Kelly was frustrated, "She just won't leave. I mean, I appreciate her help but that doesn't mean I want her moving in with me!"
Sara listened to her sister Kelly as she vented about the frustration of dealing with their mother, Carol. The two of them were quite close and obviously sisters when you looked at them. 5'6" tall, dark naturally wavy hair, green eyes, bodies that would could have been models for an old style pin up. Curves and soft contours rather than the under-developed look of modern "beauties".
The issue today was that while Carol was certainly helpful, but she was controlling beyond reason. She loved her daughters deeply, but their father had died very young and raising the two of them as a single widowed mother had left its mark on her personality. In this case, following Kelly's divorce she needed help caring for her own daughter June while working full time. In swooped Carol, who watched the little one during the week but then attempted to run Kelly's house as if it were her own. She even went so far sometimes to try and "overrule" Kelly when it came to raising her daughter. And now, Carol had stated she intended to start spending weeknights in the guest bedroom of Kelly's house.
She was driving Kelly insane.
"I don't know how to get it through to her that I don't want her staying without causing a huge fight. She will say that she isn't welcome at all, which isn't true, I just don't want her moving in," she told Sara.
Just then Sara's husband came in the room.
"Complaining about Carol again?" he asked with a smile.
Kelly had always enjoyed his company, and beamed back at him. He was an attractive man, muscular and dark though she wished he would shave his beard. She thought it made him look much older than he was.
"Is there anything else to do?" she asked.
David had his own issues with Carol. Since he didn't grow up with her, his patience for her controlling attitude was much lower. He joked that he always ended up being the "designated hitter" for the two sisters, since he would call Carol out much earlier than they would. It might save their sanity, but it always made him feel like the bad guy. Still, his wife's happiness came first. Besides, he had always had a soft spot for Kelly too, so all in all it was a role he was willing to play.
"Did she move herself in yet?" he asked.
Kelly didn't want to go through the whole story a second time, but quickly brought David up to speed anyway. Not that it took long, everyone knew Carol well enough that he could fill in any blanks in the story on his own. When she had explained enough, she got to the reason she had brought it up at all.
"So, do you remember that guy at work I was talking about? He asked me out for this Friday. I'd love to go, but if I ask mom to babysit she will stay the night and won't mind her own business if I am out late. God help me if I wanted to have him stay the night," she said, exasperated.
Sara and David looked at one another. It had been almost three years since Kelly's divorce, they had often wondered if she were planning to remain celibate until her daughter left home. Without saying a word, the two made up their minds together to help.
"Ok sis," said Sara, "we've got you covered. Don't say anything to mom or she will insist on coming over, but we will come down and watch June for the evening. It will be fun; the twins have wanted to have a sleepover with their cousin anyway."
Kelly was relieved. Also, the two of them hadn't really had an opportunity to see the new house Kelly had bought. It was more house than she and her daughter really needed, with 4 bedrooms, a study, an upstairs and downstairs kitchen and bar, a pool, and the best part a Jacuzzi in the master bath. Really, it was more of a party house than that of a single mother, but she had a great job and the whole idea was to make it easier for people to visit. It would work great; she would just have to make sure she remembered to hide the tote bag she kept next to the Jacuzzi. The contents wouldn't shock her very open-minded sister and brother-in-law, but it would still be embarrassing if they saw exactly why Kelly enjoyed her baths so thoroughly.
"That's great, thank you. You two can soak in the Jacuzzi and stay in the guest room if you want, so you won't have to drive back late. I'm planning to leave around 6, if you don't mind picking up June from her after-school program that will give me plenty of time to get ready," she said.
Sara made sure to remind her sister, "Don't say anything to mom. We all know if you are gone and she is there she will act like it's her house and try to order everyone around, and there is no way in hell she would stay away. David has enough trouble dealing with her politely when she comes to our house, much less yours with you gone".
-
Carol worried a lot, and often, and today was no exception. Why couldn't her daughter Kelly take care of things on her own, without having her mother constantly take care of her? Every day Carol had to make sure that June got ready for school, ate decent food, and learned her manners. For that matter, if she weren't told Kelly herself probably wouldn't eat properly either, and some of the clothing she wore to work wouldn't be totally inappropriate. Carol even had to start staying in the guest room, just to make sure that all the many details of raising children and caring for a household were taken care of.
Other than the constant presence of a worried frown, Carol looked much like her daughters. All three of them appeared far younger than their age, at fifty five Carol didn't look a day over 40. Kelly and Sara were in their mid- thirties and still got carded regularly when they went out. Small waist, wide but not heavy hips, full breasts that remained firm no matter what age they were, and an ass that still turned heads when they walked past the university, the three of them had lucked out in the genetic lottery. They were also very short, 5'2 in heels, which they made up for with sheer determination.
Today, Carol was at the grocery store making sure that little June had a proper snack for her Saturday cheer lessons in the morning. Kelly had bought those terrible lunch-able things again, there was no way that they would be sufficient for the amount of energy June would need. Carol told Kelly this repeatedly, but like usual if she wanted it done Carol would have to do it herself. While she was there she remembered that her son had also been out of milk when she stopped by his place this morning, he was going to need it if he intended to eat the cereal she bought him in the morning. By the time she finished shopping, put the groceries for her son away in his fridge and pantry, and driven over to Kelly's house it was getting quite late. June would need to be in bed soon so she wouldn't be tired for cheer, Carol would have to make sure she went to bed right away. June always wanted to stay up if it wasn't a school night, and no matter how many times Carol reminded Kelly about maintaining a steady routine often as not Kelly would let her.
She pulled into Kelly's driveway, and opened the garage door with the code.. It would be a lot easier to unload if she didn't have to carry the things in through the front door, she reasoned. Carl noticed the neighbor watching, something else to worry about. Who knows what he was thinking? Carol shut the garage door after she pulled in. Perfect, regardless of what the neighbor was up to Carol wouldn't have to worry about it. She decided to put the groceries in the downstairs fridge. This way she wouldn't have to carry them upstairs to the main kitchen, and they would be closer to the guest bedroom so Carol could make sure June didn't just eat them all on the first day.
When she had the groceries put away, she made her way into the guest room. She intended to stay the night and make sure June got to practice in the morning, so she decided to go ahead and change. She took off her jeans and blouse, the "shaping bra" that made her feel like she was wearing a strait jacket, and put on a comfortable pair of loose shorts and a tank top. By the time she was done she was a lot more comfortable but had noticed some clothes that hadn't been sorted in the adjoining laundry room. She grabbed the basket and tossed them on the guest bed. Might as well get this done too, nobody else seemed to be.
-
David had one of those days that you look forward to forgetting at the first opportunity. The store had been a mess when he got in; the new manager he had hired seemed incapable of making sure checklists were followed. For that matter, he seemed incapable of doing much else either. The entire day was spent redoing or repairing the damage, and by the time he left his frustration level was through the roof. As much as he had been looking forward to the evening, he wasn't sure he was up for it anymore.
He sent Sara a text.