Guilty as Sin?

I Dream of Cracking Locks

The next morning, Mary woke up in Connie's bed, head pounding. Panic set in as she remembered that she was supposed to have work.

"Oh my- what time is it? And what happened last night?" Mary said, lightly pressing her hand to her head. Connie appeared in the door.

"Well, she is risen!" Connie said, speaking loudly to punctuate her sentence, and for no reason other than that. Mary winced.

"Mom, please- just answer my questions, and stop bein' so darn loud!" Mary said, shouting in a whisper.

"Well, you stumbled in around four this mornin', makeup runnin' down your face, talkin' about how you "fucked up"-" Connie made air quotes with her hands. "Your words, not mine. It's nine now, so if I recall correctly, you've still got about two hours before you gotta be at the church. Would you care to explain?"

Mary sighed, flooded with the memories of the previous night.

"Well, you're gonna want to sit for this." Mary grimaced, as Connie sat next to her om the edge of the bed.

"My goodness, what'd'ya do? Am I gonna have to find another place to hide a body?"

"Another?" Mary gasped.

"Come on, I'm just joking. Lighten up." Connie laughed.

"Well, I did enough "lightening up" last night."

"Do tell."

"Sheldon confessed something to me. He had walked in on George and Brenda in the chicken coop." Mary admitted.

"That motherfucker! I'll beat his ass, and hers too!" Connie shouted.

Mary touched her head again. "That's not necessary. Anyways, that's not where I messed up. When Shelly told me that, I kind of spiraled. I did my makeup, got dressed all... sassy. I went to the bar."

Connie placed her hand to her chest in mock astonishment. "You went to the bar?"

"Still not where I messed up. I met someone there, and I went home with them." Mary sighed.

"You-"

"Still not done, Mom."

"My God, what'd'ya do, make him pay for it?" Connie asked, legitimate concern seeping into her teasing. If Mary wasn't bothered by the adultery, drinking, or extramarital sex, it must've been something worth the concern.

"I didn't make her pay anything!" Mary exclaimed, the frustration with her mother getting to her. Connie's jaw dropped.

"Mary Cooper! Her? What has gotten into you?"

"Mom, please!" Mary said, her head still pounding. "It was a mistake, and one that certainly won't happen again."

"Well that's a shame." Connie laughed.

"What d'ya mean by that?" Mary asked defensively.

"Well, I thought you were finally lookin' inward. I guess we'll have to wait a while longer for that one, though."

"Pardon?"

"Well, what, did ya think it was a secret? Hell, me 'n' your daddy knew since we saw the way you looked at your Sunday school teacher!"

"Miss Olivia, I remember her... But that is not true! I'd never do something as sinful as that!" Mary exclaimed.

"Uh huh..." Connie said.

"Not "uh huh", I wouldn't! Last night was a mistake, and nothing like that is ever gonna happen again."

"Well, that's a unfortunate."