B*tches with Stiches: Book One

32 Mother Knows Best

Mom stops the car and pulls up barely beside Cas's truck he immediately tosses the smoke on the ground burying it in the snow at his feet. As mom makes her way closer to me than Stanley for some strange reason I didn't panic I just felt a warm arm around my shoulder and a side hug; I begin to hug back as if all this time all I wanted was this. A hug from mom but at the same time I couldn't help but be angry but now wasn't the time to flip I'd wait a few moments after the sentimental stuff. "There you are, Molly. I got a call from your school a little while ago they said you weren't in any of your classes and the first period teacher told me about this morning... Are you ok?" Mom asks looking through me; mom's had a funny way of somehow being able to see through their children especially this one. I shrug, "Yea, I'm alright. Just dealing with some things..." Mom takes her arm off my shoulder and then looks up at Stanley he takes the hint and walks off dragging Cas with him, "Cassius." She mumbles as he walks off, "Mrs. Jansen." He mumbles. Though mom never really cared for Cas she had to be nice after all it was one of Stanley's closest friends.

"Molly?" She's searching for words; for an explanation but she can't seem to find one not one right for all the questions and emotion I have. Mom wasn't very good with dealing with emotion and neither was dad but when it was important; detailed she always found a way. "Molly... The reason I never told you your grandmother was dead; my mom was because I didn't like how much you admired her and looked up to her more than you did me. There I said it." Mom says in a quick motion. I stare at the snow at my feet already about seven inches; I lick some around. "So you were jealous of your own mom?" I ask. "No, no honey that wasn't it at all. It's just... When you have children of your own someday, heaven forbid you'll want them to depend on you, to look up to you, to admire you. When you're the adult; the mom yours supposed to have the answers to complicated situations in life. To things that not every woman understands. I didn't like you being around her so much because I didn't want you to grow up on my lifestyle; the same one I was brought into." I feel the water works but hold them back now it's just anger, "So you kept me away from her because... You were afraid of her... Of me? You were afraid I would be stronger than you weren't you? I would be stronger than all of your sisters too? I would be exactly like grandmother? I am like grandmother aren't I?" Mom doesn't agree nor disagree she just stared at my hands when she begins to pick them up in hers, "You see these? Do you saw these hands? These are the hands of a witch. A very, very, very, very old witch that hasn't been around since the ancient times. I didn't want you to learn the things I had to growing up... The ways of magic and spells how to chant and protect yourself with a flick of a wrist. These hands weren't meant for power... They were meant for you. These were once my hands..." I can't look at her while she's looking at me with those brown eyes, my same eyes. "...I renounced my gifts when I was a little bit older than you. I did it to protect myself, my family, my first love. Because I knew one day these same hands would be used for more than my will, then just good... They would be used to do things that were beyond my reach. Things that were unspeakable, unthinkable... Chaotic."

I didn't agree nor disagree either I could only stand there as she held my hands in the freezing cold and snow. A thought or two crossed my mind: I could run away from all of this and forget that she ever mentioned that one day I would bring more evil than good. For all I know it was the holy roller talking through her and none of it was true, she'd been married to dad so long he got through to her. But another thought was maybe she was right... Son of a bitch she would be right. My power wasn't a gift or even an art form all I had done so far was mess up things. I mean I successfully awoke the dead using different vessels, I almost died and was revived, I caused a city to turn to almost nothing. Maybe I was no different then my ancestors maybe I was just... Naturally bad. "Mom?" I ask as the wind picks up and the snow is still falling only this time really coming down, "Yes, Moll's?" She says gently. "Can we just go home?"
"Yes. Yes, we can." She says calmly. I nod and head back to Cas's car she ushers me to ride with her though, "But I came here with Stanley."  I add, "Yea I know, sweetie but have you seen that boys tires? Looks like he couldn't get across main Street reasonably." I chuckle mom does too. Stanley yells out the window, "I guess I'll see you back home then?!" Mom yells back, "Better be careful, hope Cas can drive on bald tires!" Cas just laughs sarcastically as they pull out first leaving me and Mom sitting in the car by ourselves.

"Mom?" I ask again just to test the waters, "Yes, dear?" She says putting on her seat belt. "Am I grounded, you know for ditching school?" Just as mom pulls out of the cemetery I finally get my answer, "Oh most definitely, but I won't tell your Dad." I slightly smile as as drive off into the would be snowstorm.