As it was supposed to be a very hot day, Holly Jane Dorrough hadn't planned on doing much of anything or going anywhere. It was even a bit too muggy to do laundry, so she was just sitting around wearing a baby-doll Tee and shortie-shorts. The 39-year blonde often dressed that way; her last boyfriend teased her that she still looked like she was in her teens. Holly liked that about herself, at 5'3" tall and with a 32B-24-31 figure; she had no problem passing for younger. She often dated younger men, although she certainly wouldn't have considered herself a "cougar" as was the current term. Once if a while, for variety's sake, she dated a more mature man who caught her eye. Holly was an up-for-anything girl, she still liked to party and let loose and younger guys went for that.
So, with nothing planned for that day, Holly was surprised to hear the doorbell to her Condo ring. She went to answer it, on the stoop were a very tall, nicely dressed black woman who appeared to be a few years younger than Holly herself. Standing behind her was slightly shorter, baby-faced blonde.
"Hello," The black woman said, revealing a smile that nearly sparkled. "Are you Holly?"
"Yes, I am," Holly answered, wondering how the woman knew her name. "May I help you?"
"I certainly hope so. My name is Quiana and this young lady is Haley. Girl, where
are
your manners? Please say hello Haley."
"Hi," the younger girl said. She was very pretty and Holly thought to herself there wasn't something about sweet-faced Haley that seemed familiar.
"Please, sit yourselves down, make yourselves comfortable. Can I get you anything ... coffee, a drink?"
"Coffee would be lovely, thank you," Quiana smiled. This woman was, quite frankly, one of the most dazzling women Holly had ever seen. Her companion was very sweet and quiet.
"She's very nice, isn't she?" Haley whispered to Quiana, but loud enough that Holly could hear them in the kitchen as she put the coffee on.
"Yes, she does seem to be," Quiana responded. Holly brought in three mugs of coffee on a tray, with cream and sugar.
"Not that I mind company, it was a very quiet day here, but what is it I can do for you ladies?" Holly inquired. Quiana sipped her coffee and spoke; it was obvious she chose her words very carefully.
"As I said before, my name is Quiana. Quiana Morrow and this young lady is my daughter, Haley. Let me be up front with you - she is also YOUR daughter."
It hit Holly like a ton of bricks; she nearly dropped her coffee onto the expensive carpet. That's why Haley had looked so familiar. She looked just like Holly's mother did when she was younger! Holly's mother ... Haley's ... grandmother?
"Buh-but how did you find me? I happen to know that the adoption records were sealed," Holly sputtered out. It was almost twenty years to the day when a panic-stricken Holly had made a choice she had regretted many times over. She looked right at Haley, who remained quiet and said little.
"When you have as much money as I do Holly, things can become unsealed very fast. Don't worry ... we don't need anything from you, save for your friendship. This little scamp just wanted to learn about you and her family and I find it hard to refuse her anything." Quiana laughed.
Haley giggled. "I always get my way." She smiled at her adoptive mother. "Don't I, Mama?" Quiana nodded.
Haley wanted to know about her past, did she have any brothers or sisters, what about her family. Quiana told her daughter to calm down and give Holly a chance to breathe; this must all have come as a rather large surprise. That most certainly was an understatement. Holly tried to give her daughter the compact version of events.
"I was young and foolish and let the captain of the Football team do what he wanted because he said he loved me. He moved away at the end of the year, around the time I found out I was pregnant with you. As I didn't have a lot of money, I had to put you up for adoption."
Haley smiled and said she understood. Holly continued her story.
"My dad bailed on us when I was 12, so it was just me and your grandmother. She's doesn't live far from here Haley, I have no brothers or sisters, only a few cousins. Your grandmother and I are very close and you look a lot like her, I noticed it earlier but didn't quite put my finger on it. Now I have. I never married and have no other children, so you don't have brothers or sisters, Haley. Quiana, do you have children?"
Quiana smiled and said "No, this one is enough of a handful. I never married either, but I wanted a daughter, so as I said, when you have enough money, you can make anything happen."
"That must be nice," Holly said. "I'm a painter and until last year, I got by, but I was `discovered' by a local Gallery and my work began selling, so I was able to buy this place."
"That's how my PI found you, he saw your name in the newspaper," Quiana told Holly.
"She's very pretty Mama, do you think we should tell her?" Haley whispered, again loud enough that Holly could hear her.
"Tell me what?" Holly asked, curious.
"I don't know sweetie, do you think she can handle knowing the truth?" Quiana asked.
"Hello ... I'm in the room," Holly said, slightly annoyed. "I've just met a daughter I haven't seen since I gave birth to her almost 20 years ago, how much more could you shock me?"
"Quite a lot." Haley giggled.
Quiana sighed. "Haley is trying to tell you in her own little way that she and I are lovers and we have been for some time."
Holly was shocked ... a lot. She looked at the cute young blonde, who was practically pressed into her adoptive mother and saw the teen's beaming face, then saw Quiana also smiling softly. Holly was struck speechless.
Regaining her senses after a few minutes, she spoke up. "I know you two aren't technically blood relatives, but don't you consider it incest?"