Page 44 of Social Sinners

Mom, Jay and me, stayed up late many nights since she’d come to live with us, just talking. I knew the church had been in our family for generations, but I was surprised to learn that my mother’s family had kept up with the archaic tradition of arranged marriages for the females in the family. That vicious cycle would be expunged with the sale of the building. Our mother was now able to walk away a free woman in more ways than one, and still young enough to finally be able to enjoy life, and who knows, maybe she would even find true love. She mentioned several times how happy she was to have given birth to sons. She feared for any daughter she might have had. Knowing our father, he’d have used her as a bartering tool, much as our mother had been.

When she walked in, Jay, Nathan, and I were sitting in the living room. Easton came out of the office, and as one, our three heads turned uttering the same response, “Wow!”

Mom blushed, touching her hair. “Do you like it?”

She’d had her hair cut, colored and styled, and her makeup professionally done. “You look ten years younger, mom,” I told her. That was money well spent. Not only did she look better, but I could tell she felt better too.

“Knock-out!” Easton whistled.

“Hot mom alert!” Jay announced, yup we were definitely blood related.

“You look fantastic, Mrs., err, Sharon,” Nathan said, correcting himself before she did it for him.

“Ethan, here’s your credit card. Thank you, but you didn’t need to do that,” she said, handing the card back to me.

“No Mom, I didn’t. I did it because I wanted to and seeing how happy you are now made it more than worth it.” I kissed her cheek, and the blush returned.

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