By the time Serena got into the apartment the boys were playing a video
game. "What took you so long mom?" Sammy asked, not looking away from the
screen. Serena walked by him towards the kitchen, hitting him lightly on
her way in. "You try walking up six flights of stairs when you're my age."
When she got into the kitchen she began opening cupboards. "What do you
want to eat for dinner?" she shouted. "Pizza," came the reply in unison.
She rolled her eyes. "Pizza," she muttered. "Always with the pizza." The
doorbell rang. "Sammy, will you get that? Check the peephole fist." There
was a squeak and the door was opened. "Sammy, who is it?" She walked out
and stopped in shock. "Mr. Shields." He was standing in the doorway holding
a red rose. "Call me Darien. Hey Sammy." "Hey Mr. Shields. Come on Artemis,
I'll show you my ninjas." The two blonde ten year olds left the room. "I'm
sorry, I completely forgot you were coming over. I told a friend that I'd
watch her son for her." "Oh, I was worried for a moment." "Worried?"
Serena's brow wrinkled in confusion. "I thought that they were twins for a
moment." Serena burst out laughing. "Why would you think that?" "Well, they
do look a lot alike. Kind of like fraternal twins." Serena raised an
eyebrow and laughed. "Anyway, go ahead and have a seat, I have to order
dinner for the boys." She walked to the phone and pressed #3 on speed dial.
"Hi, Mr. Cardivichi? It's Rena. Great. Sammy's great too. Listen, I need
two large meat lovers, capice?" she added the last part to amuse the aging
pizza man. She said a few more things and hung up. "So, about Sammy,"
Serena said as she sat down, "He made a confession to me. He's purposely
not turning in assignments and acting out in school. I guess he just wanted
a little more attention." Darien nodded. "Go on," he said. Serena shook her
head sadly. "I'm a single mother, I work two jobs and I'm starting college
this fall. I think he's afraid he'll fall through the cracks. I would never
let that happen. I love my son, more than anything. I'll never let anything
happen to him." As she said this her eyes clouded over and Darien got the
distinct feeling she wasn't aware he was in the room. "Damn you," she
whispered. She came back to reality with a sickening thud. "What were we
talking about?" "Sammy." "Oh, right." She stood up. "Things are awfully
quiet back there. I have to go get a look. I'll be right back." She stood
and walked out of the room.
**** When Serena left Darien took the opportunity to look around her home. There were a lot of pictures of a young Serena and a baby Sammy. Most of them were of Sammy, though. There was a picture he assumed was a family portrait. He stood up and walked across the room to get a better look. It was a family portrait. There was an elderly couple and people he assumed were her brothers and sisters. It appeared to have been taken some years ago. Serena looked to be about eighteen. That made Sammy around three. Darien frowned. She looked young and scared. He looked up and saw more portraits as they went through the years. "That's my favorite." Darien jumped, shocked by the sound of her voice. "What?" She moved closer. "This is my favorite." She picked the picture up. Sammy was five. "Why?" Her face clouded again. "I don't know." She set it down again with a snap. The doorbell rang and her face was transformed, wreathed with smiles. "Pizza," she said. "Would you like to stay for dinner?" Darien was amazed, and just a little bit frightened by her mood swings. Did she get them often? Were they a danger to Sammy? Was it PMS? Was she Bipolar? He shook his head. "I have to go." Serena nodded and went to the door to pay for the pizza. He left and she waved happily to his retreating back. He got into his black sports car and sat, staring at the wheel. Feeling guilt well up for the first time in a long time. No matter how crazy she was she loved Sammy. He almost fell ashamed of himself, for what he had to do. He shook his head and sped off.
****
Serena held the portrait in her hands and looked at it carefully. It had been taken the day her father had been sentenced to life in prison with no chance for parole. Sammy and Artemis came into the room, their mouths stuffed full of pizza. "Where did Mr. Shields go?" Serena smiled and turned around. "Home. Unlike your fabulous mother, he can only take so much." They only rolled their eyes and went back to their food. She shook her head, grimacing. She didn't know what was going on anymore. She was having episodes, she had been blacking out, forgetting things. Lately she had attributed it to the heat, but now. She just didn't know. Shaking her head, she forced herself to think happy thoughts and went to rejoin the boys. Later that night, after Mina has picked up Artemis, Sammy walked into Serena's room and sat quietly on the bed while she brushed her hair. "Mom." She turned and smiled at him. "Yeah?" He began to fidget under her loving gaze. "What is it?" She moved to the bed and sat by him, cocking her head to the side. "What happened to my dad?" Serena stood, feeling that she had taken a blow directly to the solar plexus. "Didn't see that one coming," she murmured. He stood up. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine." She smiled reassuringly at him and took his hand, leading him to the bed. "It's not that, really. It's a very difficult subject for me. Your father and I were so in love, we were planning on getting married when we graduated from high school," she lied glibly, "he died in a car crash before I could tell him about you." "What was his name?" She thought hard and fast. "Kenneth." He nodded, seemingly satisfied and stood up. "Thanks mom. Love you." He kissed her cheek and went to bed. Serena crawled under the covers and began to cry. The thought of all the lies she had told, had been telling, was starting to make her sick.
**** When Serena left Darien took the opportunity to look around her home. There were a lot of pictures of a young Serena and a baby Sammy. Most of them were of Sammy, though. There was a picture he assumed was a family portrait. He stood up and walked across the room to get a better look. It was a family portrait. There was an elderly couple and people he assumed were her brothers and sisters. It appeared to have been taken some years ago. Serena looked to be about eighteen. That made Sammy around three. Darien frowned. She looked young and scared. He looked up and saw more portraits as they went through the years. "That's my favorite." Darien jumped, shocked by the sound of her voice. "What?" She moved closer. "This is my favorite." She picked the picture up. Sammy was five. "Why?" Her face clouded again. "I don't know." She set it down again with a snap. The doorbell rang and her face was transformed, wreathed with smiles. "Pizza," she said. "Would you like to stay for dinner?" Darien was amazed, and just a little bit frightened by her mood swings. Did she get them often? Were they a danger to Sammy? Was it PMS? Was she Bipolar? He shook his head. "I have to go." Serena nodded and went to the door to pay for the pizza. He left and she waved happily to his retreating back. He got into his black sports car and sat, staring at the wheel. Feeling guilt well up for the first time in a long time. No matter how crazy she was she loved Sammy. He almost fell ashamed of himself, for what he had to do. He shook his head and sped off.
****
Serena held the portrait in her hands and looked at it carefully. It had been taken the day her father had been sentenced to life in prison with no chance for parole. Sammy and Artemis came into the room, their mouths stuffed full of pizza. "Where did Mr. Shields go?" Serena smiled and turned around. "Home. Unlike your fabulous mother, he can only take so much." They only rolled their eyes and went back to their food. She shook her head, grimacing. She didn't know what was going on anymore. She was having episodes, she had been blacking out, forgetting things. Lately she had attributed it to the heat, but now. She just didn't know. Shaking her head, she forced herself to think happy thoughts and went to rejoin the boys. Later that night, after Mina has picked up Artemis, Sammy walked into Serena's room and sat quietly on the bed while she brushed her hair. "Mom." She turned and smiled at him. "Yeah?" He began to fidget under her loving gaze. "What is it?" She moved to the bed and sat by him, cocking her head to the side. "What happened to my dad?" Serena stood, feeling that she had taken a blow directly to the solar plexus. "Didn't see that one coming," she murmured. He stood up. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine." She smiled reassuringly at him and took his hand, leading him to the bed. "It's not that, really. It's a very difficult subject for me. Your father and I were so in love, we were planning on getting married when we graduated from high school," she lied glibly, "he died in a car crash before I could tell him about you." "What was his name?" She thought hard and fast. "Kenneth." He nodded, seemingly satisfied and stood up. "Thanks mom. Love you." He kissed her cheek and went to bed. Serena crawled under the covers and began to cry. The thought of all the lies she had told, had been telling, was starting to make her sick.