Thank you! Plus see below for a special announcement (if you didn't see it in yesterday's one-shot). Enjoy!

Chapter 14

"How…" The words stuck in her throat. Anna kept her hand on Zoey's head, trying to keep herself calm.

"And you must be Zoey," her mother said, bending down to Zoey's level. Zoey eyed the stranger before her, pursing her lips together.

"Who are you?"

"I'm your grandmother," she said.

"You're not – how – how did you know where I live? That I have a child?" Anna asked, finally able to gather her bearings.

"Social media," her mother simply said. "You know your friend, Mary, posts an awful lot online."

Anna sighed. She and Mary would have to speak about privacy settings on her account. She knew Mary enjoyed sharing about their lives online to their close friends and family, especially since Zoey was born. She was a proud mother and wife.

"She's not my friend, Mum. She's my wife," Anna stated strongly, watching as her mother's face drained at those words.

"Right," she said between strained lips. "And who is your father, little one?"

Zoey moved from behind Anna's back and came in front of her.

"I have two mummies," Zoey told her. "This is Mummy," Zoey said, pointing to Anna. "She carried me in her belly. Then I have Mama. To have me, they had to use my Uncle John's sperm. You see to make a baby…"

"I think that's enough," her mother said, standing up and looking uncomfortable. "Do you really think it's appropriate for a five year old to know all of that?"

Anna cocked up her eyebrow.

"I haven't seen you in over ten years and you're judging my parenting? Quite rich coming from you, don't you think?"

"Oh Anna," her mother groaned. "Don't be like that. We should be happy to see one another again. Aren't you happy?"

Anna took a hold of Zoey's hand and brought her back next to her.

"Did you leave him?" Anna asked.

"I did. I did. A year ago, actually."

"Good. That's really good, Mum. But that doesn't negate what happened, does it?" Anna tightened her grip on her daughter's hand and began to walk forward, ready to leave the shop. They would have to come shopping for clothes again another time.

"Anna!" her mother called after her. "Please, Anna, can't we do lunch or something? I want to be in your life, in Zoey's."

Anna paused her steps. Her inner voice was telling her to keep walking away, but her inner child still needed her mother. She turned and faced her.

"Maybe we could do lunch sometime next week," Anna said, instantly regretting the words when she said them. She'd cut her mother out of her life for a reason. Was she making a mistake allowing her back in? "Just you and me," Anna added. "I'd rather you not come around Zoey right now."

Her mother looked hurt, but she nodded.

"All right, if that's what you wish."

"I do. Here." Anna dug into her purse for her business card and handed it to her. "This has my number on it. You can call me or text me to set up a time to meet for lunch next week. But don't call my work, only my personal number."

She walked away, then, not having anything else to say but feeling completely overwhelmed. Had she done the right thing?

-X-X-X-X-X-

Later that evening, Anna sat alone on the couch in the living room while Zoey played upstairs in her playroom. As she sat in silence, she kept asking herself if today had really happened. Had she really run into her mother?

Her hand ran over her face. What was she going to tell Mary? Mary had never met her mother, but she knew enough about her to form an opinion.

The door opened and Anna slunk further into the cushions, as though it might hide her from her wife and the rest of the world.

"Darling? Zoey? Where are you both?" Mary asked, stepping further inside the house.

Anna glanced over the back of the couch to find her wife standing in the foyer with a small doll in her hands.

"Please tell me that's for the new baby and not Zoey," Anna said, making Mary look down at her and grin.

"And what would a baby the size of a raspberry do with a doll?"

Mary went around the couch and sat down next to her wife, lifting up the small doll for Anna to see it. It was a cloth doll with yellow yarn hair.

"I just had to get it for Zoey," Mary beamed. "Don't you think she'll love it?"

"Of course, she will. But you bring her home a new toy at least once a week. Where will it go?"

Mary waved off Anna's question, bending forward and giving her a kiss to stop the conversation. Anna knew by now it was worthless to try and get Mary to see reason. She enjoyed spoiling their daughter too much. She would never stop buying her gifts she didn't need. Deep down, Anna found it endearing. There was no such thing as too much love.

"How was your day, darling?"

"Um," Anna sighed. She picked on the edge of the pillow that she held in her lap.

"Anna?"

"I ran into my mum today," Anna whispered. She couldn't meet Mary's eyes. Instead, she kept hers fixated on the unraveled piece of thread.

"What?" Mary gasped. "Today?" Anna nodded. "You haven't spoken to her in years."

"Yeah," Anna murmured. "She said she knew where we lived because of your social media. She knew who Zoey was."

"Oh Anna!" Mary inched forward, grabbing Anna's hands, and forcing her to look up at her. "I'm so sorry, darling. I didn't even know anyone else could see my posts other than my friends. Are you angry at me?"

"No," Anna assured her. "I just – I don't know how I feel about it all."

"Of course, you don't. That must have been quite the shock. I hope you told her to go away," Mary said. "Or I can, if you need me too."

"No, I don't," Anna said. "I agreed to go to lunch with her, alone."

Mary sat back slightly.

"What?"

"I know. I don't – I don't know," Anna murmured, wiping below her eyes. "I was completely content with her out of my life, but then I saw her today and there was this rush of emotions."

Mary gave her a sympathetic look before drawing Anna into her arms.

"Oh darling, you know I support you no matter what," Mary said into her ear. "If you feel like you should have lunch with her, then go. I just want you to be careful. She's hurt you before and I don't want her to hurt you again."

"I know," Anna said, a soft sob escaping her. She grasped at Mary's back, holding her tightly. It felt comforting to know she had her wife's support.

For several moments, she just allowed Mary to hold her before she sat back and shook her head. She brought her hand down to touch Mary's still flat belly.

"And how's our little one doing?" Anna asked.

Mary brought her own hand above Anna's.

"Brilliant, as always."

"Still no morning sickness?" Anna asked warily.

"None," Mary said. "But don't worry, darling. You saw the ultrasound, our baby is doing amazingly."

"If you're not worried, then I'm not," Anna replied. "Though I might be a bit jealous. I was peckish by this point with Zoey."

"Yes, I remember. And your obsession with cheesecake," Mary teased.

"Mama! Mama!" Zoey's voice rang as she ran down the stairs. She rushed into the living room jumping up onto the couch and right into Mary's arms. "You're home late."

Mary brushed her hand over Zoey's cheek.

"I know. I'm sorry, sweetheart. I had a very important meeting, but when I was out at lunch, guess what I found?" Mary lifted the doll. Zoey screeched.

"Thanks Mama!" She hugged the doll to her chest.

"And what shall we name this one?"

"Um….." Zoey pondered. "Mary!"

"Oh, well I am honored."

Anna smiled, leaning her head against Mary's shoulder and touching Zoey's arm. Everything really was perfect. They had their little girl and their baby on the way. Was she messing with everything by letting her mother back into her life?

To be continued...

*Hello everyone. Today, I announce that my time on this website is coming to an end. I have begun a different journey in my writing. This will be my last story. I will be finishing up this and then I will be removing myself from here. Though, as a thank you for reading my stories and following me for a while, I would like to offer you a free copy of my newly published book. If you are interested in getting this copy, you would have to go to my website at aghawkins/dot/net and sign up for my newsletter. On Halloween (October 31st), I will be sending out a newsletter with a link to download your free copy of this book. Also, following my newsletter will help you keep up to date with stories I have coming out in 2023. Thank you - AlexisRose