***All sexually active characters are of age, 18 years old at least, and all sexual acts are consensual. Enjoy!***
One busy morning in a coffee shop in town, Mia Milosevic, 18, sits at a table out in the morning sun with her back to the bustle of the high street, clutching for comfort to the warmth of a cup of frothy coffee. She sees all around her, friends and co-workers, parents and children, flirtatious couples fawning over each other over their drinks. All around are people spending their time together, before work, after work, out shopping for the weekend, catching up with mates, all except for Mia, sitting alone, no stranger to her own company.
The young teen feels a warm hand on her shoulder, making her jump as she turns to see a bubbly blonde woman greeting her, "Hi, Mia! I hope you haven't been waiting long?"
Mia collects her nerves to inform Frankie, 23, "Uh, no... um, about, ah... 10 minutes? Coffee is still warm, so..."
Frankie says, "Oh, great! We were getting the kids sorted. Decided to bring them out for the day," turning to the side so Mia can see a pair of prams, a double and a single, filled with agitated infants, and Frankie introduces to Mia the woman standing with the double pram, wearing an expensive-looking suit, "This is the friend I was telling you about. Meet Tiffany!"
Tiffany, 23, takes a seat across from Mia, extending a hand to shake as she confidently announces, "Miss Tiffany Bright," catching herself, giggling a little as she tries to feel more casual, explaining to the young teen, "Oh, sorry. I'm just very practised at meeting people in business mode." She then catches the attention of a passing waitress taking empty cups and plates from the next table, ordering, "Get me a grande latte with non-fat milk, and a flapjack. Thanks," turning her attention back to Mia to remark, "That should keep me going. You're Mia, right?"
Mia confirms, "Um, yeah," looking at Frankie with the two prams.
Frankie informs the young teen as she grabs hold of the handles of the prams, "Auntie Frankie is going to look after the little ones while you get to know each other. We'll be in the corner, giving mommy a little privacy. Won't we? Yes, we will," wheeling the prams through the shop to find a place to sit down.
Mia enquires of Tiffany, "Your kids?"
Tiffany replies, "The two in the double are mine: Joy, and Hope. Joy is 1, and Hope I not long had. The other is Frankie's new-born, Colette; well, she is her husband's baby. That's... a whole thing, um... yeah," giggling to herself as the waitress returns with her coffee and her flapjack, taking a sip from the cup before asking Mia, "Tell me about yourself?"
Mia looks across the table and sees someone so assured and confident, the young teen feels uneasy sensing that, answering, "I, uh... Well, there's, uh... a lot to get into, um..."
Tiffany interrupts the teen to say, "Frankie said you were nervous. I get that. Let me tell you about me instead. You might feel more comfortable that way." She picks up the flapjack from the plate, biting into the sticky oats, chewing it around before swallowing, and telling the teen, "First and foremost, I am a mother to my two children: my daughter, Joy, and my son, Hope. Their father is Frankie's brother, Craig, and we are happily not married. We did have a whole ceremony and everything, but we mutually decided we didn't need the formality."
Mia remembers something she wanted to ask, "I heard you abused Craig?"
Tiffany explains, "I was going through a really bad time, in my head, emotionally. That all came to the surface when I was alone with Craig. I would beat him, not with slaps with my palms, but punching him with closed fists, feeling my knuckles scrape his skin and bones. It was exhilarating to me; pleasurable, even."
Mia wonders, "Didn't he fight back?"
Tiffany smiles as she answers, "No. Craig isn't like that at all. He took it all without judgment," tears beginning to well in her eyes as her gaze turns wistful, "and he never stopped loving me, even though I was being so horrible. It was terrifying for me, even, because deep down I wished I could tell myself to stop, but it was like I was drowning in myself, unable to do anything, sort of like in a nightmare, you know, when you have no control and nothing happening makes sense?"
Mia says, "Fuck, that's so fucked up. How did you even get through that?"
Tiffany replies, "I got through it with therapy, my daughter being born, family and friends; just all of it lifting me up, making me feel like I can be better. It took a long time because I didn't believe I was worth it, but, I think having Joy really was a big part of my recovery, feeling like I had to get my shit together."
Mia admits, "I'm going through a bad time, feeling so worthless all the time. It's been going on for years. As if being mocked and beaten by the girls at school on a daily basis wasn't enough, I went home one day to find out Mom had left us, and Dad had me doing all of the chores she would normally do, and I was doing that in addition to school work, and later college. When Dad would get drunk, which was most days, he would find fault with anything, beating me to make himself feel better. Recently, he took it further by forcing himself on me... in me... I ran away to live my friend, and, the rest is history."
Tiffany consoles Mia, "I'm so sorry to hear you say that. I know what that's like; having abusive parents. Mine were drug addicts, since before I was born. They didn't have what it took to raise me at all. I was more raised by Frankie's parents really. Home life was me looking after my parents, making meals, cleaning up, making sure we had heating, and electric, and paying the bills with whatever money we had lying around. It didn't always work, going cold, hungry, but we got through. I did so fucking good for a child." Tiffany's lip curls in anger as her gaze drifts. After a moment, she brings her attention back to Mia with a smile, saying, "At least we have our friends to turn to, right?"
Mia admits, "I don't have many friends. I didn't even have one for the longest time, then I made friends with a teaching assistant from school, and she is the one I'm staying with now. I'd be out on the street if it wasn't for her; or worse. Now, I've made friends with some of hers who have been coming around. They meet regularly from what I gather."
Tiffany enquires, "And, now you have us?"
Mia feels a little embarrassed, asking, "Do you consider me a friend? We've just met."
Tiffany giggles, saying in response, "We've been getting to know each other quite a lot. We share some similar stories. I would love to be your friend, and I'm sure Frankie would too, if you like?"
Mia laughs a little nervously, wondering, "You and Frankie are close?"
"Frankie and I have known each other for many years, since we were very little. We grew up together, sharing much of our time, our hopes, our dreams. She was kinda my first love, in a way. We have shared so much that those feelings are natural, and we understand each other so deeply. No secrets. Nothing left unsaid."
