you bought him McDonald's as a way to bribe me to let him come over to your place?" I raised an eyebrow.

"No Janelle, he's my son and-"

"Listen, he doesn't even know you, that's your fault."

"Exactly my point, I want him to know me. Janelle I want him to know he has a father-"

"That doesn't care? No Craig, MY son Troy Hughes will not be spending the weekend with you. You don't even know how he grew up to this point" I almost yelled, he sighed softly looking away from me, feeling ashamed of disowning his child.

"I'm going to be in town for a month, I hope you can change your mind about this" he looked at me with hurt written all over his face as he gets up and leaves.

That's just funny for him to actually think I'm going to change my mind. My answer to his offer is NO and no it will remain.

I slid out my phone to check for the time and it was 2:45 almost 3:00, the time Troy usually closes from his practice - program. I packed my uneaten burger and placed it away in my bag, quickly rushing the small fries that came alongside it. I took my drink with me to the car.

As I got into the car, I turned on the radio and I'm Every Woman by Whitney Houston came on. I turned up the volume and sang along feeling somewhat relieved at all the stress I've been through on my own.

I arrived at the program and there sat Troy waiting for me.

"Hey baby." I greeted him warmly.

"Hi mommy. What took you so long?"

"Traffic, but I'm here now, let's go" I took his hand and took him outside to the car and we got in.

"Hey! You went to A&W without me" he whined. He did that a lot.

I searched my bag for the chicken nuggets and small fries I had got him, once I finally found it, I handed it to him.

"Just nuggets?" I looked over at him in disbelief. "Hey you should be glad I even thought to get you something, when I could have just saved my money. Be grateful. What are you supposed to say Troy?"

"Thank you mommy" he pouted.

"Mhm, that's better. You have to have some manners Troy" he looked sort of sad as he ate the fries , and one thing I hated was to see Troy sad. I sighed at the thought that I might be spoiling him, taking out my papa burger and giving it to him for a trade of his nuggets. His face instantly lit up.

"Thank you mommy!" he cheesed, leaving the fries to digest the burger, I chuckled and the started up the car's engine.

This boy, my son, is my life.

A/n: hope you enjoyed this chapter, please remember to
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