Chapter 14 a

Yes I'm superstitious :-). I admit this party is a little like Dallas but I just couldn't resist.

Friday late afternoon a package arrived for Sharon. From what Lauren saw it was a dress box, in light green bound with a satin bow. Sharon sat in the dinette and stared at the package on the table.

"Afraid it attacks you?" Lauren asked. She leaned against the doorframe of the rear exit.

Sharon flinched "No, I'm not sure I want to open it."

"Could it be a present from a special someone."

Sharon nodded humming a yes before she sighed.

Lauren went into the room "If you don't open it you'll never know", she said and simply opened the bow. Sharon jumped up, knowing Douglas it could be everything from lingerie over a dress to cuffs. She firmly put a hand on the boxes lid.

Lauren frowned at her mother "Mom?"

"Don't be so nosy", she said causing Lauren to take a step back. "Well one of us has to be or you'll sit here all day."

Sharon lifted the lid slightly relieved it wasn't something kinky. She opened the box fully. Among light green silk paper was a dream of a dress made of dark green layers of chiffon. Sharon stared at it. A small folded paper sat atop the dress, which she took in her hands and opened it.

Since I'm responsible for your dressing problems,

I had this made for you.

Douglas

She shook her head and glanced at the dress she lifted it and found it to be long sleeved cocktail dress. Under it was lacey lingerie matching the color of the dress. "I should have known", she mumbled at the lingerie. Lauren peeked inside the box. "This is the kind of please undress me underwear", she observed. "Doesn't he like what you wear?"

"Manners Lauren, manners", Sharon warned gently putting the dress back into the box.

"Will you wear it?"

"I'll try it on and decide then."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

"Nosy again?"

"Sure!"

Sharon shook her head and wandered off to her room with the box in her hands and Lauren at her heels. She waited for her mother to come out of the bathroom to see the dress. Sharon came out with the dress put on and asked her close the zipper in her back. When Lauren did she saw a light bruise right under her left shoulder blade. And another on the right located just below the back, looking like a hickey. Lauren stepped back and Sharon could see her staring at her in shock. "What is it?" she asked suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

"You have some bruises on your back", Lauren said toneless. "Where did you get them?" she continued.

Sharon turned and Lauren immediately noticed a faded mark from the cuffs where the sleeve had rode up a little.

"I hate to ask, but is it non of my business, hell non of my business, difficult and you don't want to talk about it with your daughter, or is it difficult and you don't know how to talk about it?"

Lauren had never thought of her mother into this kind of pleasure and by the uncomfortable look on Sharon's face she gathered this was new to her too. Her mother had seldom lied to her so she hoped she would be honest now too. She cocked her head sideways asking with her eyes.

Sharon gathered breath several times to answer before she said. "It's non of your business."

They looked at each other for several long moments before Lauren nodded slowly "Okay", she finally said and added in mind, for now and left. Trying on dresses suddenly wasn't funny anymore.

Sharon should have known. Lauren had always been the most observant of her two children. She was the first to know when Jack had a relapse even if Sharon tried to hide that from the kids. Lauren knew by watching her. She never really paid attention to Jack after he had a verbal fallout when she was 14 and said in one of his drunken fits that he and Sharon only married because Sharon was pregnant with Lauren. That was day Lauren decided he didn't matter anymore. He only mattered as a problem to be dealt with when he hurt her mother. She went to her room, where her own dress waited. It was dark blue flowing empire dress, with spaghetti straps. Her friend Phillipa would come tomorrow to help her with her hair and make-up, since she was a make-up artist. Lauren had been really looking forward to it but now her anticipation was tainted.