"Don't be, Momma. I was just about to tell Scarlett and Florence how you're a stripper!" Oh god.

Scarlett and Florence abruptly look at me wide-eyed, and I laugh nervously. "I'm not- she doesn't even know what a stripper is."

"Yes I do. A stripper is a person who acts or dances in a seductive manner and gradually removes their clothing piece by piece, especially to the accompaniment of music. I looked it up," Syd states with a shrug.

"Oh god," I mumble to myself. "I'm not a stripper. I just, um..." I look to Ash for help, but she looks like she's about to piss herself laughing.

"Syd just means that...yeah, I got nothing. Sorry boss," Ash fails to give an excuse.

Sighing, I say "I was a stripper. I am not anymore." They nod, and Florence briefly rakes her eyes down my body, raising an eyebrow and smirking slightly. What the fuck. "Not that there's any shame in being a stripper," I quickly add. Maybe a little too quickly.

It gets uncomfortably quiet very fast, but luckily Ash 'saves' it. "Yeah, it just means that Y/N is very good with a pole. And lap dances." I slap my hand against my face and pray for someone to please make it stop. "Actually, I'm sure she'd be willing to show you guys," Ash adds.

"No, no I wouldn't. I mean I wouldn't be opposed to it, but I- no I'm not going to show you," I ramble, making it so much worse.

"What a shame, I'm sure Flo would love a demonstration," Scarlett says, smirking.

Florence blushes vibrantly and stumbles over her words, quickly averting her eyes from mine.

"Momma, are you sure they aren't your girlfriends?"

"Sydney, I swear to god I am going to sell you if you don't stop," I warn her, feeling like I am going to cry from embarrassment.

"Aw, don't sell her. She brings in nice tips," Ash says.

"Yeah, Mom. I bring in nice tips," the demon child sasses, blowing a raspberry at me.

"As...interesting as this has been, we should really get going," Scarlett says, trying not to laugh.

"Yes, but I'll see you tomorrow," Florence adds, looking directly at me. I smile lightly and nod, waving goodbye as they get up and leave.

Once they're gone, I groan loudly and drop my head against the counter. Syd scooches across the counter and lays her head on top of mine, mumbling "Sorry, Momma. Didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't upset me, baby. I'm just...some parts of my past are better kept private, okay?"

"Okay."

"That was funny as shit though," Ash snorts, bursting out in laughter.

"Ash said shit!" Syd yells.

"So did you!" I yell back.

Chaos. My life is chaos.

Later that night, around eight o'clock, Ash is long gone and Syd is asleep in front of the TV while I clean up. I don't expect to get anymore customers tonight, but the bell above the door rings. I look up, and Florence is walking in, briefly looking over to Syd before shooting me a crooked smile and asking "Can we talk?"

"Yeah, of course," I say with furrowed eyebrows, motioning for her to sit next to me at the counter. She sits down and I ask "What's up?"

"Um, I just wanna apologize for earlier. I know that it was none of our business, and you probably didn't want us to know all that-"

"Flo," I cut her off, laughing. "It doesn't bother me, really. Sometimes kids just talk a lot. It's no big deal. I mean, my past employment is not exactly something I advertise, but I'm not really ashamed of it, either. I did what I had to do to support my kid. And it got me here, so..."

"Do you mind me asking why, uh, why you-"

"Why I danced for horny men?" I finish for her. "Syd is...I love her with all my heart and she's the best thing that's ever happened to me, but I didn't- I didn't exactly conceive her willingly. Then I was on my own at sixteen years old, so I moved here and worked at a small diner until she was about two months old. I just didn't have enough money, so I walked into a club and they hired me at seventeen. I did dance most of my childhood, so I guess it was just a good fit. I got better at it, and two years later I had enough money to quit and open this place up," I explain, gesturing to the shop around us.

"That's..." Florence swallows thickly and looks down at the counter. "I'm really sorry you had to deal with all that on your own."

"I'm not," I say with a smile, looking over at Syd. "I do the best I can, and I may not be the best mother, but I've done everything I can for that girl. I just want her to be happy, and I've gotten us to a good place."

"That's amazing, Y/N. Truly." I smile and blink away the tears that had misted over my eyes, holding eye contact with Florence. She looks down at my lips, her breath catching in her throat before she turns away from me.

"So you've made up with your dad since then?" she asks. I send her a questioning look and she says, "You were talking to him on the phone earlier."

"Oh...yeah, I guess," I answer shortly. As much as I like Florence, I don't know her well enough to get into all of that.

"Right, well, I should head home. It's getting late."

"Hey, wait, are you walking home?" I ask.

"Yes, why?"

"Let me give you a ride. It's not safe to walk alone at night."

"I can just call an Uber."

"Don't be ridiculous. We won't get any more customers tonight, anyway," I state, standing up to get Syd. She's sound asleep, and her face is scrunched up the way it does when she has a headache, so I just pick her up instead of waking her.

I carry her to the doors and gesture with my head for Florence to follow, turning out the lights and locking the doors. "It's the blue Subaru," I tell Florence, pointing to the 2018 WRX parked on the street. I buckle Syd up and hop in the front. Florence gives me directions as I drive, and we quickly arrive at her apartment complex.

"Thank you for driving me, Y/N. You're very sweet."

"Anytime, Florence."

She leans over, kissing my cheek before getting out of the car and walking inside the building. I can feel myself blushing and internally scold myself. Boyfriend boyfriend boyfriend. She. Has. A. Boyfriend.

"Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls comes on the radio and I scoff, glaring at the stereo system. "Don't mock me."

~

"And I'd give up forever to touch you

'cause I know that you'd feel me somehow.

You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be

and I don't wanna go home right now."

A/N: Double upload because why not