August 2005, Los Angeles

The street was quiet at 2 am, and it comforted Sharon as she walked the short distance from the driveway to the front door of her house. The motion sensor light flickered on as she stood on the front porch. She unlocked the door and turned on the light in the entrance hall, making sure to close the door and lock the door behind her three times. She placed her purse and keys on the hall table and moved towards the living room, shedding her light jacket on her way. Suddenly, she heard a loud click sound and the light turned on in the living room. Instinctively, she reached for her side but quickly realized that her gun was in the safe in her bedroom closet.

"Hi Mom," she heard her daughter's familiar voice.

"Emily, you scared the sh…" she paused and felt her cheeks becoming red. She has always avoided swearing, especially in front of the kids. "What are you doing here?"

"Just landed 4 hours ago, thought I'd surprise you," Emily replied.

"I'm surprised," Sharon said. It's been months since Emily came home for a visit, and while being away from her daughter hurt, she realized that Emily was busy with college and ballet. She always wanted her children to live their dreams and was never going to stop them from fulfilling themselves, even if it meant they had to be far from her.

"I didn't realize you'd be out," Emily said, and her eyes gazed at Sharon from head to toe. "I also didn't realize you were dating someone."

"I'm not dating anyone, Em," Sharon replied.

"Oh, yeah? Where did you go dressed like this?" Emily quipped. Sharon looked at her daughter, who was definitely on to her.

"It wasn't a date," she sighed.

"Not a date, my ass. Mom, this is the kind of dress I would wear if I wanted to get laid!" It took Emily a moment to understand what that meant about her mother. "No! Tell me you weren't out doing what I think you were doing."

"It's none of your business, Emily," Sharon replied with a shrug and began walking towards the staircase that led to the second floor. Emily pushed herself off the couch and followed her.

"Who is he, Mom? Is it someone from work?" she asked as she climbed the stairs after her mother.

"Emily, I'm really tired," Sharon said and walked into her bedroom. "I'm really glad you're home, but it's late, and you should go to bed," she kissed her daughter's cheek and closed her bedroom door. She kicked her shoes off and unzipped her dress when the door opened, and Emily went into the room.

"You don't get to do that to me, Mom," she called out.

"Excuse me, can I have some privacy?!" Sharon demanded and gave her daughter a blazing look.

"No, you cannot, Mom, because I need to understand… Oh, my God, your back! What the fuck is this, Mom?" she asked when she saw the scratches on Sharon's back. Sharon grabbed her robe and wore it, but knew that it was too late. "Mom, I demand to know what's going on right now." Sharon sighed and looked at her daughter, who was clearly distraught. She took a seat at her vanity table and began removing her makeup.

"You're right," she looked at her daughter through the mirror. "I am seeing someone, for sexual purposes."

"What does that even mean, Mom?" Emily asked.

"We meet every once in a while, and we have sex," Sharon explained.

"You mean, like a friend with benefits?" her daughter watched her, trying to make sense of what her mother had just said.

"Something like that," Sharon replied.

"Who is he?"

"It doesn't matter," Sharon said.

"I want to know who he is," Emily demanded. "Is it Dad?" Sharon shook her head. "And what about dad?"

"What about him?" Sharon wondered.

"How do you think he would feel if he knew that you're cheating on him?" Emily's words made Sharon turn around.

"I'm not cheating on your father, Emily. We're separated," she explained.

"Which means you are still married, and now you're sleeping with someone else, so that's cheating, Mom."

"Emily, whatever you think this marriage means, it does not. Your father has dated several women over the years, too. In between his drinking and his gambling, he has cheated on me repeatedly, even before the separation," Sharon said quietly.

"So what is this, a rebound?" Emily still looked upset.

"No," Sharon chuckled. "When you and Ricky still lived at home, it was easier for me to ignore my needs. But now you have moved to New York, and Ricky is spending the summer at camp. Nights get a little lonely. I met this guy a while ago at an exhibition. He's nice, and he doesn't want anything from me that I can't give him. We meet once or twice a week, spend some time together and go our separate ways until the next time. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I thought you were celibate," Emily said in a disappointed tone. Sharon smirked.

"Honey, I've never preached for celibacy in this house," she said. "I don't believe in denying yourself something that makes you feel good if it doesn't hurt anyone else." Sharon got up and took a seat on the bed, next to Emily.

"Are you being careful, Mom? I mean, can you still get pregnant?" Emily blushed like a ripe tomato as she asked that.

"Yes, I can, and I am careful," Sharon smiled at her daughter.

"I'm sorry."

"What for?" Sharon asked.

"For calling you a cheater," Emily said. "I just wish things were better for you, Mom, and that you didn't feel so lonely that you needed to sleep with someone else. It wasn't okay for me to judge your situation, and I didn't know dad has been sleeping with other women."

"I'm sorry you had to find that out. He's your father, and you love him, but he's not a good husband to me," Sharon said.

"He's not a good father either," Emily sighed. "I think he's been avoiding my calls."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I hope he calls you soon," Sharon sighed and hugged her daughter. They sat there with their arms around each other for a while, until Sharon stifled a yawn. "It's late. Let's go to sleep," she said.

"Thank God it's the weekend, and we can sleep in tomorrow," Emily said as she pushed herself off the bed and walked towards the door. "Good night, Mom. I'm sorry for keeping you up."

"Don't be. I'm happy to spend time with you," Sharon replied. Emily went out of her room and closed the door behind her, and Sharon put her pajamas on and crawled into bed. Her daughter learned some unpleasant truths tonight, and that made Sharon realize just how innocent and sheltered Emily was. She hoped that her daughter would be able to come to terms with what she had learned about her parents' marriage. And she knew that no matter what, she would never be an absent parent like Jack. She would always find a time for a talk with her children, even at 2 am after a tryst.

THE END

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