Strangers

Night

Taylor stood at the bar and stared at her Martini glass in silence. She glanced at her phone where she saw a message from Jenny: "Mom, I'm almost done with cleaning. I'm so sorry."

Taylor turned off her phone not wanting to see it now. She couldn't fathom how her good little naughty girl Jenny had turned into a boorish teenager who threw parties with alcohol and strangers in her apartment.

Taylor know that she hadn't been the best mother. But remembering her own childhood... Her mother, who apparently never loved her father, and who after his death became a rich widow who didn't care about her daughter.

In her defense, Taylor could say that she had no example of a good mother, because her mother was definitely not one.
The only good thing about her family was her grandmother. Little Taylor was really close with her but then her mother fought with her and Taylor never saw her grandma again.

But sometimes, she remembered her grandmother. She had a beautiful necklace that little Taylor liked to play with,warm and gentle hands. And she smelled like homemade pastries. Her grandmother Marjorie was a wise woman and gave her granddaughter the love her parents lacked. Marjorie always put Taylor first and took her side even when she was wrong. She would take Taylor to ger house when her parents were fighting. And even if they weren't fighting.

The days little girl spent with her grandmother were always interesting and exciting. Besides, while Taylor's parents were always more focused on material things, her grandmother was the exact opposite. She fostered Taylor's love of books and paintings, wildlife and Taylor's secret passion-music. They would go to the lake and have little picnics, and when Taylor was cold she would snuggle up to her grandmother in her arms and there was nothing safer in the world than that grandmother's hug.
The last time Taylor saw her grandmother was 11 years old, and when she was 17 Marjorie died, leaving Taylor her savings

Those were the only memories, but even now they brought tears to Taylor's eyes.The memory of something good and kind. Someone who loved her.

She drank half her glass in a gulp and only then did she notice the familiar blue jacket next to her. The owner of which was drinking whiskey.

"Oh, my God, Alwyn. Come to make fun of me?"

The man turned to her,then stared into his glass again and said:

"Another time. In case you've forgotten, my son was the second organizer of the damn party. How he came up with that, I don't know"

Taylor laughed hysterically.

"Alwyn, it turns out we have the same problem. I can't understand how my daughter became what she is now, either. But it's none of your business anyway, so forget it"

He took another sip of alcohol and asked the bartender for another round.

"Well, I'm still a better parent than you" he said after a short pause.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Taylor was worried.

"Your daughter is friends with my son. She has no love or custody from you at all"

"You don't know anything. She has the best of everything. Neither do I. We spend a lot time together.So shut up and don't make this day any worse"

"You can't run away from the truth anyway"

Taylor drank another martini instead of answering. How many was that already? She seemed confused. Probably the fifth.

So they spent some time in silence. They each drank their own drinks and thought about their own things.

Joe didn't know how close to the truth he was. Young Taylor swore she would never be like her mother. She was sure she would be the exact opposite. But as soon as she had her own child, she was terrified to recognize her mother in herself.