Settling in PT 2...

February 2005...

Amanda smiled at them before putting her focus back on the groceries. Though she looked calm and relieved on the outside, she felt overwhelmed with sadness. Even though she already has a job here, she didn't know how she was going to manage everything.

The money she brought with her EEwouldn't last them for another week and with all the constant bills , her salary won't be able to help them either. She was so distracted with her thoughts that she didn't realize that the tap was still on, she quickly turned it off before breathing a sigh of relief. She stole a quick glance at the vegetables before taking them one by one and putting them in the fridge. She was about to go and wash her hands when she heard someone's voice.

"Mom, can we go now?" Savannah asked, standing by the door. Amanda could understand why Adam and Savannah would want to go out to eat. She knew she had to be responsible for two kids when Daniel died, and now she can't even afford their daily meal.

"Oh, I'll go get my bag". Amanda said before walking out of the kitchen. She went to her room and made her way to her dressing mirror. She opened the bag and saw a few dollar notes and her credit card. She thought for a while before walking out of the room with her bag.

"Okay, I'm ready. How do I look?" Adam asked Savannah who was still standing by the kitchen door frame,walking out of his room .

"The same." Savannah said blankly before making her way to the living room.

"Well it's not my fault for trying to look good for an outing. "Adam said as he made his way to the living room. Almost immediately, Amanda also walked into the living room.

" Okay, I've gotten my bag. Can we go now?" Amanda asked the two, who just noticed her presence.

"Yes". The both of them said in unison.

"Okay then". Amanda whispered to herself before the three of them made their way out the front door.

Amanda remembered driving past a restaurant called Herlens while on her way to the apartment, so she decided to take them there to eat.

The ride to the restaurant was quite all through. All Amanda thought about was how she'll get the money to pay for their school fees and other bills and soon enough, they reached their destination .

The restaurant wasn't that big on the outside. It was mostly green and white with a big 'Herlens' sign written in cursive font right above the building.

"Okay, we're here". Amanda said before stepping out of the car as Adam and Savannah followed suit.

As soon as Amanda walked in, the aroma of delicious delicacies welcomed her, and at that moment, Amanda realised how hungry she was. The stress of all the bills and fees made her forget the last meal she had.

The restaurant looked a lot bigger on the inside. There were tables facing both walls, leaving a pathway from the entrance to the register. There were two TVs facing both walls and music playing in the background.

"There's a free table over there". Amanda said before making her way to the table. Amanda didn't know why but she had a feeling that she couldn't afford their meal.

Almost immediately after the three of them settled down, a waiter approached them.

"Good morning, can I have your order?"

"Oh, uhm", Amanda muttered to herself before acknowledging the menu right in front of her. She opened it and looked through it before closing it, "I'll have an omelette with toast." Amanda said to the waiter.

The waiter noted it down on his pad before turning to look at Savannah and saying, "What about you?"

Savannah who was busy on her phone, put her phone on the table before saying, " Oh, I'll have the same thing ". After writing down Savannah's order, the waiter then turned to Adam and before the waiter could say anything, Adam told him his order, "Uhm, I'll have a club sandwich with fries ".

The waiter noted it down, "Okay, your order will be ready soon". The waiter said before leaving their table.

Though the restaurant was lively with people chatting loudly and cool music playing in the background . Amanda's eyes were fixated on the menu. She was too busy calculating the price of the food she was going to pay for. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize when the food arrived . The same waiter that took their order, brought their food and with their food trays, came the bill, which was the first thing Amanda noticed. After the waiter left, the three of them began eating their food .

"Wow! The food is so good here". Savannah said, just after taking her first bite.

"That's why you should have ordered more. The two of you haven't eaten since yesterday, and, we don't even have a lot of provisions at home". Amanda said before taking her first bite.

"Well we ordered what will sustain us, for now". After hearing what Adam said, Amanda paused. She just remembered the school fees she had to pay before the end of the week. The thought of so much pressure being put on her made her want to have a meltdown right there and then. She then thought for a while, before saying, "Hurry up and finish your food, we still have a lot of cleaning to do at home". The two of them just nodded before clearing the rest of the food on their plates.

Suddenly, the food in front of Amanda made her lose her appetite. She didn't feel hungry anymore but still forced herself to eat it because she knew she couldn't waste the money she used to buy it .

Not long after the two of them were done eating, a waiter approached their table and asked if they were done eating.

"Yeah we are". Amanda said before the waiter began taking the dishes. After he left, the three of them rose to their feet before Amanda said, "The two of you can wait by the car, I'll meet you in a short while". Amanda said before the two of them nodded and walked away.

After the two of them left the restaurant, Amanda took out the money she'd use to pay for the food before slowly making her way to the counter. Upon reaching there, she gave the cashier the money before making her out of the restaurant.

Amanda got into the car before starting it.