Chapter 10
"I can't believe she's getting out," Charlotte said, reading the letter from Mary, "I just met her and now…"
Jessica looked at her daughter nervously, "That's… great, honey."
Charlotte looked up from the letter and smiled, "You don't have to pretend to be happy about it, mom. I don't even know how I feel about it."
Jessica sighed in relief, "Okay, well what else does she say?"
Charlotte looked to the letter and then to her mom and shrugged, "Um, she just says she'll be out next week and she'd like to see me… she says she's glad I came to her visit her last week."
Jessica nodded, "Right, well… however I feel about her doesn't come in to play, okay? If you want a relationship with your mother, I'll support you."
"I know, mom," Charlotte smiled, "I think I'd like to see her again… but I'd also like to take things pretty slowly."
"Of course," Jessica murmured, "Well, whatever you need, I'm here. However involved or not you want me to be – "
"Of course I want you to be involved!" Charlotte exclaimed.
"Okay," Jessica agreed, "You just have to know how complicated things are between me and my sister…"
"I know, mom," Charlotte nodded, "But anyone who is a part of my life… is going to be a part of your life, at least a little."
Jessica smiled, "Okay sweetheart," she kissed Charlotte's lips, lingering and taking in the pleasant taste of her lips.
"Mm," Charlotte licked her lips, "Never lasts quite long enough," she giggled.
Jessica laughed and stood up, holding out her hand, "Ah, yes but we need to get to lunch with Alison."
Charlotte took her mom's hand and got up from the couch, "Fine, fine," she acted quickly and spun her mom around, kissing her hard. Her mom kissed back but eventually put a hand on her daughters' cheek and pushed her away gently.
"You're cheeky," Jessica murmured, stroking her cheek gently.
Charlotte grinned, "I know, I know, we have to get to lunch," she pouted.
"Now, now, don't pout," Jessica rolled her eyes, "It's good Alison invited us out. It's a big step after… everything we've laid on her."
Charlotte smiled, "I know. You're right," she grabbed her bag off the kitchen counter, "Let's go! We can finish this later," she turned around and winked.
Jessica laughed and followed her daughter out the door.
"Hey," Charlotte hugged her little sister, "You haven't been waiting long, have you?" she fretted.
Alison waved a hand, "No, no it's fine. Where's mom?"
"Oh, she's just paying for parking," Charlotte said, "She'll be in in a sec!"
Just then the waitress appeared asking for their drink order.
"Could I get a strawberry milkshake, please?" Charlotte asked, "Oh and um, a green tea too."
"Cappuccino, please," Alison smiled as the waitress wrote the order down and walked away just as Jessica entered.
"Oh, did you – "
"Yes, I ordered for you," Charlotte rolled her eyes, "Can't go without your fifth tea for the day."
Jessica ignored her and hugged Alison before sitting down.
"Really, you're counting my drinks now?" she quirked an eyebrow at Charlotte.
Charlotte shrugged, "No, I just like observing details."
Jessica rolled her eyes this time and turned to Alison, "How's school going? And no use lying to me, you know I'm going to parent teacher interviews tomorrow."
Alison shrugged, "It's fine, I guess. It's boring but my grades are pretty good."
"You know if you need any help, I'm pretty smart," Charlotte grinned smugly.
"And modest," Jessica tutted.
"Thanks," Alison smiled, "Mostly math is a bore."
"Hey, I'm good at math!" Charlotte exclaimed.
Jessica laughed, "It's true though," she agreed, "She's a whiz with numbers."
Charlotte looked proud.
"Cool, you can do my homework for me," Alison laughed.
"Help you do your homework," Jessica corrected.
"Yeah, yeah," Alison mumbled.
"So, um, I got a letter from my…from Mary today," Charlotte bit her lip, "She's getting out on parole next week."
"Shit, really?" Alison looked surprised, "That's pretty big news, right?"
Charlotte shrugged, "Yeah, I guess."
Alison watched her closely, "Are you okay about it?"
"Um, I think so," Charlotte said, "I just want to take everything really slowly but I guess it's nicer than visiting an institution," she smiled, "I'll be back, bathroom break!" she stood up and walked away.
Alison turned to her mom, "So, how are you with all that? I mean, she's your sister, right?"
Jessica hesitated, "It's not my favourite thing," she admitted, "But Charlotte has a right to get to know her mom so I'll support that."
"Sure," Alison nodded, "But you guys don't exactly get on? And what if she finds out that you know, your relationship isn't just…adoptive mother daughter…?"
"Well… that would be a disaster," Jessica confessed, "I just hate that I've given her more to lie about…"
"I think she thinks it's worth it, mom," Alison smiled.
Jessica sighed, "I hope so."
"Hope what?" Charlotte asked as she returned, sitting down.
Jessica smiled, "That they bring our drinks soon!"
Right on cue, their drinks were delivered.
"Strawberry milkshake, how predictable," Jessica teased gently.
Charlotte smiled sheepishly and slid closer to her mom, "Yeah, yeah. Like you can talk five green tea's by midday," she shot back.
"Well, it's healthier than a milkshake," Jessica chuckled, "You're such a child sometimes."
"Well, thankfully for you, sometimes I'm very adult," Charlotte smirked.
Alison let out a sigh, "Seriously?"
Charlotte bit her lip, "Sorry, Ali."
Alison shrugged, "It's fine. It's kinda cute."
Charlotte grinned, "Well, I am adorable," she giggled.
"And modest," Jessica said for the second time that day, "But very true."
Alison picked up her bag, "I better get back for school and you two better get home so you can keep flirting…"
Charlotte blushed and hugged her sister, "See you later. And hey, I'll help you with your math, okay?"
"Sure," Alison smiled and hugged her mom, "See you tonight."
Once Alison walked away, Charlotte turned to Jessica happily, "Hey, she seems to be getting more accepting, right?"
"Mm, she does," Jessica agreed, "Now, are you finished that milkshake?"
Charlotte sucked on her straw, "Jeez, bossy, bossy. Someone's in a rush."
Jessica laughed and leant closer, "Well, maybe I just want to say things and do things that may not be accepted in public."
Charlotte's eyebrows shot up, "Oh!" she realised and sucked on her straw quickly, sculling the last of her milkshake, "Ready!"
Jessica cracked up laughing, "So eager," she teased, "I'm flattered."
"Told you I can be very adult," Charlotte said through laboured breathing as she lay naked on her back.
"Thank god for that," Jessica breathed, still tracing a finger over her daughters' bare stomach.
Charlotte grinned, "Satisfied then?" she asked smugly.
Jessica laughed quietly, "Indeed," she murmured, "Always."
"Well, I am – "
"Oh, shush," Jessica pinched her daughters' side gently, "You're so smug."
Charlotte shrugged, "I think I deserve to be after hearing you moan like that."
Jessica rolled her eyes, "I bet I can make you moan louder," she whispered into Charlotte's ear as her hand trailed down her stomach and cupped her crotch, before dragging one finger through her folds.
Charlotte's breath hitched in her chest.
Jessica was the one smiling smugly this time, "What do you think?" she murmured.
"I think," Charlotte nibbled on her lip, her eyelids fluttering as Jessica's hand continued playing with her, "you're probably right."
Jessica chuckled, "Mm, I thought so," she breathed, "God, you're so wet, baby."
Charlotte's throat let out an unedited moan, "It's what you do to me. The way you speak, the way you feel under my touch, the way you moan, the way you touch me…"
Jessica half hovered over the younger woman now, making her hand movements more intentional as she whispered, "You too, sweetheart," she flicked Charlotte's clit and smiled as her daughter moaned, "The way you love me…" she kissed Charlotte's lips gently, "with so much… feeling, so much passion…"
Charlotte groaned, "I… I…"
Jessica chuckled, "Shush," she whispered, "Don't try to speak just now," she rubbed on Charlotte's clit a little harder, in wide circles at first growing increasingly smaller.
Charlotte gasped and clutched at Jessica's hips, nuzzling her head into her chest as she felt her orgasm rip through her body. Jessica smiled and laid down on her back, pulling Charlotte on top of her as her body still shook. Jessica ran a hand through blonde hair.
"I guess you win," Charlotte finally got control of her breathing.
Jessica smiled, "With you, I always win," she murmured.
Charlotte smiled as she propped her chin on her mom's chest and looked up at her, "I love you so much."
"I love you too," Jessica whispered, "You're my precious girl."
Charlotte bit her lip, "I like it when you say that," she smiled, "You're beautiful, mommy."
Jessica leant up and kissed Charlotte's lips, "So are you," she murmured, before pressing their lips together again, "I never knew love could feel like this. So… good and free and beautiful."
Charlotte kissed her mom's cheek, "Wasn't it ever like that with… dad?"
"Hmm," Jessica pondered, "Never this strong, Charlie. It was more of a puppy love at first, but nothing like what I feel for you."
Charlotte's eyes lit up at that, "Wow," she murmured, "I'm the luckiest person in the world."
Jessica's heart melted, "No, honey, I am," she whispered, "You've shown me what real love can be like. What it's supposed to be like. I can never thank you enough for that."
"Sure you can," Charlotte insisted, "You do, by doing the same, mom. I never thought I'd know what it was like to be loved for who I really am. I just want to spend forever with you," she fiddled with her mom's fingers.
Jessica raised those fingers to Charlotte's cheek, "Then we will spend forever together, I promise."
Both women smiled and settled into a comfortable position in the bed, tracing patterns over one another's skin until they drifted off to sleep.