"What do you mean you didn't mention it?!" Susan twisted in her seat to stare at me with wide eyes.

I shrugged, "If I told her you were coming with me and Melissa my mom would have asked a million questions and I'd have ended up having to explain everything over the phone. I'm awful at explaining stuff, you know that. And this way we'll all be there so she can meet you. And you two can jump in and save me when I mess up with that whole explaining-stuff thing."

Melissa just shook her head and sighed, but kept her eyes on the road.

Susan finally turned away and settled back into the passenger seat but she still looked worried. She sighed, "I can't believe you didn't tell her. So I'm basically crashing your family weekend visit?"

"It's not crashing," I replied. "You're not uninvited, you're with me and Melissa."

She stated, "The homeowner doesn't know me, and doesn't know I'm coming. I'm pretty sure that still qualifies as crashing."

I frowned, "Wait does it? I don't think so? Anyways mom's always telling me and Melissa we don't have to knock since we technically live there too, even if it's only once a month or so? So you're our guest regardless."

Melissa finally spoke up. She sounded calm and had a slight smile on her face as she said, "Don't stress too much about it Susan. Ms. Carter is pretty cool, and she's used to Mara's... Well, she's used to Mara being Mara."

"Hey!" I pouted, but my best friend had a point.

The three of us were quiet again for a few minutes. We were nearly there, just a few minutes away.

Sue commented, "It looks nice out here. I wouldn't mind moving somewhere more rural, except it's inconvenient for school? And it'll probably be inconvenient for work too. I'd need a car, and fighting rush-hour traffic doesn't sound like fun."

I agreed, "Yeah I know what you mean. I like being close to everything? Like shopping, college, plus we have good public transit so even going downtown is easy? But then I also like it out in the country like this."

"Unfortunately me and Susan will probably do better living in the city," Melissa pointed out. "We need ready access to people. A small wide-spread rural population would make life difficult for us."

"Oh right," Susan said. "Good point."

It wasn't clear from her tone if she was disappointed or just acknowledging their situation. Melissa spoke up though before I could ask.

"And here we are! Oh hey, did your mom get another new car?"

The driveway was cleared of snow and mom's little silver car was missing, though I figured it was probably in the garage. Parked in front of the garage was a relatively new black Jeep.

I stared at it for a moment, then burst out giggling.

Susan twisted around to look at me, "What's so funny?"

Melissa parked then she looked at me too, "Mara? You ok back there?"

It took me a few more seconds to get that out of my system, then I smiled at them both. "So I think my mom had the same idea as me? About not mentioning an unexpected guest? I have a feeling she wanted me to meet Carol, but didn't want to try and explain that situation over the phone."

Melissa's eyebrows went up while Susan asked, "Who's Carol?"

"Let's go inside and find out," I replied with a smile.

A minute later all three of us were out of the car and got our backpacks out of the trunk. I could hear Farah barking as we approached the side door, along with my mom telling her to hush. Susan and Melissa both sort of hung back so I was alone up front. Melissa was one or two paces behind me, and Susan was practically hiding behind Melissa.

The door opened before I could knock, mom was there holding Farah's collar. She looked happy but nervous as she said "Hello Mara, Melissa..."

Her voice trailed off as she realized there was someone else with us, and her expression sort of froze as she wasn't sure what to say or how to react.

"Hi mom!" I smiled and gave her a kiss then I moved past her into the house. I motioned "Come on in you two, get out of the cold."

Mom closed the door once we were all inside. She still looked surprised and she was still holding Farah's collar for now, while the dog was making lots of noise. She wasn't barking, she was just desperate for pets and scritches.

I smiled, "Mom, this is Susan MacKenzie, I told you about her last month? And Sue, this is my mom, Emma Carter. Oh and that's Farah."

Mom finally let go of Farah's collar and the dog nearly tackled me as she jumped up to greet me. While I was busy with the pooch mom and Susan sort of awkwardly greeted each other.

Farah finally moved from me to Melissa to get more pets and mom gave me an accusing look, "Mara you should have told me you were bringing a guest."

"Sorry mom," I shrugged. "You didn't mention you had someone here already either."

She grimaced but didn't try and argue that point. Instead she said to herself, "I never thought a four-bedroom house would seem too small."

I grinned, "Well don't worry about us. We can all cram into Melissa's room. The bed's a little small for three but we'll manage."

Mom stared at me for a moment, then just sighed. "Come on. Carol's in the den, let's go do some introductions."

The three of us left our backpacks by the stairs for now, then followed mom into the den. There was a nice fire burning, and as usual Pumpkin and Spice were on their favourite chair. Carol was sitting at the end of the sofa but she stood up when mom led us all in. Her eyes flicked up and down over me, then she stared at Melissa and Susan as the three of us stood together just to the left of my mom.

Carol looked just a little taller than my mom, but not as tall as Melissa. She had a curvy figure, though not quite as much as Sue, and her face was pretty. She was about my mom's age, maybe a year or two younger. Her skin was a deep rich dark tone, her black hair was done up in a short stylish cut. She was dressed casual like the rest of us, wearing comfortable-looking blue jeans and a blouse with a blue and purple floral pattern on it.

Mom started the instructions, "Carol, this is my daughter Mara. And Mara, this is my friend Carol Ingram."

I smiled, "Hello Carol, it's nice to meet you."

She smiled back, "Hi Mara. I've heard a lot about you, it's nice to meet you too."

I gestured to my left, "This is my girlfriend Melissa, and that's my other girlfriend Susan."

Carol and Melissa and Susan all greeted each other as well, and my mom looked like she had about a dozen questions suddenly spring into her mind.

Mom managed to hold back though and just asked, "What can I get you all to drink?"

A minute later me and mom were in the kitchen getting drinks while everyone else got settled in the den.

Mom gave me another look and said "You should have said something Mara, warned me you were bringing another guest."

"Sorry," I replied quietly. "I thought it'd be easier to explain in person."

"I'm looking forward to hearing this story," she said with a frown. "Before we rejoin the others though, does Susan know about your demon friend?"

I replied quietly, "Yes she knows about Lily."

"Is she trans too? Did Lily help her out like Melissa?"

"No she's not," I replied with a frown. "But I'm not sure it's polite for you to ask or for me to tell you."

Mom sighed, "You're right Mara, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that."

She hesitated then apologized again and admitted, "I let it slip to Carol that you're trans. She asked why I didn't have any baby pictures or pictures of you growing up, and I didn't know what to say. I didn't say anything about Melissa though."

"That's ok," I replied. "I understand. You didn't tell her about Lily did you?"

"No," mom shook her head. "I wouldn't mention that, and I'm not sure you should either."

I smiled, "Yeah I don't think any of us would unless there was a good reason. Now c'mon, they'll think we got lost if we're too much longer."

When we returned to the den we found everyone had got seated. Melissa and Susan were sitting on the sofa together, and Carol had shooed the cats out of the other wing-back chair so she could sit there. That left mom's favourite chair for her, and a spot on the sofa beside Susan for me.

Farah had already flopped into her bed next to mom's chair, and Pumpkin and Spice were sitting on the floor near the fireplace glaring at Carol.

Mom and me handed out the drinks, her and Carol had glasses of white wine, Susan and Melissa had vodka coolers, and I just had water as usual.

The conversation resumed as we all got comfortable, and we all started to get to know each other. Carol said she worked at the university in the administrative building, she was part of their IT department. We found out she was divorced too just like my mom. She didn't have any kids though.

She and mom first met back in October, but it wasn't till last month they became friends. I didn't say anything but I had a feeling Verothilas's influence probably kept mom from making friends, and once we freed mom she was able to open up again.

Neither mom or Carol went into detail about how close their friendship was, if they were more than friends or whatever. But the fact that Carol was here the past three weekends kind of made me wonder.

Then Susan asked what the winter driving was like out in the country with the snow, and mom responded that she'd been riding with Carol since her Jeep was better suited than mom's little sedan. That made me wonder if Carol was basically living here now.

Eventually the conversation shifted from mom and Carol to the three of us. Mom's friend asked how we all got together and somehow everyone looked at me for the answers.

"So uh, me and Melissa have been best friends for like six years? And since we both went to the same college and everything, we're roommates too now. We've been super close, but we hadn't really become girlfriends because of uh, reasons. Then me and Susan met at a party in October and kind of hit it off together? Last month things got kind of rocky and messed up. Me and Sue stopped seeing each other for a bit, while Melissa and me started getting closer in a romantic way? Then last week everything kind of came together at once, and suddenly we're a threesome."

Mom asked, "So you're all uh, together?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I think?"

Melissa and Susan both nodded, and Melissa elaborated. "Like Mara said it kind of happened suddenly? But she and Sue sort of patched things up last Friday. They came back to the apartment and Sue and I met, then we sort of hit it off together too."

She smirked and added, "Sue wound up with me Friday night, and Saturday night it was all three of us together."

Susan stayed quiet but she was blushing slightly. Meanwhile mom and Carol just stared at the three of us and looked kind of surprised.

There was a bit of an awkward silence for a few seconds, then Carol spoke up.

"Then why don't you three take the guest room tonight?" she suggested. "The bed in there's a queen-size, that'll be more comfortable than trying to cram into one of the twins in the smaller rooms."

Mom and Susan both looked a little surprised, but I smiled "Thanks Carol, that's a great idea."

Melissa asked, "You're not using the guest room then, Carol?"

Now it was my mom's turn to blush while Carol smiled.

She glanced at my mom then replied with a grin, "Not for the past two weeks, no."

I was still smiling too as I asked, "So you and mom are quite good friends I take it?"

Carol glanced at mom again then laughed. "Yes Mara, Emma and I have become rather close. Your mom's been worried about having this conversation with you for the past three weeks, but I don't see why. You certainly don't seem like the judgemental type."

"No," I grinned as I glanced at my two girlfriends, "I'm definitely not one to judge."

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