Once Again for Old Time's Sake

Chapter 15 - Painful conversations

A/N: Chapter describes DV and rape, read with discretion. It is contained between the *****.

CORA

I stopped laughing as I entered my guestroom with Jackie following me in. "Fuck me sideways." I huffed as I dropped my purse on the bed. Taking a deep breath, I shook my body and arms before rolling my head in a circle. I attempted to release the sudden nervous tension coursing through my body. Slowly, I turned as the following steps halted close to the bed.

Jackie cocked her head and popped her eyebrow. "What?" Her amused smirk prompted me to shake the emotional response off.

"Seriously, what got you in a twist so quickly? Mom's gonna pester you if you have even a hint of being off kilter."

"Shit, you can't say a damn word." I looked at Carmen's doppelganger, the mischief bright in her eyes. I suddenly realized that they were a perfect pair, years between them, yet so alike it seemed impossible.

"Ok, I'll answer ONE question for you this weekend, but this stays between you and me. I'm not going to say anything right now since they're all waiting, but I will." I didn't wait for a response, though I felt Jackie's eyes on me. After Jackie laid the bag on the queen-sized bed, I unzipped my bag and found the least trendy outfit I could. I knew Carmen would put me through my paces and I didn't want to incur an even higher dry-cleaning bill.

Jackie reached for the bag and turned to hang it in the closet for me. "Is Mom going to be ok with everyone here? She is a bit unhinged right now." She sat on the log-cabin patchwork quilt folded neatly at the foot of the bed as I buckled my shorts' button. Her hands twisted as she worried the ring on her finger.

I sat down beside her as I slipped my short-sleeved shirt over my shoulders and began linking the buttons in the appropriate holes. "Hon, your mom is one of the toughest bitches I've ever met. Sugary sweet, but a warrior for her loved ones. I would hazard a guess that she never had to fight for herself because those on the outside think she has it all together. You guys have been her focus for so long that she hasn't taken the time to take the life she wants for herself."

A tear slipped down Jackie's nose. "You know that Mom and Dad are rarely together anymore, right? What if her having people from her past remind her of better times and make her walk away from all of us? She's not just my mom. She's my friend too and I don't want to lose her."

"For fucks' sake, your mom won't walk away from you guys. Imagine her position. She had those guys downstairs wrapped around her fingers. Anyone of them would have asked how high after they had jumped, just to please her. She left us all, to protect herself from a hurt she never shared with anyone. I gathered that things haven't always been sunshine and roses.

"Now, imagine that she has a second chance to have us in her life. She has secrets to spill that affect everything, especially with this stalker shit. I can guaran-damn-tee those men downstairs are going to ask questions and demand answers this weekend. More than that, I think she wants to talk to them about it. However, she now has a conundrum because she does have a life outside of them and those in it are equally important. How would you balance all that if you were in her shoes?"

Jackie's watery eyes met mine as a hesitant smile started lifting the corners of her mouth slightly. "I'd want my best friends with me."

"Bingo, those men and I were that for her years ago. Now she has your father, Evan, Taylor, and even you. This weekend will make or break us all."

Standing up, Jackie reached out a hand to assist me to my feet. Feeling the carpet, I looked down just as she did. "I guess you need shoes, though maybe you're like Mom who goes barefoot everywhere."