So you're probably wondering what this is all about. It's pretty simple, it'll be a collection of different stories. Each day, a new chapter will be added on. And as you already know, each chapter will be a different story (unless otherwise noted). And that's basically it. Enjoy.


Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Matt/his mother, Pre-Series, PG, 521 words, Title from Mad Men

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Light… Inhale… Savor… Exhale…

The routine was basic. One Matt's mother was a pro at. Everyday, every 4 hours, she would stand outside the small house that belonged to her mother in-law, and smoke a cigarette. She started this routine at the age of 20, ironically, the same year she met a man named Henry Saracen. She noticed that he was tall, stern, had a deep heavy voice. Kinda like a robot. So it was no surprise to her when Henry said he was in the Army.

As she sat on the rusty garden chair on the front porch, she began to think about the reasons why she married Henry. And honestly couldn't think of any. Well, not anymore anyway. The longer he stayed with the Army, the more of a robot he became in her eyes. She was about to leave him when she got pregnant.

Matt was a good kid. Never caused much trouble for anyone. But the strain of taking care of him was too much for her to handle. Henry was never around, Joel was dead, and while Lorraine was a help, she constantly blabbered about this and that. It was a pain just listening to her talk, let alone live with her. And deep down inside, she thought Matt loved his grandmother more. So with careful and thoughtful consideration, she decided she needed to leave. Leave Henry for good, leave Dillon for good, and leave Matt with his grandmother. For good.

It was painful, but she thought it was for the best. She told Lorraine a few days beforehand what she was doing, and to not tell Matt, that he wouldn't understand. So Lorraine took Matt out shopping for the day. When they came back, she was gone. The only thing she left was divorce papers for Henry to sign when he returned home, and a picture of her and Matt. So that he would always remember who she was. Or wasn't.

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She sends him a birthday card every year, with a personal note, and every year it always comes a day or two late (except two years ago when he never got one at all).

But at 17, Matt still doesn't understand why she left. Doesn't understand why she doesn't want to be in his life. Sometimes he believes he never will. Maybe it's good that he doesn't know the truth. Although, that doesn't change the fact that she left him. Doesn't change the fact that he lies awake at night and cries because he thinks his mother never loved him.

It doesn't change anything.

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Matt gets pressured by some of the guys after a game to come and smoke with them and why he's never done it before. He jokingly tells them that its lame and he doesn't want to do it before leaving them behind. They always give him crap for it, but he doesn't care. If they knew the real reason why he doesn't smoke, then they wouldn't say anything. But he'll keep that bottled up inside, until maybe one day he can finally tell the person it'll matter to most.