The two had walked over to a quiet, local, hamburger shop. Tallwood Burger’s: The best on the street. The building had the same, sandy like colour to the rest of the buildings and pathways. Trailing along the baby blue coloured sign, was what once could have been gold trimmings. Years of bipolar weather had made the once vibrant colour turn dull. But Jackie still appreciated the maintained look of the food place. Holding her Mother’s hand, Jackie peaked through the window and into the dimly lit restaurant. It had a very Greek look to it. Inside had white chalk tiles, the walls painted a mustard colour. Opening the glass door, Diana let her daughter walk in first, instead of a bell, a buzzer behind the counter made a slightly annoying screech.

“This place has personality,” Diana said, looking around at the well-kept booths. A young boy came out from presumably the kitchen area. “Good evening, little Miss and I would really like to get our hands on – “Jackie zoned out, her eyes gliding to the back wall where more ‘Missing children” posters were plastered along the wall. Her stomach ached in both hunger and empathy. She missed her Dad – if she went missing, she had no idea what kind of toll that could take on her Mother. The amount of poster that were up were unsettling.

Her Mother pulled her hand free from her daughters grip to pay, smiling as the young man disappeared to start making their food. Jackie took a deep breath, hoping her Mother didn’t spot the missing posters – hoping her Mother wouldn’t worry too much. The two of them had a look around the interior of the food place again, taking in notice of the two small, quiet families eating.

“Want to eat outside?” Her Mother asked, her eyes going over to the few tables that were in a little fenced area. The sun had gone down significantly, faerie lights that lined the roof and fence gleamed on brightly, lighting up the small eating area. “As this is our first time eating here, you get to choose.”

“I like how outside looks,” Jackie answered, the two of them making their way back outside. With a skip in her step, Jackie raced as quickly as she could over to her desired table, presenting it to her Mother. The thing about Jackie and her Mother, is that they looked alike. She had her Mother’s chocolate brown hair. The texture was so rich that it made Jackie insanely happy that she never once tried to dye it. Her mother’s hair was thicker, unlike Jackie’s unruly fine hair. The two of them were very pale too – a hereditary trait, Jackie could feel a sunburn coming on that it almost scared her.

“So how as work?” Jackie asked as soon as they sat down.

“Most customers come in when you’re not there,” her Mother teased. “But I’ve gotten the hang of it and Martha is really sweet.” The underlying heaviness of the situation they were in was hard. It had nearly been a year, but it was still clear he was missing. No matter if Jackie ever protested to this move, they needed it. They both needed the fresh air and a new place. A place that was haunted by memories that only made them sad. “How was your first day at school? Mr Keith seemed very sweet, was everyone that welcoming to you?”

“I made a lot of acquaintances, three girls invited me out shopping tomorrow after school,” Jackie stared, remembering how each person she meant was nowhere near awful to her… except Oliver. “They also invited me and one of my acquaintances to a party this weekend, I’m allowed to go right?” Her Mother seemed to mull it over for a few seconds longer than she used to when Jackie asked to go to a party. “I’m going with Mr Keith’s daughters friend, he is going as… my chaperone?”

“At least you will know some people there,” her Mother sighed. “You can go, but I’ll drop you off and no booze – you know the drill,” Diana smiled warmly. They had gone through scenarios like this so many times that she couldn’t believe how much trust she was able to put into her daughter. It was rare amongst where they were from. “Now, about tomorrow.”

“The girl I’m really getting to know is Danielle, her two friends aren’t all up for socialising, but they are still nice,” she said, a small smile on her face. “The Principal, Mr Jones is really cool too,” she continued, mulling through her day to see what would interest her Mother. No matter what she said, her Mother listened intently. In parts, Jackie spoke about how hectic her day was – leaving out her sour altercations with Oliver.

“I’m glad you’ve settled in so well on the first day,” her Mother piped in, noticing that Jackie had ran out of things to say. “Don’t look now, but our foods coming.”

Like an excited child, the seventeen-year-old spun around so fast she nearly fell out her chair. Her light-coloured eyes lit up. Wriggling in her seat, she watched in anticipation as the man who served them came out with their order. Placing their food before them, he bid them a goodnight before going back inside.