A few weeks passed in the Bledsoe house and Emmett had been hired at the mechanics. He worked a regular shift from nine to five, Monday to Saturday. One morning, Daphne woke up to Emmett tapping her on the shoulder. "Hey, my Mom made breakfast. Come on!" She sat up with a groan.
"What time is it?" She asked.
"About eight in the morning." Emmett grabbed the clock from the bedside.
"Too early!" Daphne groaned as she flopped back onto her pillow.
"Come on, it's your favorite!" Emmett urged her. Daphne pulled the covers over her head.
"Can't hear you!" She stuck her hands out to sign. Emmett ripped the covers off the bed. For a moment Daphne sprawled like a fish out of water, the cold harsh on her skin.
"Asshole!" She signed hard on her chest. "Fine, fine! I'm up!" She pulled herself out of bed. Emmett stood in front of the doorway.
"Where do you think you're going?" He smiled.
"To eat breakfast, like you told me to." She raised an eyebrow.
"Well, it looks like there's a toll." He signed.
"Oh yeah," She humored him. "And what's that?"
"A kiss!" He leaned in to kiss her. She paid the arbitrary toll and kissed him back. He placed a hand on the small rise under her shirt and smiled. "I still can't believe it."
"Same." Daphne signed. The two of them went down to the kitchen where Melody had laid out bacon and eggs for the three of them. Melody saw them entering the room and notice the small bulge beneath her blue t-shirt.
"Look at you!" She quirked. "You've popped." Daphne smiled faintly and nodded.
"Wow, thanks for this!" She looked at the table. "Where's Gabe?"
"Oh, it's nothing." She waved. "Gabe had to leave early for work today but he told me to wish you luck on your interview."
"I'm sure it'll be fine." Daphne sat down and started cutting her eggs. "It's with Regina after all."
"I don't know… Regina's probably not going to go easy on you just cause you're her daughter, you know."
"Well," Daphne took a bite. "We'll see."
After Dinner, Melody went to work and Daphne thought she should probably dress up for the interview. She put on the nicest clothes she brought with her and examined herself in the mirror. Emmett came up behind her. He was wearing a blue jumpsuit with his name and his employer's logo stitched into it. "You look beautiful." He signed.
"I feel fat." She replied, tugging at the bottom of her shirt.
"You're glowing." He smiled.
"I'm greasy." She turned around. "What if you're mom's right? What if I don't get the job?" She asked.
"It'll be fine!" He held her. "She's your mom, she wouldn't do that to you. She might scare you a little but I'm sure she'll come around.
"Thanks." She smiled and kissed him. His phone began to vibrate in his pocket.
"I gotta go to work now." He checked his phone before putting it back. "I can take you to the Cracked Mug on my way."
"Sure!" Daphne said as they left.
Regina sat at one of the tables in her cafe, watching the clock. Late. She thought. Of course, she was late. How did she think she was responsible enough for this? Just then, Daphne came through the door. "Hey!" She sat opposite of her mother and placed her bag on the ground beside her.
"You're late." Regina said firmly.
"Yeah, by like five minutes!" Daphne turned to look at the clock. "There was traffic, I don't want Emmett riding Ripley anymore, sorry!"
"You could have called ahead."
"Mom, it was five minutes!"
"My time here is valuable, Ms. Vasquez, and I don't appreciate being spoken to in that tone!"
"Mom, are we seriously going to do this?" Regina picked up her pen and went to write in a notebook. "Okay! I'm sorry, can we get on with the interview? I really need this job."
"Alright, well I've read your resume and it says you're a pre-med student, that's good, you've worked for at your father's car wash and you were an intern for the state senate. But I checked and it says that you were fired prematurely, why is that?" She furrowed her brow, feigning a genuine question.
"B-...Because I tried to blackmail a senator." She said hesitantly. "Which I served community service at a clinic for doing. That's where I decided I wanted to go to school to study medicine."
"Hmm," Regina scribbled something in her notebook. "I see. It also says here you worked at Maize Restaurant for a time before being fired as well."
"Oh well, that time I got into a relationship with my boss. Trust me, lesson learned! Won't happen again!" She smiled nervously. Regina nodded and scribbled again in her notebook. Daphne popped her fingers as she waited for more questions.
"Ms. Vasquez, is there a job you haven't been fired from?" Regina finally asked.
"Kennish Car Wash?" She again smiled nervously.
"Well, Ms. Vasquez, I'm sorry but I think we'll have to go in a different direction." With a sigh, Regina began to pack up her things.
"What!?" Daphne's eyes widened. "Wait, no! You can't please! I need this job!" She begged.
"I'm sorry but we're just not interested." She threw a satchel over her shoulder and stood up.
"Please! I swear I'll do everything I can not to screw this up! I can be committed. I was on my high school basketball team right up until the program was canceled. I found and lead the Occupy Carlton protest! I help start up the Carlton field hockey team! I can be committed, and hard-working, and-"
"Which is why I'm giving you the job." Regina said.
"Sure, I've screwed up in the past. Hell, I just screwed up big time but I'm going to be a mother and John's in the hospital and it's all my fault and I just really, really need this job." Daphne started to cry.
"Honey!" Regina got the attention of her sobbing daughter. "You got the job."
"Really?" She inhaled sharply as she shot up from her seat. "Thank you! Thank you, I promise I won't let you down."
"I know you won't, sweetheart. I had to show you what it would be like anywhere else. Do you know how many times I had to beg just like that for a job after Angelo left?"
"I know. Thank you, Mom. I mean it, I won't let you down." Daphne wiped away tears from her cheek.
"Come here, honey!" Regina brought her into a hug. "Come on," She pulled away. "I'll show you the ropes."
Regina showed Daphne how to work the register, gave her a rundown of the menu, and taught her how to make the most commonly ordered items. By the end of the day, she was exhausted. She stood behind the counter manning the coffee machine and failing to remember how to make the seasonal specials. She saw a reflected glare dance on the wall in front of her. She turned around to see Emmett, his face and hands stained with grease. "You're early!" Her eyes widened.
"No…" He pulled out his phone to show her the time. "It's five-thirty, just like we said."
"Oh." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Sorry, I'm a bit frazzled."
"Long day?" He leaned against the counter.
"Oh, you know. Coffee I can't drink, prices I can't remember, recipes I can't make. I can't believe it!" She threw up her hands. "I worked in a kitchen, at a restaurant! I've been cooking since I could see over the counter! How am I so bad at this!?"
"Pregnancy brain?" Emmett shrugged.
"Maybe." Daphne rested her elbows on the counter and put her face in her hands. "Ugh…" Out the corner of her eye, she saw her mom leaving the office. "Anyways," She shot up. "Welcome to the Cracked Mug! What can I get you today?" She signed cheerfully.
"Uh…" Emmett looked at the menu. A devious grin grew on his face as he thought of the perfect order. "I'll have a Caramel Macchiato, Venti, Skim, Extra Shot, Extra-Hot, Extra-Whip, Sugar-Free."
"Oh, you son of a bitch!" She quickly signed while Regina was distracted. "Alright, that'll be right out for you. Just one moment." She turned around and did her best to prepare the most high maintenance order she'd ever heard of. She did her best and handed him a to-go cup of prissy-lava-water. "That'll be five ninety-nine, please." She smiled.
"Oh no," Regina waved her hand as she walked over. "This one's on the house! Hi Emmett, how's the new job?"
"Eh," He shrugged. "Not too bad. My boss is alright, the customers suck. Mostly biker gang meatheads."
"Well, it puts food on the table, right?" Regina signed.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Hey, speaking of that…" Emmett pulled out a slip of paper from his back pocket. "Today was my first payday!"
"Eighteen thousand and a hundred and ninety-eight dollars!? Holy shit!" Daphne grabbed the check from him.
"It's not that much." He rubbed the back of his head.
"It's more than I make." She said towards Regina.
"Hey, you get paid as much as everyone else around here!" Regina said.
"I know, and I'm grateful. But it isn't anywhere near eighteen thousand a week!" She handed him back the check.
"Anyways, you ready?" Emmett asked. Daphne looked towards her mother.
"Yeah, sure." She nodded. "Go relax, you've earned it!" Daphne ran over and gave her mom a hug before leaving with Emmett. The two got in Daphne's car. Emmett put the drink down in a cup holder. "Uh-uh!" Daphne signed. "You're gonna drink that whole thing and I'm gonna watch you do it." Emmett took a hesitant sip before recoiling.
"Too hot!" He signed.
"You ordered it that way..." She shook her head.
"Baby, please!" He signed. "I was just kidding. There's no way I can drink this all right here!"
"Fine, but you're going to by the end of the night or I'm kicking you out of your own bed!" She pointed a threatening finger at him.