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Thaïs sighed deeply as she changed the sheets in the bedroom of her childhood home. She glanced at Mariah, who sat at the vanity, brushing her hair with more force than necessary. They were in New York for the weekend, a spontaneous trip. Juan and Lita had been begging to see Mariah, and Mariah was just as excited to see them.
But first, they had to face Thaïs' mother. Thaïs hadn't seen her mother in what felt like forever since she was always in California with her family when Thaïs was in New York. Now, Teresa had been working more than usual, meaning Thaïs would finally get to see her and Mariah would get to meet her girlfriend's mother.
"My mom will be here in an hour," Thaïs said quietly. She could tell Mariah was nervous, and Thaïs had to admit that she was too. She and her mother didn't have the best relationship, but that was still her mom at the end of the day.
"Okay," Mariah called softly, deciding to smooth her hair into a ponytail. She knew little to nothing about Thaïs' mom. She only knew what Tori had told her, and it wasn't anything good.
Thaïs' mom couldn't be that bad, right? Thaïs was a sweetheart—she had to have gotten it from somewhere.
Thaïs fluffed her ivory comforter over the fresh white sheets on her bed. She paused for a moment, gripping the fabric tightly. "I don't know why I'm stressing about this. This woman raised me my whole life."
Mariah caught Thaïs' reflection in the vanity mirror and saw the tension in her shoulders. That was enough to make her worry. If Thaïs was nervous then maybe this meeting wasn't going to be as simple as she hoped.
"Because it matters." Mariah turned around, resting her hands on her lap. "Even if you two aren't super close, she's still your mom."
Thaïs sighed, releasing her grip on the comforter. "Yeah," she muttered. "And she's not exactly the easiest person to impress."
Mariah tilted her head. "You think I need to impress her?"
Thaïs hesitated before meeting Mariah's eyes. "I don't know. Maybe?" She exhaled sharply. "She's... blunt. And she doesn't really do small talk or, like, affection."
Thaïs couldn't remember the last time her mother told her she loved her. And when she did say it, Thaïs didn't like saying it back; she practically had to force herself. It was strange, because, with everyone else she cared about, love came easy. With Tori, with Jaelyn, with Aya—she never had to think twice about it. But with her mother, the words felt foreign, almost unnatural, like they didn't belong to her.
Mariah quirked a brow. "That sounds familiar."
Thaïs gave her a look, but the corner of her mouth twitched slightly. "I'm not that bad."
"You're not," Mariah admitted. "But if I can handle Tori, I think I can handle your mom."
It was cute, really. The fact that Mariah thought Tori even held a light to her mother. Thaïs almost wanted to laugh. Tori was cold, sure, but she had a heart. A soft spot for the people she loved, even if she pretended otherwise. Her mother, though? There was no warmth beneath the surface, no hidden tenderness waiting to be uncovered. Just sharp edges and expectations that Thaïs had spent a lifetime trying—and failing—to meet.
