"What if it's my mom?" Ann asked suddenly.

They'd been driving in silence for quite awhile. After packing up and checking out of the hotel, they'd gassed up and then hit the highway, sticking to just above the speed limit and cutting down on the trip's time as much as they could.

They'd chatted lightly about whatever came to mind, but they were all worried. Mae's anxiety had created a heavy tension on the air.

"I thought you already talked with her," Mae replied.

"No, I mean, she knows about you and me and Trent now. What if that's what you're feeling? It's gonna go wrong…"

"Your mom loves you, Ann," Trent said. "I don't think it will go wrong. We'll just need to...explain it to her."

Ann sighed heavily. "Yeah, I hope so."

"We're almost home," Trent replied. "We'll know soon enough."

"Well, hopefully. It might be something we can't easily find out," Bea replied.

"Ugh, this sucks," Mae groaned.

Fifteen minutes later, they were pulling into the driveway. Trent felt his heart beating harder as he killed the engine and got out.

"Wait here," he said, pulling out his knife as he approached the front door. It was possible that something related to the cult might be waiting for them inside. A long-delayed final revenge by a surviving member that had slipped the net, or some new gambit by the Goat. He found the door locked and, after a moment of further consideration, made a circuit around the outside of the house. Along the sides and into the backyard, peering into the windows, not that he could see anything. All the blinds were drawn, but they looked undisturbed, as did both front and back doors.

Returning to the front door, he unlocked it and stepped inside. Still, he saw nothing to indicate anyone had been there in their absence. It was a tense five or so minutes, but he managed to conduct a sweep of the entire house, basement and attic included, and found nothing at all. He saw the three women visibly relax when he returned.

"Clear," he said.

They got their stuff inside and Trent got a load of laundry going while they began putting away everything else. In the end, they met back in the living room.

"Okay, now what?" Mae muttered.

"Could we get the thing with my mom over with?" Ann asked. "It's possible your bad feeling is that, and I really want to face it now that we're home."

"I'm game," Mae said.

"I imagine this will take all three of us?" Trent asked.

"Yeah. Maybe all four of us…" Ann murmured. "Given Bea is technically part of this relationship."

"I'm also game," Bea said.

"Let's do it," Trent said.

Just like that, they were back outside, getting into the jeep and driving deeper into Possum Springs. It was late afternoon now. They'd made good time on the ride back, but it was still about a four-hour drive. Trent felt his stomach tightening up again as he navigated the streets of his town. In some strange way, he'd always known in his heart that Mae's mother would understand. He wasn't sure how or why, but he'd known.

Bea's dad, they'd gotten lucky on, mostly through Bea's own grit. But Ann's mom? He was worried. She seemed a bit conservative in her views of relationships and how you should be living your life, but the fact that Ann had successfully communicated how shitty her ex-husband was to her, Trent had hope.

It still might be weird though, and as many awkward, uncomfortable, and even dangerous conversations as he'd navigated since moving here, he still felt less than confident about his own ability to help Ann deal with this.

Too soon, they were pulling up into her driveway. Ann sighed softly.

"What?" Mae asked.

"I was kinda hoping she wasn't home. But she is," Ann murmured.

"We can handle this," Bea said.

"Yeah, we've got your back," Mae agreed.

"I know, I just...don't want to do this. Just, uh...let me try to lead, okay?" she asked.

"You're the captain of this particular cruise," Trent replied.

They lingered a moment longer, then got out and walked up to the front door. Ann opened it up and led them inside. Her mom was on the couch in the living room, watching something on an old TV that might have been fancy in 1998.

"Selma, hello. Hi, everyone," she said, standing, sounding and looking vaguely uncomfortable.

"Hey mom, sorry to just kinda drop in on you like this, but I got back early from my trip and figured we should probably have this conversation. About...my...relationship...s," Ann replied, becoming increasingly awkward.

"Yes. Relationships." Ann's mom shifted on her feet, then sighed and ushered them into the room. "Well, we might as well sit down for this. It'll be weird to have it standing up."

Trent wasn't sure if that was true, but when he actually considered it as he found a seat on a recliner, he thought maybe she was right. It felt somehow more...formal, perhaps less hostile, sitting down.

"All right, Selma. I really would like to understand exactly what's happening. You told me you were going to live with Trent and Mae as roommates, and now you're saying that you're dating...Mae?" she asked.

Ann took a deep breath and let it out, steeling herself. "So, I'll just lay it out as plainly as I can, mom. I know this is difficult to understand, but here it is: I am dating Mae, I am also dating Trent. Mae and Trent are also dating each other."

"...how, exactly?" her mom asked, her uncertainty more prominent than before.

"Well...okay! I've got it!" she said, suddenly excited, latching onto an idea. "Mom, those shows you always watch, the dramas? You know how there's always the story of the love triangle?"

"Yes, it's rather common."

"Exactly. Okay, so, imagine a love triangle, but instead of choosing, all three people date each other at the same time."

She frowned, looking at Ann, then at Trent, then at Mae, then at Bea. She looked back to Ann. "So you go on...dates? With Trent?"

"Yes."

"And with Mae?"

"Yes."

"At the same time?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes I go on a date with just Trent, or on one with just Mae."

She was quiet for another long moment. "Is this because of what happened with Dennis?"

"What? Argh, mom, no! This has nothing to do with Dennis. I...do you really want to know what happened?"

"I would like to know how this happened, yes," she replied.

"Fine, but it's-you won't like hearing about it. But I love you mom, and you've always told me that I can talk with you about anything, and I can trust you."

"That's still true, Selma."

"Okay then. I'm going to take you at your word. I've been talking pretty regularly with Mae since last fall, and, well, you and I never really talked about it, but I'm bisexual. I like men and women. And something started to form with Mae, but I didn't really think it'd go anywhere. But then Trent moved to town, and he and Mae began dating each other. When I met Trent, they invited me over to hang out. And I came over, we hung out, and Mae asked if I wanted to...well, have sex with Trent."

"Why?" Ann's mom asked, cutting in.

Ann looked at Mae, then inclined her head.

"Well, uh...I know this might seem strange, Miss Forrester, but, like...I don't really understand monogamy? I know everyone in the world seems like they just wanna get married and be with one person, but I really don't. I met Trent and just fell in love right away, but I also knew that, uh, well, sex is, um...this is weird to talk about with you, um...I don't get jealous. And I've always thought just being with one person forever was really weird. Being with two people at the same time just seemed right to me. And I really liked Ann, uh Selmers, uh, Selma, and I wanted her to be happy. She was really sad, and had been for so long, and she liked Trent, and he liked her, so at first, I just wanted to make them both happy, and I thought sex would do that."

"So, Selma, you slept with another woman's boyfriend," her mom murmured awkwardly.

"Yes. With her permission," she replied. "While she was in the room. There was no secret. Everyone was aware and consenting. And after that, you know, I realized I really liked Mae a lot too, in that way, and so I began having sex with her, too. And before long, they both wanted me to be in their relationship. But this has nothing to do with Dennis, mom."

Ann's mom still looked pensive. She looked at Bea suddenly. "How do you fit into this, Beatrice?" she asked.

"Well...I am Mae's best friend. So naturally I got to know Trent, and very quickly Mae let it be known that she didn't mind if I slept with him. And given I was single and very, very lonely, and I found him attractive, I...slept with him. And before long, he and I began dating."

"So you're also dating Selma?"

"No. I'm straight. I'm just dating Trent. Trent is my boyfriend, Ann and Mae are my best friends."

"Your best friends who are also dating your boyfriend."

"Yes."

She looked back to Ann, who still seemed uncomfortable. Ann tried again. "Mom, I know this is strange to you, and it's not what you wanted for me, but...I'm happy, okay? I'm really, really happy. I'm in love and I'm being cared for. Trent and Mae, and Bea, they're all very kind to me, and caring. We all watch out for each other and take care of each other. I don't want you to think it's just a sex thing, okay? I'm not with Trent and Mae just because they're both hot and we have sex. I'm with them because I love them and because they offered to let me into their relationship. And I wanted in. After everything that happened, after the way Dennis treated me, I just want to be happy and loved."

Silence fell again, and Ann's mom just pursed her lips and seemed to think for a long moment. Finally, she shook her head and sighed. "Selma, honey, I don't understand this, or how it works, but...I don't have to. I can't deny that you're so much happier. You've been aglow ever since you moved in with them. Every visit, I can see it in your face. And I can hear it in your voice, especially when you talk about them. You're happier now than you ever were with Dennis. And that's enough for me. I trust you to watch out for yourself, and I feel like I can trust these three to watch out for you, too. So...while I don't really want to talk about the specifics of your relationship any longer, don't think I'm judging you for it, Selma. I love you and I accept how you live your life."

Ann hesitated, looking at her mom, then flicking her gaze to the others, who were also waiting in silence. Finally she seemed to deflate a little as the tension left her in a long sigh of relief.

"Thank you, mom," she replied, breaking the silence that had settled across them. "I...really appreciate this. This conversation means a lot. I just...I'm finally happy, and I'm so tired of sacrificing things to try and make my life work."

"I had to sacrifice a lot to make my life work," her mother murmured, frowning, "and it was...difficult. I wanted things for myself, things for you, and a lot of them didn't work out. But if you can live your life and be happy and not have to make some kind of large sacrifice, then I want nothing more than that for you, Selma." She paused, considering something. "Would it be...inappropriate for me to visit?"

"No, mom," she said, laughing a little. "Not at all. Just give me a little heads up so I can let the others know. You can come over and we can have dinner or lunch or something, or just spend some time together."

"You'd like that?" she asked.

"I'd really like that," Ann replied.

"All right. I will sometime soon then. I would like to at least somewhat get to know the people you...spend your time with."

"We'd like that, too, ma'am," Trent said. He paused as his phone buzzed and he pulled it out, checked it, saw a message from Claire.

Hey are you guys back? I thought I heard your jeep but there's nothing in the driveway now.

He frowned and responded: Yeah we're back, we're at Ann's mom's place now. What's up?

He almost put the phone back in his pocket before he saw the … of her texting back appear. His frown deepened as he saw it lingering for what seemed like a really long time.

"Is something wrong?" Mae murmured.

"I'm not sure," he replied.

"We might need to go," Ann said.

"Why? Is everything all right?" her mother asked.

"We aren't sure. Probably," Ann replied.

Finally, he got a response: Can we talk? I found something and I don't know what do about it.

He fired off a quick response: Found what?

"Ah jeez, I don't like that expression," Bea murmured.

"Who is it?" Mae asked.

"Claire," he replied, standing up. "We should probably go."

She fired a message back: In person is better.

He sighed. Coming home now. Let yourself in.

"We should go," he said, "Claire wants to talk about something in person." He looked at Ann's mom, who seemed worried now. "Don't worry, it's probably nothing serious, just something personal. Claire's going through...a lot right now, trying to figure her life out. We've been helping her out."

That seemed to actually work and she relaxed. "Oh, all right. I hope she gets it all sorted out, I know Claire has been through a lot," she replied.

Ann shared a heartfelt hug with her mother, who then wished them all farewell and good luck, and they headed out into the jeep.

"What is it?" Mae asked, her voice laced with naked anxiety now that they were alone.

Trent keyed the engine and began backing up. "Claire said she found something and doesn't know what to do about it. She needs to talk to us in person."

"Great, it could be fucking anything," Bea muttered.

"If it was something insane, we probably would've heard about it before now, but I'm sure it's gotta be what's been irking Mae so much," Trent replied. "Just try to relax, we'll know what it is very soon."

The tension was back worse than ever as he tried not to speed while making his way back home. They were all really wired for anxiety, and as they pulled into the driveway, they hopped out and hurried up to the front door. They found Claire waiting for them in the living room, sitting on the couch. She had a piece of folded paper in front of her on the coffee table. She looked panicky and miserable.

"Mae, I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"What? What's wrong? Did something happen to my parents?" she asked.

"No. I mean, not quite. I mean…" she sighed and held up the paper.

Mae hurried over and grabbed it, started reading it.

"Oh no…" she whispered.

"What?" Bea asked. "What's going on?"

"I forgot about this," she moaned, dropping the paper and hugging herself. "Fuck, I thought they'd taken care of it! Fuck! Fuck!"

"What the fuck is it?!" Bea demanded, marching over and snatching up the paper. "Oh. Fuck me. Mae's parent are losing their house."

"Let me see it," Trent said.

Bea passed it to him and he looked over the document, trying to make sense of it.

"I'm so sorry, Mae," Claire said. "I had no idea this was happening. They said nothing and nothing seemed to be wrong. I mean, I'd noticed they seemed kind of tense just recently, but I didn't think much of it. And they left that on the kitchen counter and I just glanced at it, I didn't know what it was, and just...ugh, fuck! I know it's selfish but like, goddamnit! I finally find a place to just live and be happy and now I'm going to fucking lose it!"

"You're not losing it," Trent said as he studied the paper.

"What, did I miss something?" Claire asked.

"No, we're going to get the money."

"Trent...that's impossible," Mae said.

"For once, Mae is right," Bea said.

"Gee, fucking thanks, Bea."

Bea winced. "Sorry, that came out wrong."

Mae sighed. "It's-whatever, it's fine. I'm just so fucking stressed."

"Okay, unless I'm missing something, this document is bottom line saying: Mae's parents need to pay them sixty five thousand dollars by the first of June, yes?"

"I'd need to look over their finances and any other documents related to the mortgage, but yeah, it seems to be indicating that. Where the fuck are we going to get sixty five thousand dollars?" Bea replied.

"We can do this," Trent said. He realized everyone was looking at him intently now, especially Mae. "I'm serious, we can do this. We can make this happen. Right now, it's the twenty second of May. That means we have nine and a half days to put together sixty five grand. I've still got about ten thousand dollars in my bank account. But we have friends now! We have people we can call on! Mae, you can do a livestream marathon asking for donations. We hooked it up to your bank account. I was going to do a book signing and selling at the Pickaxe sometime soon. I can push the date forward on that and people can buy the books as a form of donation. We'll tell them all the money is going to help save Mae's parent's house. People will fucking do that. That's what people do in small towns, right? They're supposed to pull together. Lori! Her family won the lottery recently, and Germ! His family has been getting all sorts of opportunities lately, I bet they'd at least be willing to give us some kind of personal loan! Tabby! She might kick in! Melody?! She's from a rich family. We have favors we can call in, and we all have things we can do. Jackie has to have some kind of knowledge that could help. We can absolutely put sixty five grand together in nine days."

"...holy fuck, I think he's right," Mae muttered.

"What about taxes? This would be a tax nightmare for someone…" Ann said.

"I can look over taxes. I actually know a lot about finances and tax shit. I know some workarounds and loopholes," Bea said. "And that's a problem for nine months from now. I think Trent's actually right," she added, suddenly excited.

"I'm going to go start figuring out livestreaming marathon right now," Mae said, heading for the basement door. She paused abruptly. "Oh fuck."

"What?!" Claire cried.

"I was supposed to go to therapy yesterday! It was supposed to be my first session! ARGH! FUCK!" she cried.

"Oh fuck me I knew we were forgetting something important," Bea muttered.

Mae sighed heavily. "Whatever, I'll reschedule tomorrow. This is more important."

"We need to speak with Mae's parents," Ann said.

"When does your mom and dad get off work?" Trent asked.

"Around seven, I think," she replied.

"All right, that's about an hour from now." He sighed, considering the situation a bit further. "We should all be there. I know it's personal and I know they're going to be embarrassed but...this affects all of us. And we can actually do something about it." He paused, considering it further than that, then looked around at them all. "Let's, uh, let's finish getting unpacked and do anything that needs doing. Bathroom, shower, whatever. Then we can go over to Mae's parent's house."