Yeah my dear readers I'm surprised as you are with this new additional chapter but I was struck with some inspiration after writing "Parental bonding" and as you all know my muse is not easy to ignore as you know since sometimes I add chapters to stories even when marked "complete."
Holly Vega didn't know exactly what to do, after the less than stellar way the conversation with Tori went last week, she felt as if her first try would also be her last.
"But it can't be... It ... It just can't."
She desperately wanted her daughters back.
"But how do I go about it the right way?" She thought "Tori isn't keen on talking to me and I know Trina wouldn't either... Maybe I could talk to Jade? Holly cringed at the thought "Bad idea... I probably wouldn't make myself any favors... only waz my pants in the process... How about that Gibby guy? He isn't as scary as Jade but equally bizarre, so it probably wouldn't do any good... Another possible option are their friends, maybe I could talk to a few and convince them to tell Tori and Trina that I really want to fix things... Maybe then... I... I could have a chance?"
The woman was so deep in thought that she didn't even acknowledge the fact that she had entered a middle class neighborhood, that is until she finally took notice of the sound of laugher, looking up, Holly saw several children playing around, a sad smile grazed her features, seeing a bunch of children all so happy was a gloomy reminder of the fact that she didn't get the chance to babysit her own grandchildren and taking them out to play due to the animosity her own daughters have towards her.
... Something she desperately wanted to change... To fix... But had no idea how.
Holly picked up her pacing, not being able to handle the painful reminder of what she was missing in her, lonely, lonely life.
That is until she saw a small black ball roll to her feet, slowly she picket it up.
"Odd... usually these things are flashy in color." Holly mussed "I remember when Tori and Trina used to fight over a purple one despite that they had tons more laying all over the house."
"Excuse me…" A shy voice spoke "Can I please have my ball back big lady?"
Holly looked down, noticing a little boy who she assumed about about the age of three or four.
The woman smiled warmly, handing over the ball to the child "Here you go."
"Muchas gracias … " The little boy said happily before skipping away in the opposite direction.
"Anthony!" Someone yells out "Anthony! Come inside! Dinner's ready!"
Holly stropped in her tracks, "That voice... It sounded like... No... it couldn't be... Could it?"
"Coming Mama!"
Oblivious to the woman's thoughts the toddler tossed the ball in the opposite direction wanting to play a while more, the black ball hit a mailbox which bounced into the street, Anthony of course went after it.
The ball landed in front of a pair of heels, the toddler happily grabbed it before looking up to see his pale mother looking down at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Mom!" Anthony said happily "You're back from Chinatown!"
"I went China, Tony. " Jade corrected with a chuckle, affectionately tousling his hair afterwards. "Although I wouldn't have minded being sent to Chinatown instead, it's so much closer to home."
"I missed you!"
"I bet you did." The former Goth said with a playful smirk, lowering to her son's level, an opportunity Tony took advantage of as he jumped into his mother's waiting arms.
"Did you miss me?" He wondered innocently.
"What kind of question is that?" Jade asked "I missed you plenty."
Tony hugged her harder.
"Anthony!" Tori yells out "¡Ven a comer mijo!"
"Oh looks like someone got a first warning."
"Come on Mom!" The toddler said grabbing her hand "Mama's gonna be happy to see you!"
"I don't doubt that." The thespian said with a wide smile "But I have some stuff to get out of the car, so you go right ahead. I'll catch up but don't tell your mama I'm here just yet... I want to see her and your sisters looking surprised when I make my big comeback... So can you be sneaky and secretive for me?"
"Uh-huh!"
"Better not keep your mama waiting any longer then."
Anthony immediately ran towards the direction of their house as Jade watched him go from a safe distance, not close enough for her wife to see her but close enough to be sure that her son actually went home and didn't get distracted on the way.
"I swear he has a shorter attention span than Cat ever did, but he's still my boy."
Meanwhile Holly had seen the exchange between her daughter-in-law and her grandson, hiding behind a large shrub, not wanting anyone to notice her spying them, it was quite the surprise that she had come across the boy she had wanted to meet ever since the paparazzi had made the news of the adoption public, something she was sure Tori would be annoyed about.
Holly was grudgingly grateful for the media, as it was her only way into a part of her daughter's world, not the whole picture, which only served to put salt on the wound.
"Movies and news outlets will never compare to the feeling of being a part of Tori's life."
... And that was the bitter true.
"Well, what took you so long?"
Holly was brought back to the world once she heard the question coming from a very familiar voice, she turned around to witness Tori holder her son in her arms.
"It's a secret!" He giggled.
Tori raised an eyebrow sceptically "Did you managed to get some cookies while I wasn't looking?"
"We have cookies?" The toddler asked surprised "Gimme!"
The Half-Latina laughed "After dinner."
"Oh phooey."
Tori grinned before giving her son a squeeze and a kiss on his head "My little boy."
Afterward they went inside unaware of their audience who stood motionless in shock.
How could she not? She hadn't seen her own daughter so happy in ages.
Her instincts told her to walk away but she ignored them, she wanted to see more.
So Holly waited until the coast was clear and snuck around the yard, she had to be quick for she knew Jade would come by anytime soon and if she saw her... It would be hell on Earth.
the woman saw a big tree that should have a decent view into the window, taking a deep breath Holly climbed up as best she could.
"I haven't climbed a tree since I was a kid." She said in between huffs "I'm really out of practice."
That being said, it took Holly what felt like hours to reach the branch that would let her see into her daughter's home but it probably was a mere couple of minutes.
As Holly panted after her little exercise she sat as comfortably as she could on the branch, she was grateful that the tree had too many leaves which served as a cloak so there were little chance of being noticed, by the people inside and outside.
... But she still felt uneasy, which wasn't a big surprise seeing as what she was doing was rather illegal and if caught... Well she didn't even want to think of that.
Lucky or unluckily for Holly, she didn't have much reason to think of anything other than what she was seeing. the tree had a good view of the dining room.
Which showed a happy family about to have a homecook meal.
"Dinner is served!"
"Yum! Lasagna!" Danielle said, taking a sniff out of the hot cooked dish.
"This looks good Foodio!" Tawny praised the robot cook.
The robotic chef took off his hat, making a few beeping noises as if to say "thank you."
"Hey! What about me?!" Tori asked somewhat annoyed.
"Mama, you didn't even make our dinner." Danielle pointed out "In fact, it's because that no one in this family can cook that we had to get Foodio in the first place."
"I bought the ingredients didn't I?"
The twins shared an amused gaze before chuckling "Yeah mama, great job."
"Now girls, what is my first rule on the table?"
"No sarcasm during dinner time."
"That's right!"
As soon as everyone was seated, Foxy whimpered, his dish in his mouth.
"Don't worry buddy, I have your food right here!" Tony said trying to jump to a cabinet to get his pet fox his "dog food."
"Uh... Mama? Little help?"
Tori chuckled, getting off her seat to get their pet his dinner.
While the Half-Latina was busy doing that, Jade entered the dinning room, Danielle and Tawny stopped chewing at the sight of their mom who had a finger over her mouth.
"Shh."
The Thespian sneakily walked behind her wife, the only thing that would ruin the surprise was their son's giggles.
"There you go Foxy." Tori said putting his food on his plate "Eat u... Hey Where he go?."
The answer came up soon after as she heard a whimper behind her, so Tori turned around only to be greeted by a sight for sore eyes.
Foxy was nuzzling Jade's boot affectionately, the former Goth mischievously grinned like the Cheshire Cat as soon as her wife's eyes laid on her.
"Hey Vega... Missed me?"
Suddenly everyone got out of their seat and ran towards the pale woman.
"JADE!"
"MOM!"
Tori was the first to make contact with Jade, locking lips almost instantly.
"Its been so long..." Both women thought with a moan "I missed her..."
The three got between them, most likely because they didn't want to see her parents eat each other faces when dinner had just been served.
"Mom! We missed you!" Tawny said hugging her mother.
"Tell us everything!" Danielle said excitedly "How was China?"
"Did you bring me anything good?" Anthony asked.
"I sure did squirt." Jade replied "I brought you all presents all the way from China, but it will have to wait after dinner."
"Aww."
"Don't aww me you three." The former Goth warned "I been on a fourteen hour flight, I'm starving, I'm tired but most of all I missed my family so after dinner I swear you all get your presents."
"Ok." They all agreed.
The thespian clapped "So... What are we having?"
"Foodio made Lasagna, baby."
"God we would have all starved to death without that robot... Kind of ironic if you think about it."
Tori gave her a peck of the cheek.
"What was that for?"
"I missed your talk about death." The Half-Latina replied "It just wasn't the same without you."
Jade held her wife, giving her small kisses all over her face. "You have no idea for how long I been dreaming of doing that."
"I bet."
After that, the family of six (Foxy included) sat down to have dinner.
During the entire meal, Holly could see them laughing at something Jade said, Tori slapped her arm in jest, the twins were asking question after question while Tony played with his food as well as giving Foxy some of it, something both his parents admonished him for.
"They looked like a real happy like family….without me in it."
A tear slides down her cheek, Holly felt as if her heart had been teared her heart out.
"Just think of it, had I known been such a bitch to my daughter, right now I would be having dinner with them... Had I only been more understanding... More supportive."
"Mom... I have something to tell you." Tori said, running her arm nervously.
"Can't it wait?" Holly asked, not looking up from her phone "I'm in the middle of something."
"Mom, please, it's kind of important."
Holly gazed at her daughter before setting the phone down, but not before smiling at the last reply
"Ok... What is it?"
"Mom... You love me right?"
"You're my daughter Tori... Of course I would love you no matter what."
"Even if I wasn't... straight?"
Holly froze right then and there "What?"
"Mom... I'm gay."
"No... no... you can't be." Holly said in denial "You... You're just confused... That's all."
"Mom... I'm not confused." Tori said empathically "I known for a while now that I'm into girls... I know it's too much to handle but I'm still me... but you know... I just have a preference for my gender... It's gonna take a while but... you just said that..."
SLAP!
Tori hit the floor soon after.
"You little dyke!" The older woman screeched "How dare you.. How dare you talk about this blasphemy... How dare you go against God! Now I'm going to ask you this one time and you better think your answer wisely... Are you Straight or Gay?"
"Gay."
Holly slapped her again.
"Get out." She said ominously "Get the fuck out of my house!"
"But mom..."
"No! Don't call me that!" Holly hissed disgustedly "You're not my daughter, my sweet little girl isn't a dyke... An abomination!"
Tori had tears down her big brown eyes.
"What about you loving me no matter what?"
"That was before I knew of your sin." Holly sneered "Now get out of my house and don't come back till you get your head straight!"
"Please mom... please hear me out."
"Had I known you were going to be a dyke I should have aborted you."
Those cold, hateful words hit Tori hard, after that, she knew nothing would ever be the same, she ran out of the house, towards Jade's. But it wasn't the end of it all not long after both her father and Trina learned about what had transpired.
Tori was welcomed back by her remaining family.
Holly had not.
A siren broke Holly's memory, the woman frantically looked around, hoping to not have been caught.
As it turned out she got the second blow of the day as she recognized the cruiser.
David Vega got out of it... Her ex-husband, fearing she had been caught, she began to panic.
"No no no no no, please tell me he isn't here to arrest me."
The cop walked towards the front door of the West household, pushed the doorbell and not long after Tori opened the front door and hugged her father.
"Dad! Come in, come in, we're having dinner."
"Hey officer Vega."
"Ah Jade, good to have you back.
"Good to be back."
The door closed both literally and figuratively.
Holly began to shed new tears.
Not wanting to see any more of this, she climbed down of tree and ran away from there before anyone caught her.
"That could've been me Tori had welcomed into her home..." She thought depressed "But it wasn't."
It was all over now….
This was a life that Holly could not and would not be a part of, no matter how much she wanted to be.
She collapsed on the grass, crying her eyes out.
"I want my daughters back... I want my family back."
She felt as if she had been slapped.
It hurt.
"Timothy 5:8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."
For whatever reason that biblical phase came to mind.
Holly cried harder.
Muchas gracias … - Thank you very much.
¡Ven a comer mijo! - Come to eat son.
Foodio is actually an unused character from the Invader Zim series which was made by Prof. Membrane to solve world hunger while in the comics he is a robotic chef which apparently is massed produced, in here I used him to be the family's personal chef before Anthony eventually took the job, an explanation as to how the family was able to have meals made considering that Jade and Tori aren't even close to decent cooks.
I hope I made Holly's flashback to when Tori came out emotional, shedding light on the anger Tori has towards her mother.
I also wanted to end this story on an ironic note since it was Holly's religious belief that made her turn her back on her daughter when she needed her the most and the quote by the end felt like a massive blow.
This will be the end, unless my muse decides to strike again.
Anyway, your thoughts?
Invader Johnny Signing Off.