Mina

Phone Calls at Breakfast

My alarm went off at 4 am, the usual time when my schedule was not disrupted. Penny had come home the day before which meant I know longer had to make time to go to the hospital. That part was nice but now I was back to doing everything for her on top of my already crazy schedule.

I was back in the house at 4:45, showered and dressed by 5:20. I'd done two loads of laundry, an hours worth of homework, picked up the living room also known as Penny's room and helped her get dressed. At 7 I started making breakfast, knowing I had to be out the door and headed to the library for work no later than 7:45. It seemed doable except that Penny was extra demanding this morning, already throwing the strict 1500 calorie diet out the window.

I sipped on my breakfast smoothie I had made myself, throwing some Cinnabon's in the oven while I waited for the bacon to fry in a pan when my phone went off.

It was a number I didn't recognized. I swiped my finger across the screen, accepting the call as I wedged the phone between my ear and my shoulder.

"Who's on the phone!?" Penny yelled from where she sat in front of the TV.

I held up my finger, signaling I'd answer in a few, it pacified her for the moment.

"Hello?" I asked into the phone.

"You answered." A deep voice filled my ear.

Was I not supposed to answer? It seemed like the most natural chain of events to me. I own a phone, my phone rings, I answer the phone.

"Who is this?" I flipped a couple pieces of bacon over, cringing as the grease assaulted the bare skin of my forearms. I didn't have time for this, for any of it really.

"It's..uh..Owen. Savas."

And I really didn't have time for Owen. I blew out a breath, I knew giving him my number was a terrible idea. But his brother had been so desperate.

"And why are you calling me Owen?"

"I...um...I'm..staring at my chair." His voice uncertain. I waited for him to give me more details, even though I had a good idea where the conversation was headed now. "I'm on my bed, staring at my chair. And I'm just..."

"Scared." I filled in when he hesitated.

It sounded like he laughed, something light and slightly defeated sounding.

"Yeah, my grandma's not around."

His grandma was probably the single worst person for him, his brother and dad a close second and third. They did too much, even with the little that I saw. Sarah agreed with me also. They didn't realize they were holding him back by helping.

"You don't need her." I told him. "Trust me."

I found myself telling him to trust me more than I liked. I didn't want him to trust me, I didn't want to be someone he called when he was scared. I wanted nothing to do with Owen. But I also couldn't abandoned him when he was trying. I couldn't do that to anyone.

"Do exactly what you do in therapy." I said. "Besides you're strong enough now, if you miss, you can get yourself back up."

Sarah was relentless about making him do those kinds of exercises ever since she found out about his rogue miss. He had improved immensely, now he just needed to realize it. I tossed some bacon on a plate, disgusted by the grease that dripped down and pooled beneath it.

"Owen, you've got it."

I peeled the lid off of a yogurt, dropping it on the plate with a handful of berries beside it before pulling out another plate for the Cinnabon's that were about to come out of the oven.

"What're you doing?" He asked.

I sighed, leaning in the refrigerator for the carton of eggs. Penny always wanted four scrambled eggs with cheese melted in them. Everything else changed daily, with the exception of the eggs.

"Talking to you." I cracked the eggs, breaking them in a frying pan with the tip of the spatula.

My neck was starting to hurt from the odd angle I was holding it at.

"No what's all the noise?" He inquired.

I was trying not to get too frustrated with him. He needed to work through his fear and one of the ways he did that was by talking. As obnoxious as it was.

"I'm cooking and I was trying to study. You're interrupting me."

I had been running through the muscles of the body and their functions in my head when he had called.

"You didn't have to answer." He told me with a laugh.

"I didn't know it was you."

If I had I probably would have thought twice.

"Does that mean you'll never answer my calls now?"

I felt a smile try to tug at my mouth so I clamped it shut, grinding my teeth together slightly. Owen Savas was not funny. He did not make me smile. And he never would.

"If this turns out to be a regular thing then yes." I said stifling my near slip.

"So mean." He was still smiling, I could hear it in his voice.

I rolled my eyes, "You'll live."

He laughed, a deep rumble through the speaker of my phone.

I turned the sink on, dropping a dish into the sink. "Listen Owen. I'm busy."

"Right, yeah. Sorry." His voice deflated.

The smallest ping of guilt rushed through me. At therapy I had the time to let him talk even if it annoyed me. Some days he talked longer than others before he finally tried. But he always tried at some point. I scraped the eggs around in the frying pan, plucking more cooked bacon from the grease covered pan. Today though, I didn't have time.

I took a deep breath, mustering up as much patience and understanding as I could. He needed to try because once he did, he'd realize all the fear he'd been holding on to wasn't necessary. That he was stronger than he realized. More capable than he gave himself credit for.

"You can do it." I urged. "Trust me." I pleaded just before I hung up the phone.

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Oh Mina don't fight it!

So I need your guys' opinion. And if ya'll don't commented I'm gonna start calling you silent voters out by name, I see you. @HajerDziri mentioned that maybe Mina and Owen should be combined into one story rather than separate. How do you all feel about it? Yes? No? Maybe?

Let's talk about it. (I can no longer say that phrase without Rap Devil playing in my head, thanks a lot MGK)

But for real, tell me how you feel. Or I'm singling you out until you do. Just some regular old friendly peer pressure ☺️.