Chapter 10.

Zac: "if you're tired you can always just go to bed. I don't mind."

Ashley: "No, I want to sit with you for a bit."

Stubbornly fighting her tiredness Ashley walked into Zac's living room, only to find a woman watching television. Right behind her Zac almost walked into Ashley as she abruptly stopped moving.

"Mom. You're home."

"Hey son. Who's this?"

"This is Ashley, my girlfriend."

"Hi sweetie, nice to meet you. Zac honey, is there any chance we can talk please?"

"Can't it wait? I was going to spend some time with Ashley."

"It's quite important son."

"Zac, it's okay. I'll go home and you can call me tomorrow."

"At least let me drive you home. You said yourself you're too tired to drive."

"I'll be okay. Just talk to your mom."

"Actually, if you're too tired to drive it can wait until Zac gets home."

"See? Now let me drive you."

"Okay, okay. Let's go."

20 minutes later Zac had driven Ashley home, said goodbye to her and was just pulling up outside his own house.

As soon as he was back in his lounge he sat beside his mother and waited for her to begin.

"Zac, honey. I have something I need to tell you."

Zac: "What's up mom? You're kind of worrying me."

"Son, work wants me to move to New York on a permanent basis."

Zac: "But mom, I can't leave. I have a whole life here, this is where the people I care most about are, well except you obviously."

"Sweetie, I'm not asking you to come with me. I'm going to buy you a smaller house, over by your friends Jesse's and then I'm going to sell this one. It's just too big for you on your own. And when I say going to, I mean I have already paid a deposit, we just have to go make sure you feel you could live there and I'll pay the rest off tomorrow."

Zac: "Mom… I really don't know what to say. Thank you so much."

"Well you are 18 now, and it's not like you haven't been practically living on your own for the last couple of years anyway. I do feel terrible that I haven't been around a lot but I needed this job to make sure we had somewhere to live and to put food on the table."

Zac: "I know mom. I completely understand. And I'm also very grateful for everything you have done over the last few years. I know I don't say it enough but I really do love you."

"Thanks son. But we have to go view the house at 7 tomorrow morning so I'm going to bed. I'm sorry I was sort of rude to your girlfriend I promise I'll fix that tomorrow too."

Zac: "Mom, don't worry about it. I'll explain to Ashley. I'm sure she will understand."

"I'm sure that's true. But I would still like to apologise in person. That must have been an awful first impression to get of your boyfriends mom."

Zac: "Ashley wouldn't judge anyone like that mom. But if it makes you feel better, I'll ring her and ask her to come round tomorrow after we've been to see the house. If you tell me what time you think we'll be finished at I can let her know."

"Well, its only to have a look around so you can see the place. We will probably only be there for about 20 minutes or so. But if you decide that you feel it's the right place for you, I would have to go and fill in all the paper work at the realtors office so I would say maybe around 9ish."

Zac: "Okay mom. Good night. See you bright and early."

Looking at his phone Zac knew he should call Ashley, but at the same time he wanted to surprise her with his new house. Scrolling to her name on his contacts list he pressed the dial button.

A groggy sounding Ashley answered,

"Hello?"

Zac: "Hey baby. Did I wake you?"

Ashley: "Yeah but its okay. What's up?"

Zac: "Sorry, ill make it up to you. I told my mom I would call you for her."

Ashley: "Why's that?"

Zac: "She want's to apologise for being so abrupt earlier. She said she would like the chance to make it up to you tomorrow."

Ashley: "That's such a sweet gesture, but honestly I know she didn't mean to come across how she thinks she did. I wouldn't want to intrude on your time with her."

Zac: "She's insisting on it Ashley. And I am too. I want you to meet her properly, I'll explain tomorrow why there won't be many more chances for you to meet her later."

Ashley: "Okay babe, if it means that much to you. But what time because I have to go see my agent in the morning?"

Zac: "Well, there's something I have to do with mom first thing anyway. She said we would be free from around 9am."

Ashley: "I have to see Sara at 9.30 but I'm only going to pick something up real quickly, but I need my car. When you and your mom go do whatever your thing is do you think you could drop it to my house?"

Zac: "Sure I'll get my mom to follow me so I have a ride. If you ring me when you're finished at your agents I'll let you know where we are and you can come join us then."

Ashley: "Okay baby, speak to you in the morning. Good night."

Zac: "'Night. Sorry for waking you again."

With that they both hung up their phones.

The next morning Zac got up at 6am, had a quick shower and grabbed some breakfast. When his mom came down to join him he quickly filled her in on the fact that Ashley needed her car and that she would need to follow him as he dropped it off.

Agreeing to this she told him that they would have to leave now, as it was already 6:45.

Once they had dropped Ashley's car off Zac's mom drove him to the house she had found. Before even stepping foot inside the house, zac knew it was perfect for him.

Zac: "Mom. This house looks amazing."

"Wait until you see inside son.I promise you won't be disappointed."

An hour later the pair had finished looking around and were at the realtors office to sign on the dotted line. Once the paper work was complete his mom handed the house keys over to Zac.

"Since the house is already furnished, you can move your own stuff in whenever you like. But,I'll be putting the house up for sale at the end of the week. We can go and buy you some necessities right now though like bedding and food and a television. And then we can go set the house up a little and when Ashley calls we can decide on something to do. I assume you havent told her about the house yet, so ill leave you to do that when you feel like it."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Ashley won't be free until after at least 10 I would say so we have two hours to get some bits and drop them off."

They spent an hour shopping and then had another hour to set the house up a little bit before meeting Ashley at the food court in the mall.

When they got there Ashley was already sat at a table on her phone. Since they were coming from behind her Zac snuck up behind Ashley and covered her eyes. Ashley actually screamed and everyone turned around to see why.

Ashley: "Oh my god! Sorry sis, Zac just snuck up on me and scared the life from me. I better go. Call you back later."

Zac: "Sorry I didn't mean to scare you as much as I did. I'll introduce you to my mom properly now. Ashley, this is my mom… Starla. Mom, this as you already know is Ashley."

Starla: "Hi Ashley. It really is very nice to meet you. Not that you would have guessed that last night. I truly am sorry about my rudeness."

Ashley: "Hi, its fine. I understand that you'd been out of town for a whole and that you just wanted to talk to your son."

Starla: "Still, I could have been more polite about it. Can I get you two anything to eat or drink?"

Zac: "Yeah please mom. Ill have a hamburger and fries with a coke."

Starla: "Not a problem son. Ashley?"

Ashley: "Erm, just an orange juice please. I only finished breakfast just before coming here."

Starla: "Sure sweetie. Ill be back in a couple of minutes."

Ashley: "I'm just going to the bathroom quickly okay?"

Zac: "Okay baby."

When Ashley walked away Zac realised she had left her phone and an idea formulated in his head. Picking up her phone he redialled the last called number.

"Ashley? I thought you were with Zac and his mom."

Zac: "She is. She just went to the restroom. I have something to ask you. But I have to be quick because I want to surprise her later."

Jennifer: "Sure. What is it?"

Zac: "if I take her out later to the movies can you do me a favour? Go to my new house and set up the deck area with some stuff I'm going to pick up and drop off before I come and get her?"

Jennifer: "Yeah of course, as long as you don't mind me having Brenda help me."

Zac: "No problem just don't tell Brenda until Ashley is already with me. I know she wont be able to keep it to herself."

Jennifer: "No problem. Give me the address and spare keys when you come to get Ash."

Zac: "Thanks. You really are awesome. I have to go, Ashley's coming back."

He quickly hung up and put the phone back where he had gotten it from. As she neared the table Zac realised they hadn't hugged or even had a quick kiss since he and his mom had arrived, so he stood up as she came round to her chair and threw his arms around her.

Ashley: "Don't think this is getting you out of the trouble you're in for scaring me to death."

Even as she said this though Ashley was melting into the embrace.

Starla: "Put her down son, foods here."

Zac: "Mom!"

Ashley couldn't help but giggle at how cute Zac was when he got embarrassed.

An hour later Zac told Ashley that he and his mom had some more stuff to do, but if she went home that he would pick her up and take her to the movies at around 7 that night. Happy with this Zac walked Ashley to her car in the car park and made sure he got a kiss before running over to his moms car and going to start packing up his current bedroom.