STARGIRL

58. LSD

Throbbing, and on the verge of popping a blood vessel. His brain could no longer take the constant nagging sounds that were coming from his mother-in-law.

She hadn't even been there for long, but she had already driven him up the wall with her passive-aggressive remarks.

"Mom," the tired Nina groaned as she carefully put away a stack of porcelain plates in their designated cabinet, "Leave him alone."

Brigette glared at Stanford for a brief moment after that.

"Sweetheart, I'm just giving my honest opinion." The older woman huffed.

Stanford looked down at the plate of dinner before him. Finally, after a few weeks, he went back to work earlier that day after seeing Nina begin to move around the house again, and of course, escaping Nina's mother, Brigette VanDaNorte, was also a plus.

Needless to say, he was still feeling tired and restless from his time as Nina's caregiver and his guilt.

"We learned our lesson," Nina reiterated to her mother, "But I told you I was the one who wanted to go through with it."

"I'm just really upset that you didn't let your father or me know," She said as she took a seat on the island countertop right beside Stanford.

Stanford further wanted to bury his head into his plate of dinner.

"It's my mother's recipe for borscht," Brigette touted about the dish, "Bet you've never had borscht before have you?"

Stanford had to stop his innate reaction to roll his eyes at her, "I haven't had the pleasure Brigette." He enunciated her name with disdain.

Bridgette smirked as she pushed away her blonde, graying bangs from her oval-shaped face.

Stanford looked up at his wife, who was reorganizing the dishes and held back a smile.

He was beyond proud of her for being out of bed and trying to get back into her old daily habits.

Bridgette VanDaNorte had been at her daughter's home for a few days already. She flew in from Long Island, New York, but more specifically the North Hills region.

A mature woman at the age of 69-years-old, Bridgette understood her daughter all too well. Nina was an only child too, but it wasn't intentional. Just like her daughter, the older woman often struggled to have more children with her husband.

Nina knew of her mother's problem too, but didn't like to think of infertility as a hereditary condition. However, doctors often argued that point with her.

The three adults all began to go back-and-forth over Bridgette's food, and Stanford's somewhat standoffish behavior.

Maddox had slid into the kitchen and waited for all of them to stop going back and forth with one another, but that took a few minutes.

"I'm leaving," Maddox announced as he pecked his mother on the cheek and then inched near his grandmother to say goodbye too.

He and Stanford had barely spoken, but neither of them were in a rush to communicate.

Stanford was disappointed in himself, and Maddox was still figuring out what emotions to have toward his father.

"Well," Brigette started, "Where are you going looking so handsome?"

His grandmother reached upward to adjust the thin gold necklace he was wearing.

Maddox grinned at her, "To a party."

His grandmother furrowed his brow, "Party? But it's 11 at night."

Nina sighed and crossed her arms together, "Mom, parties now a days start late and end late."