Love Will Keep Us - Book 5

Turkey Day Morning

LENA POV

"Well, I can only imagine, Lena." Tess whispers to me as she stirs her tea, and I place the mac and cheese in the oven.

After last night's dinner, along with the talk with Stef about the camp she went to, my heart was breaking even still today, it was, and I didn't know how dinner was going to go this evening. If anything just the thought of Sharon coming back over and ridiculing Stef and our family was enough to make me lose my mind and want to strangle her. I knew she was my wife's mother but I just didn't like her and I knew the kids didn't either. She reminded me so much of the woman on base, but worse.

Regardless, I was determined to make this a nice day as the kids had been a big help as they were watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in the living room, and Stef had gone for a run with Corey. She had tossed and turned all night but refused to go more into detail about how she was feeling about everything. But that wasn't new by any means, and she had even woken me up with sex this morning, something that had taken me by surprise.

"I mean, it's not shocking her mother is difficult." Tess continues, breaking me out of my thoughts. "Even if Stef rarely mentioned her I mean, it's not surprising."

"She's difficult and some of the things she said, Tess. Stef feels awful about it, and I don't understand this woman. Why is she even here if she's so disgusted by us? I mean, I just don't understand it at all. And Frank tries to pretend it's not happening. It's a royal train wreck!"

"Lena, it's hard to say for sure. It just is and well you know she's racist. Stef told me herself. And homophobic."

"Then why is she here. Julius thinks....nevermind."

"Nevermind what, honey? What does that dramatic boy think?" Tess softly asks as I gulp and look into her eyes as I lower my voice.

"He thinks Sharon will try to talk sense into Stef. That she needs to get back with Mike."

"And? You know that woman loves you and this family, Lena. She has no interest in Mike. Not in that way. You know this." Getting up she stands beside me and grabs my hand. "Lena, Stef is beyond Sharon. She is herself more than ever, and even if that woman doesn't agree, sure it probably hurts Stef, but she is committed to you and this family. And she loves you, Lena."

"I love her too, Tess. It's just so hard to hear the things Sharon says. I thought I had grown thicker skin since we lived on base. I guess I haven't," I laugh awkwardly as I blink back hot tears, for I refuse to cry.

"Lena, just because those comments upset you doesn't mean you don't have thick skin. Your family means the world to you and so does Stef. It's ok that it hurt you. And you have grown a lot since we lived on base, and I look up to you." Tess smiles as I look at her smiling back warmly and wiping the tears that end up falling. "Lena, you have an amazing family and sadly we will always face a lot of hate. But we are in this all together. Right?"

"Always."

"Mocha, you have to keep this in your fridge! Tessy ran out of room!!" Julius hollers as he runs into our home disrupting the moment Tess and I had holding two cheesecakes literally falling over in a panic. "You haveee toooo!"

"Julius, how much stuff do you have!? My fridge is giant." Tess says as I shake my head.

"It is, honey, but Julius has tons of treats babydoll!" He sets the cheesecakes on the counter and wipes his forehead with the back of his hand as he tries to catch his breath.

"Julius, I told you I HAVE no more ROOM!! What don't you understand!?" I yell moving things off the table as he sets his things down in a panic. Maybe I had not been the nicest to him the last week or so, and I knew it wasn't very nice of me but he was making me insane. Sharon probably didn't help matters either and was heightening my anxiety.