Just as I Begin to Fade

Nineteen. Dinner

Friday night would come along and Lindsey would be headed over to the Nicks-Jones Manor for the evening.

It was seven p.m. and Stevie was making some last touches on the food she was cooking while Gwen set the table for their guest.

Between the three, they were all nervous; Gwen over the fact that her mother would be sharing conversation with the man, Stevie because he was such a good looking man and she didn't want to embarrass herself and Lindsey because it had been a very long time that he'd been exactly social unless it had been with staff at the school. For many reasons, it was different and nerve racking for all of them.

The blonde was moving her ceramic dish to the center of the table and she placed it in an OCD matter as she was heavily focused on making a good impression even though she met the man already.

For the evening, she would be wearing a long, black handkerchief skirt with tights underneath as usual and her bold, black, platformed, high heeled boots. She would be wearing a simple peasant blouse to which was black and she had her normal jewelry on as usual. Her makeup was done perfectly and her hair was straight, clipped up as she cooked the meal.

Over the last few days, even though she was in the "crash" stage of her wean off, she looked fresher and more put together even though she was definitely unhinged on the inside.

Dressed causally; jeans, cropped tee shirt and fuzzy socks on her feet, Gwen remained on high alert as she watched the television; only a rerun of Twin Peaks as it was a show that piqued her interest from the start.

Soon, the bell rang and both woman had a moment of a gasp and they looked at each other.

"I'll get it," Stevie stated as her daughter stood up from the couch. She unclipped her hair and shook her blonde tresses out.

The teen then turned the television off and she slowly approached the foyer-dining room.

Opening the door, the blonde smiled. "It's nice to see you, come in, please," she stepped aside, practically hanging over the door as she drooled over the man.

"It's good to see you too," he grinned. "I hope the two of you are well... Gwen," he kind of mumbled, arching his brow a little.

"Yeah, we're great," she grinned neutrally. "How are you?"

"Good," he nodded.

"Let me take your coat," Stevie offered. "Hope you're hungry, I tend to cook for an army when I do cook," she joked.

"Thank you," he slipped out of it and handed it to her. "And that's perfectly alright," he chuckled.

She then took it and hung it up on the hook to the side.

"Mom doesn't know how to cook in small portions," Gwen smirked.

"I don't," she agreed. "Once I cook, it lasts a couple of days for us to eat it... Send some over to Derek and his father usually," she added. "Anyways, um..." she paused, just so taken by him.

"Why don't you have a seat?" Gwen quickly stepped in only because she could tell her mom was not only struggling due to the fact that it wasn't a date, but due to the inner turmoil in her head.

"Thank you," he took a seat right after. "So, all cards on the table... I know this is slightly awkward for a teacher to be so involved, but I do care deeply for you and your daughter as it seems. I told you, Gwen, that I would be of help in this journey you girls are on and though it isn't the first time I have mediated or helped anybody, it's been a while," he explained.

Gwen listened intently.

"I just want you to know, outside of school, we're friends and this is all confidential, of course," he pointed out to the teen. "In school, I'm your teacher and we talk about you. Here, this is for the both of you if need be, but for me to evaluate in a sense. That way I percolate and figure things out, if it happens to be tough. All I'm trying to say, I guess is, I'm here for the both of you if you need me, we're friends and this is strictly professional."