I'm getting a great response. That makes me happy.

I thought the chapters were going to be longer, so I retract my statement; I apologize. It's all hand written and it looks like longer chapters that way.

As you can see, I go from Past to Present to tell this story, and yes, Bella does have it rough. There will be one character that I know you'll have mixed feelings about. I can't wait to see what you think.

No copy right blah...blah...blah. SM owns blah...blah...blah.

3/10/2018


Black Tears

Chapter 3

BPOV


Present Day


"Hi, momma," I say as I take the vacant spot next to my mother on the couch.

She has the TV on watching her evening soap operas. She's always watched CSI: Miami and CSI: Las Vegas.

Her eyes avert to mine. "Hello," she says then smiles before she studies my face for a minute. "You look so much like my daughter, Isabella."

"It's me, momma. I'm here to visit until tomorrow. I brought you some new crossword puzzles and your favorite snacks."

Sue had left to visit with her son, Seth and his family. He has four kids and another on the way. Her daughter, Leah, lives in California where she's going to medical school. She's going into neurology and hopes to, one day, find a cure for Alzheimer's. She decided to take that route when my mother was diagnosed.

"I do like crosswords. My husband Charlie always saves me the one from the Sunday paper," she says. "Are you married?"

"No, momma. I work too much to find time for a relationship," I reply as I think back to my high school boyfriend, Edward.

He was the love of my life, but when he and his twins sister, Rosalie, moved to New York to attend NYU, he decided it was best to end our relationship. Communication slipped away from us about a year after he left and I hadn't talked to him since.

I always felt a little twinge in my heart every time I thought about him. He was the best thing to ever happen to me and now I hoped he was truly happy. He had been the only man I was with, sexually, until Jimmy.

"Oh," she says. "You really should find you a good man. Especially one with a big penis. My husband Charlie's hung like a horse. That man always leaves me satisfied."

I didn't know how to respond considering she was talking about my dad. I wanted to cringe, but I also loved how carefree she had always been, even with her memory deteriorating.

"Wow, mom. Thanks for sharing that with me." I pulled a crossword book from my bag and handed it to her. "Here's the crosswords for you."

"Oh, I love crosswords." She takes the book and scans over it. I try to find simple ones to make them easy for her. Her doctor says it's the best way to keep her memory going for a while longer, but the most painful part is when she doesn't recognize me. She has her moments when she knows who I am. Unlike today; today I just look like her daughter Isabella.

"Mom, are you hungry?" I get up from my seat next to her and start for the kitchen.

"No, sweetheart; your dad grilled some burgers before he left to see Harry. They're having some sort of tribe meeting tonight and they wanted your dad to sit in on it. He'll be back before you head back to Seattle."

My dad was the Clallam County Sheriff for most of my childhood, but decided to step down to a regular patrol officer after I left for college so he'd have more time to spend with my mother. My brother, Jasper, is in the Marine Corp and is currently stationed in Germany.

He'd come home for three weeks when our dad passed away and one more time since then when mom was diagnosed.

He helps with what he can considering he has a wife and a little boy to take care of. Alice is a little high maintenance and is the backbone to their small family. Jasper had met her in Italy, marrying her a month later when they learned she was pregnant.

They've been married for ten years and I've only met Alice and my nephew once when they came for my dad's funeral.

Alice still resides in Italy until Jasper's tour is over. He has less than a year left and says he's moving stateside before the ink on the papers are dry.

He hasn't said where he's moving, but my gut tells me he'll be moving in with our mother so he can claim our childhood home once mom passes.

If he knew what I've been going through over the last year, he'd have a coronary, but not before he disowned me. I was thankful we only speak a few times a month.

Jasper had always been very protective of me. His shoulder was the one I cried on when Edward decided it was best to end things. He was the one who convinced me to get my head in the books to get my degree.

I did all that and now I'm a high priced stripper who fucks her boss for a couple of lines of coke.

My ass would be ripped a new one if my big brother knew what his baby sister was doing for a living. As long as he continued to believe I had my job at the financial firm, things were good. He'd find out eventually, but that was the furthest from my mind at the moment.

While mom looked over the crossword book I gave her, I heated up some left over baked macaroni and cheese that Sue made. She was such a great cook and I owed her more than she knew.

Later that evening after I got my mom situated with her meds and tucked her snuggly into bed, I received a text from Jimmy telling me he needed me to come in.

I, politely, told him that I was out of town on my two days off and I'd see him on Friday.

A few choice words were sent in reply followed by a profuse apology. Jimmy was good for an ear full then a grovel afterward.

The next day I took my mom to the park and out to lunch. She was quite funny when she poked fun of herself when she realized she misspoke about something and remembered she was losing her mind.

I couldn't help laughing because those moments she knew who I was then claimed senility fucking sucked.

Those were her words...not mine.

Every visit always seemed to grow shorter and shorter. I try to prepare myself for the visit when she'll never remember who I am. I knew the day was coming; I only prayed for an extension on that due date. I hoped for years, but I knew better than that.

I always try to visit my dads grave when I'm in town and take mom with me. Half the time she doesn't know where we're going. She always thinks we're visiting her parents grave. I really needed to start writing everything that she tells me because some were true and others, I had idea where the story comes from.

Sue stayed the night with her family and arrived an hour before I needed to leave back to Seattle. I felt bad every time I left. I knew she wanted more time with her Seth and I should be the one taking care of my mother, but the time isn't right; the money is what keeps me in Seattle.

When I made it home, I did normal stuff like going to the store to get my groceries and more laundry soap. I hated going to the laundromat in our basement, but walking up and down the stairs made good for my thigh and ass muscles. Jimmy has told me they're a lot nicer than the other dancers. He was probably blowing smoke up my ass just to fuck me. As long as the green and white stuff kept flowing, I was perfectly fine with the compliments.

I was sure Jimmy means well, but it isn't the life I dreamt of for myself.

If I could only find that magic genie lamp and make my three wishes. 1) My dad would still be alive 2) My mom would be healthy 3) I had the job I envisioned to put my degree to good use.


Short but sweet and this only means, there'll be two chapters posted.

RTB