Pen Beneath The Bush

Burning Petals (The Letter VN)

Marianne was lucky to have a wife who loved her, and stepchildren who accepted her. Ever since she and her wife Hannah met, her sanity had gone up and down like a yoyo. At least she had her new family, her faith and passion for booze to keep her going.

For a devout Catholic, Marianne's language was foul at best. At work, she was always professional, but as soon as she put up her work jacket and at the sound of her girlfriend's children scream at their mother's promise of the latest technology. Back in Marianne's day, she was lucky to have a lollipop.

"Fuck," she muttered. "Here we go again. Hello everyone!"

"Hello! Mama 2!" Henry jumped on the sofa with his rainbow pyjamas. "This is bloody lovely! I'm getting the new iPhone! Oops!" He covered his mouth. "Mummy said I shouldn't swear."

Marianne patted her stepson's head. "Oh, you can swear alright, just make sure you don't get caught."

He nodded. "Okay then."

"If you went to the school that I went to, they'd wash your mouth out with soup."

"They wouldn't do that. You went to a bloody all-girls school."

The kids were only seven. With the amount of profanity, she saw in the media, she wasn't surprised it had caught on with the kids. It tended to be worse at the weekends they stay over at their dad's house.

It didn't worry Marianne: there was a lot worse they could say. He had taken the news of their relationship well. Annalise found it harder to accept her parent's divorce and all the new changes in the house.

Annalise tiptoed behind Marianne. She hid her face and cried with tears dripping down her cheek. Marianne picked the little girl up. "Hey what's the matter?"

"Sierra doesn't want to play with me anymore."

Henry grabbed his iPad from the table. "That Sierra is a fucking bitch!"

"What makes Sierra a bitch?" Marianne wondered.

Annalise was still full of tears. "Because she says being gay is wrong."

"She called you and Mum faggots so I told the headmaster," Henry said. "The headmaster is going to write a letter to everyone saying homophobia isn't tolerated. Fuck yeah! I don't think there's anything wrong with being a dyke."

"CHILDREN!" Hannah shrieked, coming down the stairs. "I HOPE MARIANNE HASN'T BEEN TEACHING YOU any more NAUGHTY WORDS!"

"No Mummy!" Annalise said.

"We got it from Daddy!" Henry admitted.

"Shit!" Hannah gasped with her hands on her hips. "I'll be having words with that prick!"