NO STRINGS ATTACHED

TWENTY-ONE

Taking a very long, deep breath, Abby walked to the door and opened it wide.

"Hi mom, dad," she greeted and lifted her cheek to be kissed. Her mother didn't do body contact and Rick had grown to be just like her, fitting to whatever she liked.

"Hello, Abbigail." Athena said, her Caribbean accent thick. "You look very.... pale, are you feeling alright?"

"She is, right Abby?" Rick said quickly before her mother could go on an atttack. He always defended her.

"Right, don't worry, mother." Abby forced a smile.

Athena passed Abby her coat. "A terrible day, don't you agree? You could've at least checked the weather channel first before having us come out. They say the weather might develop into a storm if it keeps up."

Athena hated anything wet and dull. Her mother lived on colors and excitement. Her mother headed straight for the kitchen.

"Chicken .... Fried too." Athena murmured.
Abby ignored her mother's comment, Athena was a picky eater, she always encouraged Abby to eat less, exercise more and do lots of liposuction.

"I baked your fish mother its in the oven it should be -----" the timer went off. Abby and Rick joined Athena just as she removed the fish from the oven and set it on the table. "Can I get you guys a glass of wine?"

"I'll stick to fruit juice, Abbigail,"
Athena says. "It's much healthier, and if I didn't know better I'd say you were pregnant, you barely fit into that pants you're wearing."

"I'll have red wine," Rick smiled at Abby. "Its proven to cut down on heart attacks."

"I only have white." Abby said dryly.

"If you've had have red I'd have wanted white." Rick gave a short laugh.

"Before I forgot, I met a very lovely young doctor at the hospital, I should introduce you two."

Abby didn't want to meet another doctor .... Or any man for that fact.

"You're the reason she's single, Athena." Rick said bluntly. He accepted the glass of wine from his step daughter.

Abby was already exhausted. Athena sighed. "What's wrong with wanting you to have the best of everything, you're my only child. A rich, successful man, a lovely home, cars, jewelry. Any woman would die for any of the rich successful men I've thrown your way. I know I did and that's exactly what I got. Rick." She smiled widely at herself in the reflection of the spoon.

What about love? Do you love your husband? Abby let the question hovered on the tip of her tongue.

"I made your favorite cake for desert, mother." Abby said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Too many calories, I'm sure." Athena says.

"You'll worry them off faster than you'll put them on." Rick says. "Nothing's wrong with a little flesh, honey."

Athena snorted. "You men want us to turn into something else and still cheat on us with a woman who's exactly who you didn't want us to be in the first place."

"I used low fat ingredients, mother." Abby says, not wanting to hear their continuous snipping at each other.

"When you've been married as many times as I have dear, you'll learn the importance of appearance in a marriage. Starting with pregnancy I pray you've inherited good genes to not keep one ounce of fat." Athena pointed the spoon at Abby.