Page 50 of Metal & Mud

"Of course. I've handled worse," Mom said.

Sabby felt another acidic comment flow through her brain. She always made every little issue at work sound like it was on the level of peace in the Middle East, requiring a miracle to solve.

"So what have you been doing?"

"Well, work is work, but I've got some good progress on the school front," Sabby said. "I had a meeting with Jess's battalion commander on some mascot and logo designs I whipped up for the unit. He was really enthusiastic, and it'll be some big feathers in my professional cap."

"That's good," Mom said, sounding pleased. "And how is Jessica?"

"Jess is kicking ass and taking names as usual," Sabby said. "She's at work still, they're having a goodbye barbecue for one of her soldiers who's getting promoted out of the unit."

"Oh, that's nice," Mom said.

Sabby could hear the disinterest in her voice. For Victoria Adams, the only thing that really mattered to her was if her daughters were working, but more importantly something else.

"And how's your social life?"

Yup. Her mother was a firm believer that a woman's highest goal in life was to get married, followed by kids.

Unless you were a woman who worked for her, of course. Then pregnancy was an inconvenience that required Saint Victoria of Ophthalmology to shoulder yet another burden in life.

Sabby never had had the guts to ask her mother if somehow her sister being lesbian disappointed her, since Jess would never be traditionally married, at least in Victoria's eyes. She personally didn't understand it. Jess could still have kids, or adopt, or whatever. Jess was totally awesome as she was, how could her mother see her as any sort of disappointment?

Still, almost nineteen years of living with the woman had trained a lot of Pavlovian reactions into Sabby, and she answered her mother's question.

"My social life is just fine. I'm... I'm actually seeing someone. He's a soldier in Jess's unit."

"Oh really? An officer maybe?" her mother said hopefully. "You know, I heard that those West Point men are?—"

"Actually Mom, he's enlisted... but he's already got his degree," Sabby said quickly to stave off her disappointed look. "From Miami. In math."

The look that came over her mother's face was almost... smug? It confused her, and finally her mother laughed softly, smiling.

"So, I guess you're finally getting your act together. That's good, Sabby."

"Mom—"

"Your father's and my tough love finally bore fruit. I mean, it'd be better if your boyfriend were an officer, someone with a long-term future," she continued, talking right over her daughter. "Why waste yourself with some common soldier?"

Sabby's hand tightened around her phone. Years of conditioning screamed at her to bite her tongue, to smooth things over, to pretend she didn't care about the jab at Logan. But the words were toxic, and they weren't just about him. They were about her, about Jess, about everything she valued. The risk was huge, but the silence felt heavier.

"Mom, how about you just shut the fuck up for a moment?" Sabby said, her voice hardening. "Tough love," she called it. It felt a lot more like being discarded.

Her mother was shocked. "How dare you?—"

"How dare I?" Sabby interrupted, her heart speeding up in her chest as anger and adrenaline flooded her body. "How dare you? Taking credit for what I've done over the past years since you chased me out of your house. Like you and Dad had anything to do with it! You shunning me wasn't 'tough love,' it was my sister, who took me in but held the line. She's loved me unconditionally. It was my sister who didn't react with anger or derision, but just held me to a standard. Never, in all this time, has Jess ever looked at my fashion choices or life choices as if I didn't measure up to some bullshit fucking line in her head."

"I—"

"No, this is my turn, and if you ever want me to pick up a call from you again you can shut up and sit there and listen," Sabby said. "You disrespect me constantly, you disrespect Jess constantly. Me seeing a common soldier? Guess what Mom, Jess is a 'common soldier.' Except she's nothing but common. Jess is an exceptional soldier. She's a leader, she's a badass, she's a warrior, and yes, she's a great older sister. If anything, me falling in love with a 'common soldier' should be a compliment, because he's a good man, and Jess is teaching him how to be a better soldier. Between all of that, I'm in good hands. Now if you ever disrespect Jess like that again, I swear that if Logan and I have a baby, and guess what, he and I are fucking on the regular and he's fantastic at it, you and Dad will not be a part of my baby's life. Do you understand me?"

Her mother looked like she'd just been slapped, and her face flushed. Sabby wondered if she was going to see one of her mother's famous meltdowns, but instead she swallowed back whatever she was going to say and just pursed her lips in that way she did that made her look about twenty years older than she was.

"We'll talk later. Goodbye, Sabrina."

Sabby clicked hangup before her mother could, staring at the computer with angry tears in her eyes. Finally, unable to hold back, she pounded her fist down on the table.

"FUCK!"

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