Reliving History, Repeating Mistakes

Part 7

Fivewhole minutes, that's how long it takes before she finds the words tosay * anything *. She does realize that by that point pretending isuseless, but her daughter clutching the worn-out leather jacket toher chest had surprised her just that bit too much.

Thisjacket could belong to anyone. They've obviously found it in theSerpent's current leader's trailer; it's probably not unusual to findserpent clothing lying around. He used to be married, he has twochildren and a flock of teenagers following his every order – thisjacket could belong to any of them. This jacket could belong to *anyone *.

So,it has her name stitched onto the front, but still... The kids don'tknow she used to be a south side serpent, so really 'Alice' adorningan old jacket doesn't mean it's her. It has both their names and a'4ever' mended into the inside, too along with something that wassupposed to resemble a heart. She had been proud of herself for beingable to make the letters readable twice, she hadn't paid muchattention to the symbol. His looked marginally better. She findsherself wondering if he's still wearing the same jacket he had backthen, if he's still wearing her name everywhere he goes and that'swhen she mentally slaps herself to get back into the present.

Twoteenagers are staring at her, her daughter's holding out the jacketto her as if she doesn't know what to do with it and Alice still hasno idea how to address the situation. What's for sure, is thatpretending not to know who's jacket that is is out off the question.You don't stare wide-eyed at something you don't recognize. Thatdoesn't mean she can't try to divert the conversation to somethingdifferent and try to distract the children from what they'd found andwhat they'd undoubtedly want to ask.

"Ididn't expect to see you so early" Obviously or she wouldn't havelet him stay over, then again she hadn't planned on her husbandwalking in on them either. "I was just about to make breakfast,have you eaten yet?" She * was * just about to go back upstairs andfinish where they had left off, but she couldn't actually tell thechildren that. Suddenly she's acutely aware that all she's wearing ispanties and a shirt that's a bit too revealing for her currentsituation, and it's probably the most her daughter has ever seen ofher and way more than her boyfriend ever needed to see.

"Mom,what is that?" The item in question is thrust into her hands andthough she tries to hide it, it gives her a stark feeling ofnostalgia. She hasn't touched one of these since she'd left her's inhis home twenty years ago.

"Thatis a jacket, Betty" She shrugs her shoulders, tries to hand itback, but the girl won't take it. She let's an annoyed eye-rollaccompany the gesture.

"Ithas your name on it" One of the teenagers is looking at herexpectantly, while she notices the other one is actively trying tolook anywhere but at her. Guess he's as uncomfortable with her stateof (un)dress as she is.

"No,it has * a * name on it." Her head rises a little higher, eyesfixed intently on her daughter. This is her chance to lie herself outoff this. "I'm sure I'm not the only Alice that ever used to livein this town" Then she turns and takes a few steps up the stairs,still wishing to wrap this awkward conversation as fast as possible.She stops when her daughter reaches out and presses something intoher other hand.

"So,what's that then?"

Shedoesn't need to look at it to know what she's holding in her hand.Damn, she had thought she would never see this picture again. It'sthe first one of them they ever took and it's as incriminating as ifshe'd call him down right. It's off center because he took ithimself, but the arm not holding the camera is slung over her, theirfingers entwined on her shoulder. She has her dead turned, pressing achaste kiss to the corner of his mouth and it's so unmistakably herthat even a blind man could see that.