Ashes to mars

Mummys boy

"Mrs Hunt?" She had knock three times now, but she'd heard shuffling on the other side so waited patiently.

Alex blinked to find grey-haired lady opening the door, a kind smile on her face. She looked hardly like Gene, she was small, and had a very skinny face and body, her hands in particular. If it weren't for the blue eyes, she wouldn't have guessed she was any relation of Gene's.

"Yes, love?" She asked confused as to why a woman such as Alex was stood on her door step, she had the latch on too, grading her face hid behind the door slightly.

"I'm Inspector Alex Drake. Your...your son well he's up to his neck in things Ms" She smiled nervously, she had lied on the first meeting of this woman. Also finding it odd that the Guv was ever anyone's son
"and your daughter-in-law was concerned that you'd miss your hospital appointment, so I said I'd give you a lift, is that alright?"

"Don't have much choice, do I?" The older lady smiled enigmatically, before stepping back. "Come on in, I was making a brew anyway - don't need to be there 'til four." She unlatched the door pulling it inwards she chuckled with it. coughing ever so slightly.

Alex nodded pointlessly following Gene's mother in. "Mrs. Hunt, the other Mrs. Hunt, that is, said the appointment was for three o'clock."

"Oh, that's what I tell them so I stand a chance of making it on time." Mrs. Hunt grinned cheekily, gesturing for her guest to take a seat in the living room.

Her living room was very much of an old lady vibe to Alex but because of the year she was in Ms Hunt was quite an updated mother.

"Eugene's a busy boy these days."

Alex raised an amused eyebrow and couldn't help but snort slightly, from trying to hold back laughing. Eugene, is it? She saw the old lady smile.
"Do you need any help?" Alex offered

"No, no just sit yourself down." Mrs. Hunt waved her off as she came back in with another cup and sorcerer, China and with a floral pattern.

She set it down, pouring from a matching teapot.

"Here, have a pink wafer. You take sugar, don't you?"

Alex really didn't, but three cubes were in there before she opened her mouth. Good to know where Gene got his sweet tooth from. "Yes, thank you." Alex went with it, she could handle it.

"You sound a bit posh for round here, you new?" Mrs. Hunt asked, taking heavily to her armchair with a large huff, slurping on her brew. "Eugene's never mentioned you."

"New, as of yesterday."

"He must have thanked his lucky stars, good-looking lady like you. He's always been a soft touch round pretty girls." She wrinkled her nose, pleased to see blush and Alex roll her eyes at the notion.

"Then your son must find me about as attractive as the Elephant man, Ms. Hunt," Alex informed her, "because he's no soft touch with me."
Ms Hunt laughed

Alex frowned; there was that enigmatic smile again."You like Manchester?"

"I'm not sure yet - I'm getting my bearings. I fell out with my former Chief Inspector," She answered honestly enough, smiling "the damage was fairly irreparable, so I thought I'd start again."

"Well, it's a good job you're with my boy, then - 'cause he wouldn't think anything was irreparable; he's all about giving people second chances in life." His mother was convinced of that much.

In life, Alex wondered. In your other life or here? More questions stopped her pondering. "You came alone? No husband, no children?"

"Only an ex-husband and I had a daughter, but she..." Alex trailed off, not knowing what to say; she glanced around the room in the hopes of starving off any tears. She couldn't to cry in front of a Hunt, that unheard of .