"Why don't you listen to me for once!" Monica was shouting at her mother as she put another set of cupcakes into the oven. "I've told you like a thousand times to shut this thing, and you? You never once listen."

I stood at the entrance eavesdropping on the mother daughter conversation. I knew how much Monica disliked the coffee shop to be run by her old mother taking up the responsibility when she could be resting.

Mira, on the other hand was a workaholic, who wanted to do something than sit still even in her old years. She wanted her years to be full of life and no one ever understood why.

"What's wrong with me sitting here than in front of the television anyways?" Mira questioned. "I get to meet a lot of teenagers which makes me feel young."

I snorted, unable to control at the scenes which revealed in front of me. Both the ladies looked at me in surprise. I was earlier than the time I said I would be there.

After the short encounter with the race I was being challenged in a few days, I walked home with Rob trailing behind me, who carried my grocery bags. We talked some more regarding the race, with him giving me all the strategies to win, though I was sure I would forget them all just because of my nerves. Yet, I sat with him, nodding my head every now and then, making sure that he knew I understood.

Since I had not visited the coffee shop for the last two days properly, I decided to head there instead. Once, Rob left me asking me to be there at practice promptly, I headed to the shop which smelled of coffee.

"Look, she's laughing at your idealistic goals and she is a teenager!" Monica exaggerated waving her hands in the air in a poor attempt to make her mother understand. "Just listen to what you are saying and you will laugh too."

"Hey, ladies." I said with a smile, as I walked further into the cupboard next to the kitchen to keep my bags and to put on the apron. "All good?"

"Ask her." They both said in unison and I had to hold back my laugh.

"Anyway, what's new?" I asked, once I tied the apron around my waist. The apron which once was cream in color, now was brown and demanded a good wash someday down the lane.

"We are sponsoring cupcakes for a school girl's party." Mira said with a smile on her face. I could tell that she was proud about herself for being found even when the shop was in the interiors. She had finally made some name in the locality and it would bring her business to new heights.

That sentence alone was enough for me to guess what the commotion was all about. Monica, the protective daughter ever wanted to take care of her mother who had gone through hell just to raise her and her brother. She wished for her mother to sit back and relax now.

Sponsoring cupcakes to some party meant higher recognition and eventually more orders, which would sooner or later deteriorate Mira's health conditions for which Monica was not ready.

"And I insist that you disagree." Monica crossed her arms. When I looked at her dumbly, she sighed and then continued. "She's old and she won't be able to handle the party necessities and you know how a party will be hosted."

I nodded in understanding. If it were Dad telling the same thing about him going to some random party just to supply a few flowers, I would side with Monica and say no.

"Mira," I started. Before I could say anything more or convince her otherwise she stopped me and stared at both of us for siding against her.

"Look," She sighed. "I know both of you are concerned for me—" Monica opened her mouth to retort, but Mira bet her to it. "—but I'm not backing down. I agree that I'm not getting any younger as the day passes, but think about it."

She stared at both of us, giving us the time to think about what she said. Apparently, we stood there like school kids unable to understand our teacher's trig problem. Mira rolled her eyes muttering incoherent words under her breath.

"I need to get out there and feel how it feels like." Mira began her speech and I felt like she was repeating the same things that she had said to her parents when she eloped to get married. The irony was that, the people who were against her were her well-wishers—both then and now. Frankly with all the rules, she was suffocating then and she is suffocating now. "I cannot hide behind these four walls just because I'm old."

"Mira, you are not old." I said and immediately glared at Monica who was about to tell her otherwise. "We just want to make sure that everything will be okay for you to work with."

"You do know that this will get you fame and people will start asking for your cupcakes in every damn party they throw." Monica put her hands in the air, making sure that Mira was understanding what she was telling her. "You will have to work overtime to make sure that those partying kids are satisfied with the cakes."

"You are missing the point, dear." Mira let out a sigh, clearly tired of arguing with us. I wondered how long they had been arguing with the same topic before I came. It was already half an hour since I had come and we still were at the same point circling in the same circumference, not finding the origin or the end. "More demand also means more money."

"I earn enough money for us both." Monica huffed, hurt by her mother's words. "It's not that I'm starving you every other day just to make the ends meet. We have enough."

"Honey, you know, I didn't mean it like that." Mira said. "What I mean to say is that with the money I can hire more workers to work for me. How else do you think those big companies work?"

I smiled and walked towards Mira to hug her. After all the fights, she needed one. "You are very stubborn." I stated and she just hugged me in return with a proud smile that she had somehow convinced me. "I will help you with most of the things then."

"What?" Monica gasped, hands covering her mouth. "When did you ever change sides? And now I'm the enemy."

I laughed at her reaction. "Come on, Mon." I said, waving my hands at her for a group hug. She came forward hesitantly with her brows knotted together as if I was conspiring something against her. "Let's give her a chance. We can always shut it down if things go spiraling out of our control."

Monica smirked as she joined for a group hug. I was happy that the fight - whatever it was, was over until Monica opened her mouth again. "I hope no one likes her cupcakes."

It was amusing to see Mira chase Monica in an attempt to catch her as the daughter made fun of her. I wondered how in the world did these two had managed to keep this mother-daughter bond so strong after so many years.

Though it was nice to see the love they shared, I felt sad for myself. Seeing them so happy made me wonder if I would ever be happy like them with my parents. I felt like I was losing everything slowly and painfully.

"Honey?" Mira asked. I didn't know when she had come closer to me as I had zoned out in my pities. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." I smiled, not letting my sorrows out. Not today. "So when's the party?"

---

I went to the tracks way sooner than I had ever anticipated. Ever since Rob mentioned about the dreadful race, I wanted to practice and get done with it. Though the idea of me having the BMW car and taking it for a spin all around our block, I wanted to win, to know where I stood among the other drivers.

Most of the other drivers, according to Rob were not professionals and they were as bad as me. His precise words. I had rolled my eyes at that because I was sure he was just bluffing and trying to boost my confidence. Yet, I doubted myself.

There was the zeal and enthusiasm when it came to races and I wondered if I could find the same with every race. This official race, though was to test my racing abilities, I personally seemed to look at it as the test to know if this was my thing. Just like it was for Dad. Even if it was, I didn't want to immerse myself in it, losing myself along the way. I wanted to find that balance and float just above it, making sure that I went through with all the zones.

Today, with a new mission in mind to get the laps I do in perfect sync, I had concentrated very well to make sure that I was getting them all right. There was no Robert next to me to guide me through, but I was sure he was watching me keenly, hidden behind some bonnet in the garage.

To make things tough for me, I had arranged tyres and stones differently than the other times, so that it was a new challenge. I had seen the tracks he had taken me to and it was filled with surprises all the time. And I was pretty sure that this one would hold the same. It was only the matter of time Rob was letting me know about it. I, for one, might as well get ready for it.

I put the breaks smoothly and parked the dented car in its usual spot. I got down gingerly and stretched my legs. They had gone rigid from sitting in the same position for a long time. I put my hands up and bent sideways easing my shoulder muscles.

A low whistle caught my attention and I tucked my shirt back in its position which had ridden up showcasing the skin underneath when I planned to flex my shoulders. I cursed myself under my breath for not remembering that it was only a boy zone.

I turned around to see Luke standing with a smirk on his face, making me wonder what I had done to see that smirk. Luke was one of those guys who rarely smiled, let alone smirk.

"Hey, Luke." I said, trying to be as cool as possible. "'Sup?"

I was taken aback by how much the tracks had influenced me. Never in my life had I used such abbreviations to regard someone, yet here I was making conversations with the guy who hardly spoke.

"Heard you are in for the race, Stone." He said, leaning against the dent car, folding his arms as he spoke. "How's that going on for you?"

I smiled in return. He had at least made an effort to ask me what I was up to and I was grateful for that. "Well, I personally think an apocalypse is going to hit us all that day."

He smiled at that. If it had been Rob making this conversation, he would have flipped on the floor laughing his ass off. But with Luke, the joke itself seemed not good enough to get a good humor from him.

"It's all the same." He shook his head. "One race and then you will be hooked."

I started to think if he was reading my mind instead of doing whatever he does under the hood. I blinked twice, not knowing how to answer his statement.

He sighed when he got to know that he was not getting any response from me anytime soon. He uncrossed his arms and put his right one on my shoulders. "I've seen you on road, Stone and you shouldn't be scared about it. And trust me, I don't just up and tell people about how they do. You are getting better at it everyday. You only need to trust yourself."

"I... um..." I was for loss of words and for once, I stumbled not knowing which words to carefully choose in my vocabulary. "Thank you." I finally said. "I really appreciate it."

Luke was different from others and the fact that he came around to talk to me, made it somehow special. Now, there was this new hope that I was really going to do something about the race and perhaps win this thing. With a new confidence that Luke had managed to blind me into, I pulled my bag pack behind my shoulders and walked past the gate to reach home.

Robert was nowhere to be found and I wondered what had happened to him. He had been acting strange lately and I didn't know the reason why. He acted flirty one moment, while he disguised himself the next.

But this time he had gone missing. 

And the worst part was I was missing him too. 

---

A/N: I'm really sorry, there was no Robert in this chapter and also because this is kinda a filler chapter. What do you think of the party that Mira wants to supply cakes to? And please press that star. It'll make my day :)