My phone pings with a text from my sister.
Maria:Mom is up and about and will call soon.
I breathe out a sigh of relief, thankful my momma’s okay.
The call finally rings in when I’m at my locker. My hands shake, I’m so worried about her. She’s a strong woman, but sometimes that’s not enough.
“It’s about time you called,” I jest, knowing she hates it when I’m too serious.
“Maria keeps hounding me to, but I don’t have much time.”
“Don’t have time?” I ask, confused because she’s supposed to be in bed recovering from surgery.
“I’m on the way to a casino to fill the slots.”
Sweet Jesus, why do you do this to me?
“You should be relaxing at home.”
She sighs audibly. “Just like you to be controlling.”
“Jesus Christ, I’m not trying to control you. I’m just saying that maybe it would be better if you relaxed—” The line is silent. I look at the screen, then bring my phone back to my ear. “Hello? Did you hang up on me?” I shove my phone back in my pocket. “Dammit!”
As furious as I am with my mom’s impromptu trip to the casino, I can’t say I’m surprised. She’s a strong-willed woman who gets bored and doesn’t like being told what to do.
The show begins, and for a time, my mind is taken away from my worries as I’m sucked into the vibe of the eager crowd.
Afterward, I head back to the bus and search for poker tournament sign ups, writing down a few dates to look into.
My stomach growls, and I make myself a sandwich as the bus begins moving.
A text from my sister pings in.
Maria:Momma told me you gave her hassle.
Toxic:Did you seriously let her go to a goddamn casino after her heart surgery?
Maria:As if I could stop her. Anyway, I know it’s late, but I figured you might want to video chat with her.
Without waiting for a response, my phone lights up with a chat request. I hit ACCEPT, and my momma’s grinning face fills the screen.
She’s fashioned a stack of paper money into a fan that she’s waving around. “You’re not the only one good at gambling,” she enthuses.
“Momma, those are ones.”
She scowls at me.
“How are you feeling?”
“Like a kid! I was about to watch that latest Pedro Pascal movie to get my ticker racing.”
“Too much, Ma. Too much.”
She cackles, which floods me with relief. I hadn’t realized how worried I was about her until now.
Bianca walks past my booth, toward the pantry.
“When will I see you again?” Momma asks.
