all american | lance tucker

ch. 3 • mommy

Numerous family members came in and out throughout the day, more important ones including Lance's sisters, Steve, and Soren. I was just getting ready to go to sleep, sharing the small bed with Lance, when there was a knock at the door. I sat up, but Lance shook his head and got up, shuffling in his socks to the door. He opened the door, and looked back at me, giving me a confused look before turning back to the person in the hallway, blocked from my view.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked, seemingly tired of visitors.

"Can I come in?" A woman's voice replied, without answering Lance's question. He gave her a distasteful look, but stepped aside, turning on the lights. I didn't recognize the woman in front of me at first, and I was about to tell her she had the wrong room before the realization of who she was hit me like a freight train. She may have gotten older, and changed her hair, but her features were still slightly familiar from pictures.

"Mom?" I breathed, in such shock it felt as if the air had left my lungs.

"Oh my god, Cara, you're gorgeous." She whispered. She reached out to touch my shoulder, but I recoiled.

"What are you doing here? How did you even know where I was?" I asked harshly. Everything was spinning.

"I-I..." she swallowed, looking at the floor. I could see her hands shaking. Damn right she should be nervous. "I wanted to see my daughter. And my grandchildren." She finished, looking back up at me.

"What do you think you're going to get out of this, mom? I'm just going to forgive you for all of the shit you put me through?" I was tense, and I hoped she knew I was a bomb just waiting to go off.

"Carolina, I am trying to fix things. You have to work with me." She begged. I glowered at her, rising up to face her.

"Don't call me that." Lance, who was standing in the doorway behind my mom, caught my eye.

"Chill. Out." He mouthed, crossing his arms. I shook my head.

"I know what I did was wrong, and I'm living with my mistakes."

"Yeah, just like I had to live without a mom?" I snarled. She looked taken aback, but was quick to react.

"Cara, this is not completely my fault." She said sharply.

"Why don't you just cut the shit, and accept that you couldn't be a mom." I said shakily.

"Cara, I am your mother. But I am not just a mom. I had needs. I shouldn't be hated just because I wanted to be happy. I was the best mom I can be." She lectured.

Oh, you want to pull that shit?

"You were never a mom to me. You left before I was even in kindergarten, mom! I had to learn how to shave my legs from dad. And I don't know if you cared enough to know what happened to dad, but you destroyed him. Did you know that he's dead, mom? Or are you too wrapped up in your fairytale family to care about that happened to us?" I was on the brim of tears, I was so angry. I never liked talking about this stuff.

"I knew that, Cara. I was at the funeral." She was already crying. "I just couldn't bear to be around you girls."

"You mean that you didn't want your daughters to cause a scene and expose you in front of our whole family?"

"What happened to you, Cara? What happened to my sweet little girl?" She cried, giving me a remorseful look. 

"Things change, mom. In fact, everything changed when you left. We all got bitter, Kaylee had to be a mom."

"You're not a child anymore, Cara."

"I never was!" I snapped loudly, making her jump back. I didn't care at that point. In fact, I hoped she was scared of me. By then, one of the babies had started crying, and I was done. My whole body was shaking, but I refused to cry in front of her.