AN: Four or five chapters left, I think.

Thank you and enjoy.

Chapter 94

I tossed two pairs of jeans, a selection of tee-shirts, sneakers, random under things and ten hoodies in a cardboard box. A girl has to have a clothing she loves more than all else. Mine is invisibility hoodies.

"Done."

Baseball Boy looked up from his phone. He typing something to giant. They could be discussing fencing or diapering techniques, nothing those two did lately would surprise me.

"Bella, aren't you packing anything else?" He held up Moby Dick.

"Yes, kid, you do have a Moby Dick. Stop fishing for compliments." I gave him a wink. It was disturbing how good I was getting at giving those. "That's Charlie's. I use it as a doorstop."

"There has to be other things you want to take! Photos? Mementos?" He held up a plastic pig wearing sunglasses. It was damn ugly.

"My mother gave me that right before she stuck me on a Greyhound bus to come here. It's a vending machine pig from the terminal. I keep meaning to throw it out." I shrugged.

My kid took my hand, as I tried to grab some socks. Something I actually could use. He said, "But it's from your mom. A remembrance of her being a part of your life."

"The woman isn't dead! Edward, not every moment is a Hallmark Channel movie. My mom and I are cool. She's a dingbat and amazingly embarrassing, but the crazy did push me out. I'm grateful for her fornicating with Chief Charlie."

"That was strangely touching and also very disturbing." He grabbed me around the waist. "You called me Edward."

"I did. I like to keep you on your toes, not to mention, we've been dating for awhile now. I think I can let your given name slip out every once in awhile, even when were not having sex." I kissed him swiftly. "Will it appease you if I bring pictures with me? I will absolutely not be putting them in a scrapbook or decorate a poster board with pictures of you all to hang in my dorm room."

"That's fine." He hugged me tighter. To think I used to hate touching. Actually, I still do. The exception is my kid, always my kid. "Are you sure you still want leave right after graduation? Not spend the summer with the gang?"

"I want to see the largest ball of twine in the United States and eat sketchy hamburgers from roadside greasy spoons."

We were driving cross country to go to our college. Traveling the open road. Making nasty, nasty love in shady motels. Peeing next to cactuses. Escaping from homicidal truckers. Maybe not that last part.

My kid was excited, but driving me nuts with the constant planning. He had special sheets, blankets and sanitizing wipes for the trip. A list of food establishments that had been carefully examined and deemed safe by health and safety departments. He had outfits planned out in individual bags, while I threw two outfits into a plastic shopping bag. We were like Felix and Oscar. We were The Odd Couple.

"I just wanted to be sure." He tossed me onto the bed.

"Hey."

He kissed me and caressed my side underneath my tee-shirt. "I'm excited. This is going to be so much fun."

It really was.

"Dad won't be home for a couple more hours." I tapped his nose.

Edward unzipped my shorts and slipped those long fingers down my underwear. "We can have some playtime."

"Oh yes."

We only got approximately five minutes of playtime.

"Oh my baby!" My mother, Renee burst into my bedroom, followed by her sheepish husband. Poor, embarrassed Phil took one look and ran out of the room. "My that boy has a nice ass. Good job, baby girl!"

Renee was in all her teased hair and leopard printed wearing glory, checking out my boyfriend's bare butt. It was disturbing.

I threw a throw blanket over my kid. "Why are you here?"

"You're graduation, baby." God, I hated being called that.

I fixed my shirt. "You were supposed to be on a cruise getting Montezuma's revenge in Mexico!"

"We were going to, but my baby is graduating!" She clapped her hands. "I bought you a dress!"

"No!" I can see it now. Animal print and tight. Like mother like daughter. I imagined she wanted us to be twins.

She ignored me. "Aren't you the handsomest, young man I ever did see? I know, I know...I look like Bella's older sister and not her mommy. Oh, Bella...let's tell everyone I'm your older sister."

Yes, because the old cougar in front of me wearing an outfit that would fit best in front of a slot machine in Vegas looked exactly like my big sister. Serenity now.

"Mother, please go downstairs. There's sodas in the fridge."

"Gin?"

It wasn't even noon.

"Liqueur in the same place, Ma."

"Fantastic!" She pointed to my kid and said in an attempt to be sexy, "I'll be seeing you soon!"

Gross.

"That's my mother."

Kid looked at the door in shock, as we heard her clomping down the stairs in her stripper heels.

"Wow."

"Now you see what your getting in thirty-five years," I added.

"No!"

"I'm joking."

He looked relieved. "Thank god!"

This would be a graduation to remember. Unfortunately.