I Think I'm in Trouble {Reimagined}

XXIII.

Later on that day, Stevie found herself venturing between her house and her studio, just trying to keep herself busy with chores around her house only because it was the only thing she felt she had control over.

Though, around noon, Shannon would walk through the front door just to see her mother with her hair pulled up into a clip while scrubbing the marble of the kitchen counter tops.

"Mom?" she said quietly, settling her purse on the table.

Stevie spun around at the sound of her child's voice.

"Huh?" she hummed. "When did you get here?"

"Literally two seconds ago," she gestured back. "Are you okay?"

"I'm... I'm fine," she nodded. "How was-- How was work?" she cleared her throat, pulling her cleaning gloves off.

"It was okay... Eventful with the new girls and I just wasn't in the best mood," she pulled the chair out to sit. "I only ask if you're okay because you're doing the psychotic cleaning thing."

She sighed and then washed her hands with some warm water and soap to try and wash the scent of the latex off her hands and forearms.

"Where is everybody, it's so quiet?" she wondered.

"Nick is still at Darren's, Jeff wanted to grab us some lunch and your father is at work..." she explained.

"Dad's at work? On a Saturday?" she scrunched her nose.

"Yeah..." she pulled out a chair and sat next to her. "We got into a bit of a disagreement..."

"About?"

She sighed.

"Mom, you can tell me... I won't tell anyone. Clearly, I can keep a secret," she hinted at knowing about her affair.

"You can and I shouldn't have put you in that kind of situation..." she said with guilt in her tone.

"You didn't ask me to do it, but you're my mom and I'm not gonna betray you... Of course it upset me but that was because you would always tell me you loved my dad so much... And you were cheating on him. It hurt me for him."

The woman sighed.

"Mom?"

"He found out, Shannon..." she finally blurted out.

She lifted her brow.

"How?" she wondered.

"I-- I don't know," she shook her head, lying because she wasn't about to tell her about the evening before.

"How did he take it?" she then asked.

"He was mad when he was confronting me, but then he was hurt... I feel bad," she assured.

"I'm not gonna lie, you should feel bad..."

She looked up at her with even more hurt in her eyes.

"Mom, my dad loves you so much," she shook her head.

"I know that," she nodded.

"No, I don't think you do," she tapped her temple making sure to emphasize. "I mean, he loves you and I know you love him, but mom... From when we were little and you guys were on drugs all the way to last summer where you practically ended up in the nuthouse because of that idiotic doctor who ruined you for eight years, all the fights, all the shattered glass, and drinking, and parties..." she stopped in order to catch her breath, she wasn't ready to overwhelm herself with her trauma. "He was at your beckon call and he still is... But he loves you like a lost puppy and it has always been that way. He's always been more in love with you than you have with him and you can't tell me otherwise."