Life is Stranger

The Love of a Mother

Joyce handed Chloe and Max a glass of home-made lemonade each.

"Now drink those, then please go play outside and let me and Vanessa finish the cooki...Chloe! Stop it! Quit dipping your grubby paws in! Wait until it's ready – it won't be very long now. You'll ruin your appetite."

Chloe slipped the pilfered morsels into her best friend's hand. "I took them for Max. She's hungry like the wolf."

"Isn't she always?" smiled Joyce. "There's no chance of you ruining your appetite, is there Munchkin? Seriously, where do you put it all? There's nothing on you. I only have to look at food and it goes straight to my hips."

"You and me both Joyce." added Vanessa, smiling as well.

"I s'pose I need a lot of fuel to keep up with Little Miss Mischievous here."

"How dare you! I'm a good girl. Ask anyone."

"Okay then, I will. Auntie Joyce, is our Chloe a good girl?"

"Yes. Of course she is..."

"Hah! The Price wins again! Take that Maximus!"

"You didn't let me finish, Chloe. Get yourself down off the victory podium. The only reason you're a good girl is that Max stands by you through everything and keeps you firmly on the straight and narrow. I dread to think what would become of you if you didn't have her by your side. One-nil to the Munchkin, I think."

"Haha! You want something for that burn?" Max asked teasingly whilst smirking.

Chloe's eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips. She planted her legs apart with her hands firmly on her hips in a mock gesture of indignation. "Right. That's it! Mom, do you have any flour handy? Max needs a special flour shower, Chloe Price style."

"Even if I had, I wouldn't let you anywhere near it. This is Uncle Aaron's house, not ours. There's no way you two are having a food fight in here."

Max giggled softly. "You have such a beautiful, pissed-off face when you're pretending to be angry."

"Maxine Caulfield! Such words coming from your angelic lips! I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't heard it for myself." exclaimed Vanessa.

Max's face instantly dropped. "Sorry Mom. It just sorta slipped out. I..."

"Munchkin, relax. I'm just playing with you. I've heard far worse in my time." interrupted Vanessa with a warm, heartfelt, tender smile. "And usually from your dear father, believe it or not. Now you should go outside and play like Joyce said. It's a beautifully warm, sunny day and you shouldn't waste it loitering in here talking to us two old ladies. You're both young, fit and in the prime of your life – go out there and live it to the fullest whilst you still have time."

"Sounds good to me. Whaddya wanna do Maxo Paxo?" asked Chloe excitedly.

"Um. I dunno. Maybe go into the woods to try to find some animals so I can sketch them? Or something."

"Yawn! Booooring! Is that the best that you can come up with?"

"I guess. You're the one who has all the ideas, not me."

"Stop being so goddamn hum..."

"Chloe..." warned Joyce.

"Sorry Mom. Like I was saying, stop being so...erm...hella...yeah, that'll do...hella humble – you're like the smartest, most talented person I've ever known."

"Me? Yeah, right. You clearly have me mixed up with someone else."

"There you go again. Max, you're simply amazing! And the best thing about you is that you don't know you are. Trust me, once you get over yourself, you're gonna make the world bow. Even the most powerful gods and goddesses will kneel before you. I can see it now."

"You are such a clown."

"You know it. But who says I was joking? So come on, think of something."

"Uhuh. I already had my go. It's your turn now. You think of something."

"Okay. If you insist...erm...got it. Splish splash?"

"Swimming? Where?"

"Where the he...do you think? Duh. In the lake, dork."

"You just said I'm the smartest person ever, and now suddenly I'm a dork?"

"Yep. You're both. And that's exactly why I love you so much. You're the best dork ever."

"I'm not sure whether to take that as a compliment or not."

"I'll leave you to make your own mind up about that. And whilst you do that, I'm gonna go ask Uncle Aaron if it's okay. Coming or what?"

"Of course I am. Don't you dare leave me, Price."

"As if I ever could." Chloe led Max by the hand through the kitchen doorway, speaking over her shoulder as she did so. "Laters Mom, Vanessa."

"Bye girls."

"Have fun, but make sure you're not too boisterous with Max, Chloe. She's not as strong a swimmer as you are. No ducking her under or anything like that."

"Sure Mom. No worries. I'll take extra special care of her. Promise."

"Bye Mom. Bye Auntie Joyce."

"Right then Vanessa, we can finally get back to it. Where were we?"

"I have absolutely no idea."

"Me neither. I guess we'll just have to wing it."

"Do you do that often when you're cooking?"

"More often than most people realise. To this day I can never remember how many eggs I need to make pancakes for the four of us. Whenever they ask me I just tell them 'it depends'. And so far I've gotten away with it. Don't tell anyone else. Our little secret, yes?" Joyce said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"Us ladies should have some secrets. You have yourself a deal – my lips are sealed...Joyce?"

"Yes?"

"I know that sometimes I've come across as aloof and suchlike over these past years..."

"What nonsense!"

"I appreciate you trying to be gracious, Joyce, but we both know the truth about me. I'm not perfect, and I know that I'm not. Can we be totally honest and open with each other for once? Please. I need this, Joyce. I really do. I need a satisfied mind."

"Er. Okay. Are you alright, Vanessa?"

"No. Not really. But that's not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about Max...and Chloe."

"Alright, but if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, or even just someone to talk to, I'll always be here for you."

"Thank you. That's very kind of you."

"I try to be. So, about Max and Chloe? What's on your mind?"

"Joyce, Chloe really does think a lot of Max, doesn't she?"

"I thought that was blatantly obvious. Of course she does. Chloe would do anything for her."

"I know. But you and William, sorry, Bill, you love her just as much, don't you? You both look on her like your own daughter, yes?"

"Listen, Vanessa, I know that Max is your baby. I don't want to say or do anything to upset you...or anyone else."

"Please Joyce. I don't mind. Not at all. In fact, I'm awfully glad that you do. Joyce, I want to ask you a favour. A big favour."

"Of course. Anything."

"Joyce, please promise me that, if anything ever happens to me, that you'll...take my place - that you'll look after her. Please?"

"What exactly are you asking of me, Vanessa?"

"Joyce, what I'm asking you is this – if, for whatever reason, I can't be the mother that Max needs, then I beg of you that you please be the mother to our baby that you have already been for all these years anyway."