My Mom Saved My Life

I was a 16 year old student in my senior year of high school. I was pretty reserved, a bit of a nerd and social outcast. I only had one friend at the time and that was a girl. I was more of a homebody, preferring to stay home over most social events. My main focus during that time was on studying and trying to stay afloat. <br><br>I lived with my single Mom and had since I was 13. Our living situation was a bit of a challenge. Mom worked two jobs to try and make ends meet. We didn't have much, but she always kept a roof over my head and food on the table. <br><br>There was a gas station near our house that I used to frequent. I worked part time and it was the most convenient place to stop for coffee and smokes before heading home. The attendant was a young guy, maybe 19 or 20. My Mom was the type to talk to everyone and make small talk. She really liked people. One day she went in and the attendant asked about me. Apparently he had a crush on me and thought my Mom could set us up. <br><br>I was honest and told him I had no interest. We didn't have a lot in common, and I never really found him attractive. He would hit on me every time I went in, always telling me he was a "nice guy" and I was "so lucky to have him." I really didn't want to shop there anymore, but it was still the most convenient place for me to go. I worked weird hours and it was the only place open at that time of day. I usually went in around 6am. <br><br>A few weeks later I received a knock at the door. The attendant was standing there with a bunch of flowers and a smile on his face. He told me he thought we could be happy together and he would be a "good boyfriend" to me. I was shocked and politely declined, telling him I just wanted to be friends. He got very upset and started calling me a bitch and telling me I was a "prick tease" that "lost my chance." I closed the door and he threw the flowers all over the front yard. <br><br>The next day I came home from work as usual. My Mom called and asked me what I was doing. I told her I was grabbing a coffee and heading home. She told me to instead come to the diner 5 minutes away. We sat down and I had a cup of coffee. She asked if I was okay and told me she had some news to share. <br><br>She had a friend who was a local police officer and he called her up. The attendant had been arrested multiple times for harassment including several restraining orders and domestic violence. He had a long history of going after people he "liked." Turns out he had been casing our house and watching me. My Mom got an order of protection for us and said she was going to have my brothers (who I barely know) come and stay with us. She called my boss and told him I needed some time off, I was just going to stay in the house for a while. I was terrified. I didn't know what to do. I was grateful for my Mom being so supportive and taking action. <br><br>The attendant got arrested again a few days later because he decided to harass a nurse at the hospital. The police were very happy to have picked him up. He had many outstanding warrants. <br><br>My brothers stayed with us for a few weeks and then the order of protection was extended. The attendant was picked up again a few more times for harassing other women. I started going to therapy and I really started to appreciate my single Mom who had literally saved my life. She risked her career as a nurse to make sure I was okay. She sacrificed a lot for me and protected me. I wish I could thank her enough. She was so supportive and refused to let me go through any of it alone. She went after the attendant with a vengeance. She called everyone and told them not to shop there. She went to all of his superiors and filed complaints and told them all about his past. She even went to the city council and tried to shut the whole place down. As far as I know, it didn't get shut down, but I never heard from the attendant again.