Chapter 25

"You go right on up to your room and get changed this instant, Morgen Faye!"

"No, Ma! I'm not going!" Morgen crossed her long, lean arms over her chest and glowered at Rhoda. When had she grown so tall and willowy like her mother? Defiant and demanding and insistent like Rhoda? The teen was a beautiful spectacle to behold but infuriating, for the duo found themselves at the foot of the stairs in a stand-off.

"If I'm going then you're certainly going! Now go get changed before your mother gets home and finds you're not ready." Rhoda held her ground. "You know how her parents are about punctuality." Rhoda pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling the migraine already gathering about her eyes before they'd even gotten to the Richards' home. Rhoda felt quite differently now about them than she once had. How happy she'd been when Mary and her mother had reconciled around Morgen's tenth birthday. How happy she'd been that they had actually asked Mary and Morgen over for dinner once a week...but then Rhoda had gone and gotten herself invited. Sure, she'd been a little hurt that the Richards had not wanted her to be present at first, but as their attitude warmed and thawed towards her, and they decided to extend the invitation to her, she'd found herself roped in. Now she dreaded it as much as Morgen, yet here they were.

"I want to go see a movie with Charlotte." Morgen insisted.

"Absolutely not! You know how important this is to your mother, to your grandmother. You'll just have to go to a movie with Charlotte tomorrow."

"But I don't want to!" Morgen sneered.

"Kid, come on! Give me a break! We gotta go!"

"No." Morgen spat off, her head of sandy blonde hair swirling as she shook her head.

"Morgen," Rhoda knew she needed to reason with her if they were going to get anywhere with this. "I'll give you money for a movie and ice cream afterwards if you just go get changed. What's the big deal anyway?"

Morgen looked down at the ground, staring down at her jean clad, skinny legs. God, the girl was just like her mother. Not an ounce of fat on her. Her expression turned down, biting her lip a little. "I don't want to go because I don't like how they are with you." She whispered shyly then.

Rhoda felt her frustration turn into a giant swelling of her heart. "Oh, hey, kid. You ain't gotta feel sorry for me. Hey," Rhoda stepped forward and wrapped her arm about Morgen, the duo settling down on the steps together. "I know how it seems, but I've known your grandparents for a very long time and it hasn't been easy for them. You know, Dottie used to really like me a whole lot."

"Yeah?" Morgen looked up.

"Yeah, and I liked...like her too. They're good people, they just don't always agree with how we raised you."

"But I love how you raised me. I love having you and mom and dad." Morgen insisted.

"I know, I think you've been very lucky. But it's not how they would have wanted it to be and I think they've always blamed me a little bit. But you know that they love you and just want what's best for you." Rhoda smoothed her hand over Morgen's back.

"They shouldn't hate you." Morgen sighed, picking at a fleck of dirt on her arm. She was such a tomboy, always racing through the park after school with her group of friends. Always showing up dirt stained and flushed.

"They don't hate me." Rhoda laughed.

"It sure seems like it sometimes."

"I know, kid. But they don't. Listen, I'll ask mom if we can get ice cream after dinner if you promise to get changed right now."

Morgen nodded and buried her face in Rhoda's chest, hugging her tightly. "I love you, Ma!"

"Love you, too. Now go get changed." Rhoda dragged herself up and pulled Morgen with her, swatting playfully at her to get up the stairs to change. Morgen obeyed this time.

Rhoda smiled, turning to find Mary standing in the sitting room doorway with an appreciative smile on her lips. "She's getting smarter and smarter every day." Mary sighed.

"Takes after her mother, I guess." Rhoda stepped forward and fell into Mary's embrace, kissing her hello.

"You're really great with her, you know."

"Not always. I think I lied to her a little. Your parents definitely hate me." Rhoda winked.

"They do not hate you." Mary sighed.

Rhoda shrugged and moved to check that she had her purse and all that she needed together. "I promised her we'd get ice cream after."

"I suppose we can do that." Mary sorted through the mail that had come that day.

"You're still good on our little promise afterwards, aren't you?" Rhoda held up her compact to check her lipstick.

Mary looked up at her with that silly little smile. "You betcha. Certainly looking forward to it after this week." Mary sighed, having moved up to program director at WJM. And with this promotion her job had expanded and exploded and she was often not even home for dinner.

"What are you looking forward to? Certainly not dinner with your parents." Morgen appeared in the little blue dress and matching bow in her hair that Rhoda had picked out for her a few weeks ago. The girl hated shopping. How did she hate shopping?

"Uh, oh...oh...uh, ice cream. After. Of course." Mary flushed and Rhoda chuckled under her breath to herself.

"Well, let's get this over with." Morgen sighed as Rhoda popped an Aspirin and Mary checked herself over in the mirror. God, the woman had scarcely changed in the fourteen years they had been together.

Mary caught her gazing. Her eyes sparkled with the hint of what would come later. Rhoda felt herself flush, looking away to straighten herself up. Mary's parents always set her on edge, made her second guess everything.

Her eyes caught a picture on the fireplace as she turned. Those kind, smiling, hazel eyes peered out at her from the frame. She looked as youthful as they had ever known her, standing right outside by the giant oak tree in the back. Morgen, all of two, was wrapped about her leg. If only Hazel had been Mary's mother then perhaps Rhoda would not be dreading this dinner so much. Though she realized family was what you made it. Hazel had been so much a part of their family. She still existed, was felt all about inside of the walls she'd left for them to inhabit.

"Heya, space cadet. We'd better go." Mary placed her hand at the small of Rhoda's back.

Rhoda nodded, following Mary and Morgen to the dreaded dinner.

Rhoda thanked whichever God had ordained the night go by uneventfully. Dottie kept mostly to herself, inquiring after Morgen's classes, asking about Mary's job, even inquiring politely about Rhoda's. Walter remained his contentedly quiet self.

They made it out unscathed and to the local ice cream parlor in record time.

Now that Morgen was past the sugar high phase and passed out asleep in her bedroom, Mary and Rhoda were left to themselves. Mary was filling the bathtub when Rhoda rounded the corner into their bathroom. Mary had slipped into her favorite silky black bathrobe, the one that clung in just the right places. She glanced up as Rhoda entered, a sleepy contented smile on her full lips.

"We're bathing together tonight, Richards?" Rhoda let her hands fall to rest on Mary's hips.

Mary leaned in to kiss her. "Uh hmm," she hummed, her wine and ice cream flavored kisses pulling Rhoda in closer. Rhoda's hands snaked their way inside of Mary's robe, delighting in the warmth and softness of her. "I've missed you all week."

"Me, too, kid. I'm gonna have to call and complain to that boss of yours, tell her that she's working you too hard." Rhoda grinned.

"I'm sure she'll take that under advisement." Mary winked, fingers moving to undo the zipper on Rhoda's pants.

"You know, it's really unfair, kid. You ate nearly twice as much ice cream as I did and yet I seem to have gained twice the weight." Rhoda huffed as she helped Mary undress her.

"Oh, Rhoda." Mary sighed, undeterred in her seduction. "Would you give it a rest? You're perfect. Really." Mary insisted as she pulled Rhoda's shirt over her head.

"You're just saying that because you're stuck with me." Rhoda laughed as soon as her head was clear of clothing.

"Shut up and get in that tub." Mary pointed, a not so nice look crossing her features.

"Yes, ma'am." Rhoda removed her bra and slid into the warm, bubbly bath.

"Good, now…" Mary removed her robe in strip tease fashion and Rhoda bit her lip. "There will be no more fat talk tonight. You've had your two minutes and now I'm going to enjoy every last inch of you. You hear me?" Mary stepped one foot into the tub followed by the next, lowering herself down between Rhoda's legs.

"Loud and clear." Rhoda smiled as their bodies touched, made contact beneath the watery surface.

Thank you to all who have been reading along. I hope this was a satisfactory jaunt for our wonderful ladies. I really enjoyed writing this and am pleased that many of you have also enjoyed reading it. So happy that there are still so many wonderful MTM fans out there! You're all wonderful. Thank you, thank you, thank you!