Are You a Lover or a Fighter?
Just Do it Already...
“I can’t figure out why I feel this way,” I said, taking a sip of the hot coffee as Frank and I sat in a secluded booth in the “Java Hut” coffee house.
“She was your mom,” he said, naïve to the situation.
“My ‘mom’ was never a mom to me Franky...” I said somberly. I sighed, looking into my cup before looking back up to Frank as I stirred my drink nervously, “Do you remember when you called me something, and Libby and I both chewed you out?”
“Yeah...” he nodded before adding in a softer tone, “sorry.”
“My dad died left my mom and I when I was 11... She started dabbling in drugs and soon she was a heroin addict. Then it became a struggle for money for the house, for food and for drugs and she turned to---”
“Prostitution?” he asked in a cautious tone.
I nodded, “Yup; that’s been my glorious life. I met Libby when I was 14, and her mom took me in after a final incident...”
“What happened?” Frank asked.
“My mom tried to make extra money... with me. I found text messages on her phone to her... erm, “boss” and I ran to Libby’s and never looked back. I was legally emancipated from my mom at 15 years old... Not really the poster child for normalcy, huh? If I did find that message and run to Lib’s... I would have been “evaluated” that night... I fucking hate my mom... I hate her so much,” I muttered.
Frank’s hand grabbed mine as we got up from the booth, leaving money to pay for the bill. He wrapped an arm around me as we headed for the parking lot. “No one is ever going to hurt you again, not as long as I’m around,” he promised.
I looked up at him with a smile, not sure what was going on. I mean... We didn’t like each other, right? That’s how we’ve been since day one...
“Listen,” he offered. “You’re mom wasn’t always such a bad person, right?”
“No,” I said, smiling slightly at the thought of happier times. “She used to be the epitome of the perfect housewife... Hard to believe now though.”
“So it’s no wonder you’re upset over her death. At one point she was a mother to you, and part of you probably hoped she’d someday return to her mothering ways... But now you’re realizing she won’t, I think that’s more of what you’re mourning...”
I blinked at him for a moment before nodding, “Yeah, I kind of always had this hope she’d wake up one day, and be the person she used to be... I’ve never said that out loud though... I’ve never wanted to hurt Libby or Terry...”
“They wouldn’t be upset for something natural... Don’t you think Libby secretly hopes her father’s going to show up one day, apologizing and making everything right with her for leaving when she was born? Even though Terry’s husband Danny, is the only man Libby’s ever been able to call “Dad?”” Frank asked.
I nodded before wrapping my arms around him, “Thanks for everything tonight Franky... You’re a real fr--- well, a real good person at least...” I smiled.
“Go ahead, said “friend” it’s okay to say what you really mean, Celeste...” Frank smiled.
“You’re one to talk,” I smirked.
“What do you mean?” he asked, raising a brow.
“Get it over with Frank...”
“Get what over with?”
“What you’ve wanted to do since the second you met me,” I grinned again.
“Fine,” he muttered before stepping close to me and kissing me deeply.
“She was your mom,” he said, naïve to the situation.
“My ‘mom’ was never a mom to me Franky...” I said somberly. I sighed, looking into my cup before looking back up to Frank as I stirred my drink nervously, “Do you remember when you called me something, and Libby and I both chewed you out?”
“Yeah...” he nodded before adding in a softer tone, “sorry.”
“My dad died left my mom and I when I was 11... She started dabbling in drugs and soon she was a heroin addict. Then it became a struggle for money for the house, for food and for drugs and she turned to---”
“Prostitution?” he asked in a cautious tone.
I nodded, “Yup; that’s been my glorious life. I met Libby when I was 14, and her mom took me in after a final incident...”
“What happened?” Frank asked.
“My mom tried to make extra money... with me. I found text messages on her phone to her... erm, “boss” and I ran to Libby’s and never looked back. I was legally emancipated from my mom at 15 years old... Not really the poster child for normalcy, huh? If I did find that message and run to Lib’s... I would have been “evaluated” that night... I fucking hate my mom... I hate her so much,” I muttered.
Frank’s hand grabbed mine as we got up from the booth, leaving money to pay for the bill. He wrapped an arm around me as we headed for the parking lot. “No one is ever going to hurt you again, not as long as I’m around,” he promised.
I looked up at him with a smile, not sure what was going on. I mean... We didn’t like each other, right? That’s how we’ve been since day one...
“Listen,” he offered. “You’re mom wasn’t always such a bad person, right?”
“No,” I said, smiling slightly at the thought of happier times. “She used to be the epitome of the perfect housewife... Hard to believe now though.”
“So it’s no wonder you’re upset over her death. At one point she was a mother to you, and part of you probably hoped she’d someday return to her mothering ways... But now you’re realizing she won’t, I think that’s more of what you’re mourning...”
I blinked at him for a moment before nodding, “Yeah, I kind of always had this hope she’d wake up one day, and be the person she used to be... I’ve never said that out loud though... I’ve never wanted to hurt Libby or Terry...”
“They wouldn’t be upset for something natural... Don’t you think Libby secretly hopes her father’s going to show up one day, apologizing and making everything right with her for leaving when she was born? Even though Terry’s husband Danny, is the only man Libby’s ever been able to call “Dad?”” Frank asked.
I nodded before wrapping my arms around him, “Thanks for everything tonight Franky... You’re a real fr--- well, a real good person at least...” I smiled.
“Go ahead, said “friend” it’s okay to say what you really mean, Celeste...” Frank smiled.
“You’re one to talk,” I smirked.
“What do you mean?” he asked, raising a brow.
“Get it over with Frank...”
“Get what over with?”
“What you’ve wanted to do since the second you met me,” I grinned again.
“Fine,” he muttered before stepping close to me and kissing me deeply.