Thank you for your continuous kind support.

Also, thank you to HomiesOverHos...me and the fam are doing well.

It has been announced, that the supermarkets are opening an hour earlier and some restrictions have been lifted.

Although we are not out of the woods yet, our island has not recorded a positive CoVid-19 case in five days and there is currently only one person on ventilator. But we have recorded five deaths in total.

More recovered patients have been released and there are only forty seven left in isolation. Thank God for that.

Our numbers are tiny, compared to other places, but we're only a little speck on the world map, so you can appreciate how disastrous this virus could be for us.

Thanks to all for your kind words and your concern. I will and have been keeping everyone in my thoughts and prayers.

Standard disclaimer.

My phone rang early Saturday morning.

Too early.

When I saw it was my brother, I immediately went into panic mode. The kid always slept late.

"Adrian, what's wrong?"

"It's mom..." He sounded breathless. "She didn't come home last night, which didn't surprise me, you know how she is...her usual Friday night at the bar. I just figured she went to some guy's place and spent the night."

Hearing my brother talk like that about my mother, was normal, but it still bothered the shit out of me.

Did other kids have these kinds of fucked-up conversations about their own parents?

"And?" It had to be something serious, for Adrian to call me this early.

"Anyway, she came home this morning and tried to hide in her room. Mercedes, she's one hot mess. She's got a swollen lip and a black eye."

"What the hell?" I sat up in bed. "Did she say what happened?" Adrian sighed.

"I'm pretty sure I already know," he said.

"What Adrian?" I shouted. "Goddamn it! Tell me!"

"I didn't want to mention it to you before, but...she's been seeing Tom again." The blood drained from my face.

"What?"

"She asked me not to tell you, and I figured it would go nowhere fast. He hasn't been over more than two or three times. But, last night I heard her on the phone, so I know she was meeting him."

"That son of a bitch," I said and smashed my fist into my mattress. "I'm hopping in the shower and driving down right now."

"Mom will be pissed, but I didn't know what else to do," he huffed out. He sounded relieved. "I need you, sis."

"You did the right thing."

The hour long drive home, just made me more furious.

Maybe, now, my mom would finally believe what a sick freak Tom is and that he is prone to violence.

I couldn't stop myself from gripping the damn steering wheel so hard, as I drove and my fingers were beginning to swell from the pressure.

I almost wished I had killed Tom, when I'd had the chance...cause my mom sure as hell didn't believe me back then.

There were no witnesses, but...I might be sitting in jail right now, if I had.

Tom had been a cop at the time, and the force was a tight-knit group.

The only reason Tom had finally left my mom, was because, my ex-boyfriend Brian's father, was the mayor and my threat against him worked.

But I knew my mom still blamed me to this day, for running him off.

When I turned down Maple Drive, I felt a familiar tension in my stomach.

I hadn't been here in months, but, just driving through my old neighborhood, still had the power to make me feel like an outsider, like I no longer belonged.

Hell, I was proud of the fact.

But somehow, passing by the city hall and high school stadium, reduced me, to lost-teenager status again.

I pulled up the busted concrete driveway and parked next to Adrian's brown beater, still going strong after two years.

The trees had turned a golden orange and some leaves had already fallen to the lawn.

Adrian and I had loved jumping in leaf piles out front, while mom yelled at us, to help rake.

Most of my good memories involved Adrian.

Mom was always with one guy or another…some who tried to parent us, others who ignored us completely.

I couldn't even remember half of their names. But I remembered Tom.

He and mom drank heavily on weekends, so there was no telling what I'd walk into.

Sometimes they were half-dressed and passed out on the couch.

Other times, friends were over and they were high as kites, from the bong they'd been passing around.

Tom had tried to insert himself into our lives at every turn. He'd won me over for a minute there…I'd actually thought he was sincere.

He'd show up to my softball games and piano recitals, dragging my mother with him.

But I realized now, he had only been grooming me, prepping me, for what he'd tried to do to me, later.

What he'd tried to take from me.

I'd tried shielding Adrian from all of mom's men, but by the time he reached high school, he knew the deal.

He wasn't naive or dumb.

And the biggest surprise of all, was, he wasn't jaded. He was upbeat, social, and hopeful.

So, when I left for college, I was hopeful, too, that he'd finish high school and blaze his own path in life.

Adrian came charging out of the house towards me.

He was tall, built and handsome, but still had a baby face.

I hopped out of the car and pulled him into a hug.

"You need a haircut, baby bro, but, I bet the girls like it." His cheek lifted in a dimple.

"Only one girl could request a haircut, and it's not you or mom…you know that."

I took his hand and we walked side by side to the front door.

He was over six feet, so he had to slow down, to keep in step with me.

"How'd you get so whipped by a girl, huh?"

It hit me then, how much Adrian reminded me of Sam. And that made me feel strangely satisfied and optimistic.

Adrian was sweet and vulnerable and in love with his girlfriend, Angela.

I don't think he was a virgin like Sam, but I knew he'd be smart about using protection.

The old aluminium door swung open, creaking on its hinges, and the noise from the TV, came at me like a physical blast, smacking me upside the head.

Mom always had the TV turned up too loud.

"Where is she?"

"Kitchen."

She sat in a chair with a damn cigarette, dangling from her busted-up mouth.

When I got a good look, my hand shot to my face.

A dark bruise formed beneath her left eye, and her bottom lip was cracked and split.

"I don't know why Adrian called you." Her voice was gravelly and harsh. "Not like you've shown your face around here in months."

I ignored her pity party.

I talked to her plenty on the phone, and to my brother, even more.

I left this place for me.

To save myself.

And I would have taken Adrian with me, if she had let me.

"What did he do, Ma?" I asked, hands on my hips. "Punch you in the face a couple of times?"

"You don't know anything about it, Mercedes," she said, pointing an accusing finger at me. "Don't come marching in here, acting like you own this place. You left us, remember?"

"Mom, I'm in college, remember?"

"You left long before college." She looked so vulnerable then. Like she was just hanging on to her sanity, by a thread.

I've always wondered, if her lifestyle would ever catch up to her.

Accepting any man into her home, into her bed, hoping they'd love her back and stick around long enough, to help pay some of the bills.

That's where she and I differed.

I accepted only men I wanted into my bed, and then kicked them to the curb, immediately afterward.

And no way in hell, did I ever beg them to care about me, help me financially, or do any special favors for money.

"I tried to tell you why I was leaving back then, mom," I said. "But you didn't believe me."

She refused to meet my gaze, just taking long drags on that cigarette and blowing smoke into the air.

I wouldn't be surprised if her coffee was spiked with something strong, too.

"You need to ice that shiner." I pulled a bag of frozen peas from the freezer, knelt down beside her, and held it to her eye.

When she finally looked at me, I saw that her resolve was softening.

"Do you believe me now?" I whispered, forcing the matted black hair away from her face with my fingers.

Tears sprang to her eyes and rolled down her cheeks in fat trails.

She'd probably never say it out loud, but I took that as her admission.

"He'll just make hell for you," I said, adjusting my knees on the tile. "You'll have to get a restraining order against him."

"A restraining order?" Her bottom lip hung open and then started to quiver. I nodded.

"You still love him?" She shook her head.

"I thought, maybe, I did. But he's changed."

I bit my tongue to keep from telling her, he was just putting on a show for her, all those years ago.

When in reality, he was proving his true colors in my bedroom, in the middle of the night.

"Are you afraid of him?" She squeezed her eyes shut. Again, her only admission.

"Get in the car," I said, standing up. "Adrian, too. We're going down to the station."

She wouldn't move.

Just stared at me with those puppy dog eyes.

One of them with a black and blue ringer.

"Don't you dare try to argue with me," I said through gritted teeth. "You have an underage child in your home. You need to protect him, until he graduates from school."

I went down low, right next to her ear.

"At least do right by him, if you couldn't do right by me."

She inhaled a lungful of air, that left her gasping.

She stood on shaky legs and moved towards the door, grabbing her purse on the way out.

Adrian gave me a sidelong glance, but didn't ask what was going on.

A hundred bucks said, he'd already figured it out.

On the way into town, I dialed the one person who'd be stunned to hear from me.

But I still had his number saved in my phone. He answered on the first ring.

"Brian, it's Mercedes." There was a long pause. So I filled in the silence. "I know it's been a long time, but I need your help. Your father's, too."

I dropped my mom and brother at home, after we filed the temporary restraining order, at the police station.

I had an afternoon shift at the nursing home and needed to get my butt back on the road.

Mom would need to attend a court hearing, to make the restraining order stick, and Brian had promised to have his father look into it, as soon as I told him, who the charge was against.

Even though we ended our relationship badly, he knew I went through hell with that man.

Mom assured me, Tom had gotten back on the road already…that he had a wife forty minutes away, in Russell Township.

Scumbag!

But, I knew my mom, she would have taken him back anyway.

Regardless, I made her call one of her old flames to stay the night…nothing like a damsel in distress, to make men come running, look how Sam took care of me, after my almost-break-in.

The thought of me sleeping in Sam's bed again, lit the usual fire in my belly, but I pushed the thought away.

I begged Adrian to stay at my place this weekend, even offered to have his girlfriend come, too. But he refused.

Said he wanted to stick around home, just in case.

He promised to come up next week instead and to call me first thing in the morning or sooner, should he need me.

The moment I walked into Mrs. Jackson's room that afternoon, she knew I'd had a tough day.

"You look like hell, princess."

"Are princesses allowed to look like hell?" I asked, adjusting her position in bed.

She hated lying flat on her back. She loved to see the view of the grounds, beyond her window.

"Even princesses have bad days," she said, touching my shoulder. "Tell me what happened, sweetie."

I told her about my mother, leaving out details about exactly who Tom was and what he'd done to me years ago.

I didn't need her blood pressure rising any higher today.

She'd been having a rough time of it lately. Her feet were swollen and her temperature had spiked earlier in the week.

"You're a good daughter," she said, patting my hand. "And a good big sister, too." I smiled, prepping the thermometer.

"And if I was your grandmother," she huffed, "I'd knocked some sense into that mother of yours."

I thought back to my real grandma and how she was just as strong-willed, as this lady in front of me.

A smiled tugged at the corners of my lips.

The both of them would've...and had certainly given my mother a run for her money.

"I believe you would. If you were my grandmother, my life would be immeasurably happier. Adrian's, too."

"Consider me an honorary grandmother then. I insist. I already love you like a granddaughter."

"That means more to me than you'll ever know." I felt the stinging of tears behind my eyes.

"Now, tell me where that husband of yours is. I haven't gotten my flower fix today."

"You'll get your own flowers someday," she said, a twinkle in her eyes. And I knew what was coming next.

"So, how's Pretty Boy doing? You haven't talked about him in a while."

"His name is Sam. But, he is pretty," I said. "And nothing is going on with him. We're just friends."

Although I wasn't sure, if that was even true anymore. Not after what had happened with Matt at the tattoo parlor.

"Mmm-hmm…." I don't believe you for one minute. Not with that fire blazing in your eyes." I smiled.

After recording her temperature, I tucked her in and waved good night.

"See you on Monday."

I got a text from Brody on my way home. I almost didn't check it, because I was too tired and definitely not in the mood. At least not for him.

Brody: You home?

Me: Not yet.

Brody: Think I left my Ray Bans at your place…can I pick them up?

Me: Why do you need them so bad? They're only shades.

Brody: My mom bought them for me, they're pricey as hell, and I'm seeing her for brunch tomorrow.

Me: I'll be home in ten minutes.

I had changed into my flannel pajamas and had already poured myself a glass of wine, when I heard my buzzer.

I grabbed Brody's sunglasses off my kitchen counter and went to meet him at the door.

Maybe he'd get the hint, that I wasn't into anything more tonight, in case that was on his mind.

"Looks like somebody's ready for bed," he said, looking down at my fuzzy slippers.

I was so covered up, I probably knocked the thought of a quickie, straight from his head.

"Yeah, I'm beat."

We stood in my doorway chatting about Brody's plans, with his buddies for the night, when Sam stepped off the elevator.

I straightened, as tension radiated up my spine and across my shoulders.

He wore a gray hoodie, baggy jeans, and a pair of blue Converse sneakers.

Wow! He made casual look good.

Sam adjusted his red ball cap lower on his head, when he spotted me.

His shoulders hunched up and he looked behind him, like he hoped the building had a rear-door exit, so he could make his escape.

"Hey," he said, and dipped his head as he passed.

He didn't even look at Brody and probably assumed, he was just another one of my friends with benefits. And maybe, Brody wasn't. Not anymore.

Sam Evans was messing with my head.

I didn't want him to get away so easily. I wanted to talk to him, to make sure we were still cool. Even though I was pretty sure we weren't.

"Where are you headed tonight, Sam?" I asked.

He paused at the door and seemed to be weighing the decision, of whether to turn around or not.

My stomach pitched and rolled.

"Up to the corner bar," he said. His eyes were dark and stormy. "To meet a friend," he ended.

The way he said the word 'friend' made my insides curdle.

Was he just giving it back to me, or was he actually meeting a girl?

"That's cool," I said, not meaning a word of it. "Um, this is my friend Brody."

Sam gave a simple nod and turned again to leave.

And suddenly, I wanted to usher Brody the hell out the door, as quickly as possible.

"All right, Brody, I'm gonna hit the hay." I said it loud enough, for Sam to hear.

The door slid closed behind him, and I watched him walk down the sidewalk to the street. He never missed a beat and never once looked back at us.

Brody looked between me and the door, his expression dark.

It was an emotion I'd rarely seen before…he'd always been pretty laid-back and happy-go-lucky.

Which made him the perfect fuck buddy. No questions asked.

"So, um... thanks for the shades."

He twirled the sunglasses in his fingers with a jerky, odd motion, like there was something else he wanted to say.

And for the first time, I had the impression that maybe, he was wishing for more tonight...that maybe, he had hoped I'd invite him in. He sighed.

"Tired, huh? Catch you later, then."

I stayed up a bit later, to watch a home-decorating show in bed. But my concentration waned.

Every time I heard the sound of a key, turning in the front entrance door, I imagined it was Sam coming home, possibly with a girl.

I pictured Sam lying beside me, his strong arms embracing me, his warm mouth against my lips.

I wanted to inhale his coconut scent, map every inch of his skin with my tongue, and hear my name tumble from his lips again, like when I'd made him come undone.

I hoped that Sam might stop over after the bar, because he was alone and wanted my company.

But he never did.

Uh-oh! Stay safe, stay home, stay blessed.