Hand Tossed

Flour On Your Shirt

"Two months Andrea! Two months! After that you are going to have to find somewhere else to live, I am sorry. "

" Mom, I just got home, I need time to get my feet back on the ground before I can run."

We were fighting again about the same thing we always fight about. Me living at home when I wasn't a child anymore. Infact, I had a child of my own. Morgan was born when I was just 16 years old. At an already turbulent time of my life, the little girl saved me from my own self destruction. It was because of Mo that I graduated school with honors, joined the military and moved halfway across the country. 

After two and a half years in the military, I took a fall which turned my word upside down. In  three short months, after the multiple tests, scans and physical therapy. I was discharged, "failure to meet the standard" written on my paperwork. My leg would never be the same, the problem was in my bones and in my blood. Aplastic anemia wasn't caught, but it had been there since I was born. Life was cruel like that sometimes.

"Alright Andy, but Pop and I can't do this forever. We are too old to raise children"

 Funny you didn't seem to mind when you were getting twelve hundred a month while I was active duty. I wouldn't ever say it out loud, but money was never an issue until I refused to go after Morgan's father for support. That scumbag didn't deserve to know her after what he did to me.

" Don't worry Mom. I will find a job this week, it has only been a week since the temp job ended. After Mo wakes up from her nap I will go get stuff for dinner and see who in town has hiring signs up."

I loved my mother but damn, she made things harder than they needed to be. She and Pop moved here after I did. Morgan had gotten sick, really sick the doctors in Lansing couldn't help her. My Aunt who lived in Houston worked for a specialist, so I packed up my two year old and left my home of the last 12 years and never looked back. 

"Bzzz..bzzz...bzzz"  the ringing of my phone broke up this fight.

"Go outside Andy, I need to finish cleaning before Pop gets home"

It was Damian, the one I left behind. We tried to make things work long distance but the "Dear Jane" letter I got two weeks into basic proved he couldn't handle it. We were still friends though and talked often.

"Hello there Sunshine. How are you? I've got news for you."

................

After talking to Damian I learned that Mo's father had gotten married to the girl he was seeing when we had met. They had a kid, for two years that bastard had hidden from me and our group of friends. The news was numbing to me, it hurt that he refused Mo. Forget me I had no feelings for him, I hated him, but she was his flesh and blood. I guess you can't expect a man to own up after he r***s a girl and gets her pregnant. 

Jess was two years older than me but I knew of him from school. A party was the one thing we had in common other than a few friends; we were both there. Between the alcohol and drugs, I found myself under him in the morning. I didn't know what had led up to the actual deed being done but there were still missing parts to my memory of that night. Damian was the one I called to take me home as I bawled my eyes out in his passenger seat. That was also the first time we kissed. I had loved him with everything I had. We stayed together until I moved to Houston. I still loved him and he loved Mo even though she wasn't his. 

"Mama....are you alright?" Mo's little voice brought me back from my thoughts.

"Yes baby. How was your nap?"

"..... I wet the bed"

Sigh.... "Okay let's get you cleaned up and go shopping."

........................

"Bzz...bzz...bzz..."

It was 8 o' freaking clock in the morning, who is calling me? 

" Hello...?"

" Hello, thi is Nick from Jo's Pizzeria. Is this Andrea Lukas ?" 

 I sat straight up in my bed causing Mo to fall to the floor with a thud. 

"....mmmmm...." She could sleep through an earthquake.

" Yes, yes, this is Andrea speaking"

"Andrea, the team and I have looked over your application and would like you to come down for an interview and a walk through of the job if that's okay..?"

"Yes what time?"

"Can you be here by 9 this morning?"

"Yes I will be there. Thank you!"

I hung up the phone and looked again at the time. 

"s**t!" Hopping out of the bed I tripped over something solid and fell. 

"What the....ah Mo! Sweetie are you alright?"

".......mmmm..."

"Well get up you bag of rocks. You're going to be late for school."

".....school.....eeek! School!"

Quickly I got the 4 year old dressed and dropped off at preschool and hauled ass down to the Pizzeria. We didn't live in Houston City proper but on the outer part so little Mom and Pop places like this were everywhere.

I walked into the little pizzeria and was smacked in the nose by the smell of fresh dough and spice. The place had a homey feel to it without losing that little Italy charm. 

"Hey there, welcome to Jo's can I help you?" The boy greeted me....no the Man! Was tall, had hazelnut brown hair and the sweetest honey colored eyes I had ever seen. "Oh my Zeus he was an actual Greek God" His green polo which should have felt too small, because it hugged every inch of his toned body, had the name Luca stitched into the fabric over those delicious...

"Ummm Miss ......" I blushed hard when I met his beautiful eyes again. 

" ...uh....Yes sorry you have flour on your shirt..."

Looking down and flexing his chest he smiled sweetly  ..."Yes that happens when you toss the dough"

 I will give you something to toss Luca. My inner voice was going to be the death of me right here and now. 

"Makes sense. I...uh I am here to see Nick"

" Oh! You're the new girl. I'm Luca" he smiled with that sweet smile again.

"Yes you ar...your shirt says so..." I laughed awkwardly. " My name is Andy."