text: This is made by the help of Karthika Veeturi, so make sure you go follow her! I was helping my mom make lasagna for dinner when my dad walked in. My mom went into the living room to greet him and told me to continue. "How was your day?" she asked my dad. "It was okay. Just really tiring. " he answered. "Okay...well go upstairs and freshen up," she replied, "Dinner will ready in a minute." My dad went upstairs to freshen up and my mom came back into the kitchen and smiled at me. My mom has been acting really weird lately. She has been making my favorite food, smiling at me every single minute. Something is suspicious. She is not acting like herself. "Can you go set up the table, sweetie?" my mom requested. "Yeah sure." I replied. After setting up the plates and the food, my dad came back down stairs and we started eating. "The lasagna tastes good." my dad said. I nodded at him. "Soo...um...Zayn...I have to tell you something," my mom stated, " You know how I have been going for some interviews lately? Well, I got in for one of the companies." "Oh really? That's nice!" I said, smiling at her. "Yes, but I'm going to have to be there for 9 hours every weekday, which means I won't be at home most of the time. You will have to be home alone once you come back from school." she added. Now I know why she has been acting so weird. She knows I wouldn't be very happy with this. I am not the kind of person who can easily mingle with anyone and my only "friend" has been my mom, but now her going to work means that won't be possible either. "Um...okay..." I replied, not knowing what else to say. "Okay! I am glad you are okay with this!" she said, happily. I wasn't okay, but I had no other way to tell her and I knew she was excited, so I didn't want to ruin her mood. My dad just smiled at me. ---------------Two days later---------------- `I woke up feeling energized for the day, which is weird because I usually wake up feeling cranky. Then I looked at the clock and realized why I feel so energized. I SLEPT FOR AN EXTRA HOUR WITHOUT KNOWING! "MOM!! Why didn't you wake me up?? I'm late!!!" I yelled. There was no reply. I was confused and it took a while for me to remember that she went to her job that started today. I got and started getting ready for school. It was weird not having my mom tell me to wake up, move faster, and have her tell to have a great day at school. --------------After School ----------------------- When I came back home, I freshened up and started watching TV. Normally, my mom wouldn't let me watch TV until I finished all of my homework, but she wasn't there this time. After a few hours, my mom came home and she looked at me watching TV. I thought she would ask me if I did all my homework, but she just walked past me and started walking upstairs. I figured if she wasn't going to tell me to do it, I don't have to do it. At dinner time, I thought at least my mom would ask me then about my homework, but that didn't happen either, so I just slept without doing the homework. The next day... when I went to school... the teacher called me over to her desk. I could sense that it was about my missing homework. I made up a lie and told her I didn't have any time to do it. The teacher warned me to complete it next time and that I would get a B for not completing it. Great! Because of my mom's job... I have a bad grade! I know that I should have done it myself even I she didn't tell me to, but I was still angry at her job! I thought she would spend time with me after her job... but she didn't... she didn't even say a word to me. I was sad that my one and only friend in the world has no time for me anymore. At home, I watched TV for a while, thinking that I could do my homework after some time. When my mom came home, she glared at me. "Your teacher called me at work to tell me that you didn't do your homework yesterday." she told me. "Oh yeah sorry about that." I apologized. "What happened? You always do your work." she questioned me. "Well...you weren't there to tell me to do it." I answered. "I can't be there for you all the time to tell you to do your work," she explained, "You have to learn to be responsible by yourself." "Well, it takes time to get used to this. You don't even have time for me anymore" I argued. "So, you think this is my fault??" she asked. "No, it's just...I wish that you had more time for me." I replied. "Look...Zayn...this is just how it's going to be from now on and I will always try to make time for you, but you also have to start learning how to do some things on your own." she said. "Okay." I sighed. "Now, go do your homework." she told me. As I went into my room to start the homework, I could hear my mom and dad whispering about if it was a good idea to continue doing this job. I felt guilty inside knowing that my mom was so excited for this job and I just ruined it for her. She was right, though. I have to start being responsible on my own because this is just how my life is going to be from now on. As much as I wish things could go back to the way they were before, I have to start getting used to this. This is my life now.