Apologies for not updating yesterday, RL got in the way. Thanks to everyone for rejoining me on this crazy ride lol

I'd like to give a couple of special shout-out's ifI may:

1) To Melinda and Tink over at DPMB. Thanks for owning/maintaining such afun, honest, obsessed littleplace ;) x

2) Tricki. Where would I be without you, girl?

"So," Stella started, opening the tiny packet of peanuts the Air Stewardess had dropped before her, "tell me about your Mom. What am I getting myself in to?"

They'd actually gotten themselves out of New York City, headed for Chicago. Natalie had been more than accommodating, offering to drive them to the airport, and even to Chicago if need be. Nat had also been the instigator of a shopping spree with Stella, who was embarrassed to admit that she probably didn't have a swimming costume in her closet. Of course the expedition had taken a detour into Victoria's Secret at the younger woman force. Stella had to promise not to break out the fancy attire until they were far away from Mac's mother, though, because apparently Mac's smile the day after would be far too telling.

"Well, Lillian Mae Taylor, she's 77 years old, Chicago born-and-bred. Married a Marine, had me. Raised me practically single-handedly while my father was stationed overseas," Mac stated, as if reading a suspect's biography.

"So you're a Mama's boy then."

"To a degree. She was a very… attentive mother."

"Is that a nice way of saying 'suffocating'?"

He neither agreed nor denied. "She never liked the girls I would bring home, and didn't really accept Claire until the night before the wedding."

Stella's eyes went wide. "So you're feeding me to the lions then?"

"But once she accepts you, you're in the family for life," Mac smiled, not believing for a minute that it would take that long for his Mom to accept her.

"You make her sound like the Mafia or something."

"You wouldn't be far wrong. Besides, I'm whisking you away to a sunnier climate tomorrow," he smiled as if that was the deal breaker. Dawn had gotten back to him not long after his confession to Stella. One week in Portugal with sun, sea and sand. Just what the doctor had ordered.

"You had better be," she sipped at her drink and stole Mac's peanut packet. (It was only fair.) "How come I've never met her before?"

"She didn't come to Claire's funeral, she was in Florida caring for my sick aunt. She's never ventured out of Chicago otherwise, not even to follow my Dad to various parts of the World. She resented that he joined the Marines, and has never trusted airlines anyway."

"She resented your Dad joining the Marines?"

"She thought he'd signed his own death certificate, when it was actually the 30 cigarettes a day that was his death warrant. But you can imagine how she was when I signed up."

She scrunched her face at the thought. "Did she ever marry again? After your father passed?"

"No, she believed Dad was her only love and that she'd had her chance. She never dated."

That worried Stella just the slightest. She almost choked on a peanut, grabbing her drink to abate her coughing.

"Hey," Mac started, "That's what she believes, I'm having a second chance."

Xx

"You ready?" He asked, holding her hand and taking a deep breath before knocking on his Mom's door. They'd dropped their suitcases at a local hotel and grabbed the nearest taxi to Mac's childhood home.

"Are you?" She almost chuckled, trying to still the heartbeat in her ears. Meeting the parents was never an easy task, and it was one she'd only done once before.

"Hello, Mom," he smiled warmly as the door swung open. A wizened old woman was at the other side, her already short frame slightly hunched over but none-the-less fiesty.

"Get in, get in, quick, before-" she sighed dramatically as Mac and Stella slipped past her fast and confused. She waved her hand dismissively into the hall where a door was open a jar, sending a new shaft of light into the corridor. "Yes, Mrs. Finchburgen, it's only my son, you can crawl back into your hole now." She closed the door, muttering "You old busy-body, mind your own damn business."

"Hi, Mom," Mac smiled again, slightly embarrassed and trying to get the old woman's attention back to the guests.

"Ah, my boy!" she called, clamping her hands on either side of Mac's face and pulling him down for a kiss on both cheeks. "Hello," she said to Stella, before turning back to her son. "How was the flight? Did those stupid airlines delay your flight again?"

"No, no, the flight was fine. Mom, this is Stella Bonasera," he said, swapping her hand into his other and slipping the free arm around her back. "It's been a crazy few months, so we never got around to telling you about us."

"This your first time in Chicago?" Lillian asked, no emotion in her voice.

"Yes, ma'am."

"It's a nice city," she replied, turning her back on the guest again and hurrying into the kitchen calling "I hope you brought your hunger with you!" to Mac more than Stella.

Stella gave a worried glance to Mac, who brought their entwined fingers to his mouth and kissed her hand. "Starving, Mom."

Xx

Lillian collected Mac's plates and her own and shuffled into the kitchen. It had been a nice meal, they'd all caught up on recent events in each others lives, and Mac and Stella's relationship had been discussed at length, including why Martha Myerson knew about it before Lilly. Stella was still receiving a chilly reception from the host, but Mac was bringing her into the conversations and including her, so she wasn't as frustrated, but she really didn't know how much more she could take.

If it wasn't for the fact that Lilly was Mac's Mom, Stella would have blown her top and most likely stalked out by now. She could feel herself getting more and more annoyed and wondering just why she was there, especially since Lilly was making it perfectly clear she was only abiding her for her son's sake.

She watched the conversation between Lilly and Mac, it was nice to see. She could only imagine what he was going through, introducing his girlfriend to his Mom. He first girlfriend since the death of his wife. The wife who's parents seemed to be good friends with Lilly. Oh, who was she kidding? Lilly was not going to accept her. She didn't believe in second loves, and what was Stella? That's right, a second love. She should just cut her losses and split.

Mac excused himself to the bathroom, leaving Lilly and Stella alone. Lillian collected her plate and Mac's and stalked into the kitchen with a scowl. "For Mac," she said, following her with her own crockery.

"That was very nice, Thank you," she tried to smile as she put the plates into the sink.

Lilly spun around, Stella just now realising how close she was to her. The older woman dropped a cloth onto the counter and practically snapped, "What are your intentions?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your intentions, with my son."

This was getting ridiculous, and was just the fodder that Stella needed to let it all out. "Listen, ma'am, I know Mac is your son, and that you probably know him better than anyone, so you should be able to see how much he loves me. I'm not stupid, I know he'll never love me as much as he did Claire, but I'm fine with that. If I get even a portion of that kind of love, I'll be a lucky woman. As for me, I love Mac, I know I always will and I'm beginning to realise I always have. So I'm fine with waiting around for you to see that too, because as long as he wants me, I'm not going anywhere."

Lillian looked at her. She brought her hands to her hips and pursed her lips, before softening and turning to Mac who had appeared in the doorway. Smiling, she told him, "I like her."

"I knew you would," he grinned, making his way over to Stella and wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Wait, I'm confused…"

"I needed to know that you wouldn't let an old woman stand in the way of your feelings for my son," Lillian smiled, her whole demeanour completely different to that of not 5 minutes ago. "It took Claire 4 years to finally snap, it took you a couple of hours. I like that."

Stella's jaw was slightly agape when she turned to Mac, "You knew about this?"

"I couldn't tell you that you needed to shout at my 77 year old Mother, now could I?"

"Who wants dessert?"