I’m in a sour mood, and I can’t really help it. With all the information swirling around in my head, and my complete lack of answers, it’s hard to be upbeat.

I stab at the food on my plate, with no real intention of eating the rest. I’m not particularly hungry and would prefer to be upstairs moping, but it’s a rare thing for my mom to cook. If I were to refuse her food, she’d probably cry.

My mother is sitting across from me, taking big bites from the curry in front of her, occasionally pausing to compliment her own cooking. There’s not really much of a conversation going on.

My mind is elsewhere, and hers is occupied with food, so I’m content to stare out of a window into the darkness beyond.

That is until I remember something.

“Hey, Mom?”

“Hm?” Is all that she can get out through the massive bite of curry in her mouth.

“Do you remember Anna?”

She takes a moment to gulp down her current bite, “Your girl— I mean— ex-girlfriend?”

“... Yeah, her.”

“What about her?”

“Oh… nothing.”

She gives me a confused look, then goes back to eating. My mom remembers Anna, so that's another knock against the “Anna was kidnapped” idea. It’s possible that she can remember just like Minnie, and possibly Val can, but not very likely. I need to go and digest the information I got today, and I think sleeping on it is the best course of action.

“I’m full, thanks for the food.”

She takes one look at my plate, “you barely touched it!”

“... I’m not feeling great.”

She gives me an unhappy look. “Fine. Cover it and put it in the fridge.”

I walk over to the kitchen and pull out some foil to cover my leftovers when my mom begins talking again, out of nowhere.

“Curry was always your dad’s favorite.”

Just the word “dad” sends a chill up my spine. We haven’t talked about dad in… years, I think? It’s been a long time at the very least. Maybe she’s just being sentimental.

“Okay...”

“He’d always get so happy when I said I was making it.”

“...”

“The door would open and he’d say, ‘Jenna, what’s that lovely smell!’ But he already knew. Hearing that was the best part of my day.”

“...”

She pauses for a moment before saying, “He was a good man, Sam. You’re a lot like him.”

Just hearing that sends sparks of anger through me. If I’m anything like that sack of shit the world would be better off without me. I barely manage to fight down my anger and keep it from boiling over. My life’s been infinitely better since he died.

She continues, “You just need to apply yourself more.”

My anger bursts.

“And what the fuck would you know, huh?”

 My mom looks up from her plate, shocked. “Sam!?”

“Acting like a mom when it’s convenient for you, leaving me on my own the rest of the time. Fuck you! I don’t need a lecture, and I certainly don’t want to talk about HIM!”

My mom regains her bearings and responds, “Where did this outburst come from?!”

I’m mad. I don’t know why I’m as mad as I am, but I’m pissed.

“Don’t pretend like you know what’s best for me!”

“I’m your mom! I’m supposed to—”

I don’t give her the chance to finish. I’ve already got my jacket on and am out the front door. 

I call back into the house, “I’ll be back tomorrow. Don’t look for me!”

I’m level-headed enough to know that if I stay I’m going to say a lot of things I’m going to regret, so I go to the only place I know I can stay that I can get to on foot.

The doorbell rings and a beautiful, mature woman opens the door. “Sam?”

“Carolyn.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Can I stay the night?”

She pauses for a second and takes a glance back into her house. “Darren’s asleep. It should be fine.”

I enter, she gestures me to the couch, and I sit down. She sits down beside me. This is the exact position we were in when I first entered her home. It’s a little nostalgic now.

Carolyn doesn’t say anything, waiting for me to offer something.

After taking a second, I say, “Sorry about just showing up out of the blue...”

“It’s fine. Is something wrong?”

“... No. I just didn’t want to stay at home today.”

“Sam… if anything’s bothering you, I want to be there for you. Please, talk to me.”

My anger hasn’t subsided yet, and despite her earnestly wanting to help, being interrogated is just reinflaming my rage.

There’s only one way I know of to deal with these feelings.

“I want to fuck.”

“Hm?”

“You, me, your bedroom.”

She takes a second to gaze at my face before nodding and saying, “If we’re going to do this, we need to be quiet. Nothing rough!”

I nod back, and take her gently by the hand, guiding her to the bedroom I haven’t seen in so long.

It’s pure silence as we undress, facing towards each other. She’s not trying to put on a show or anything, but just watching Carolyn reveal herself layer by layer is deeply arousing on its own.

She gently lays down on her side, patting the bed next to her, inviting me to join.

I’m not one to pass up such an invitation.

I place myself beside her, ready to begin, but before I can start anything she wraps me in a tight embrace, smooshing my head between her breasts.

She lightly plays with my hair, and whispers “It’s okay now Sam. we’re together, and that’s all that I could ever ask for.” She then plants a delicate kiss on the top of my head.

I’ve never felt like this before. I’ve always thought Carolyn was motherly, but in a physical sense. Being wrapped up in her like this, as she whispers sweet things in my ear… the maternal feeling emanating from her can barely be described. Just being next to her makes my worries disappear.

It’s then that just how rough of a day it’s been has hit me. I’ve been bombarded with information and faced with a horrifying reality that I don’t even want to consider. What if Anna really didn’t want to cheat on me? What if she was forced, and then I just left her—

My thoughts are interrupted by her saying, “Sam… you’re all tense again. Whatever worries you have, just let them… melt away.”

In the face of such a demand, who am I to refuse?

Slowly, I begin to calm down. I didn’t even know how close I was to complete panic until I found myself pressed up to Carolyn’s chest. Now, I’m completely calm. Worries, fears, cares, none of them exist here between Carolyn’s breasts.

It’s only a few moments until I find myself fighting to stay awake, and a few past that for me to completely fall asleep.