Forbidden Fruit

Chapter 8

"Well it's about time." Diana's mother, Relle gave her daughter a pointed look as she parked in front of her, almost an hour late.

"Sorry mum." She smiled sheepishly, helping her with her luggage. "You know how demanding my new job is, I had to stay longer to go over some files."

Relle simply shook her head. "I don't understand why you took the job anyway, Mark is more than capable of taking care of the both of you." She shook her head getting into the car and instantly turning on the heater.

"And you left your own mother in the bitter cold, how could you live with yourself if I got hypothermia." She asked in all seriousness. Diana rolled her eyes, her mother was unnecessarily dramatic at times.

"I've told you this before mum." She muttered as they made a stop at the traffic lights. "I want to keep myself busy, it's boring at home."

"Doesn't Mark keep you busy enough?" Diana's face flamed with embarrassment at the sexual innuendo of her mother's words.

"Mother!" She scolded, her eyes widening in mortification.

"What? Honey it wouldn't kill you to refrain from using a condom once in a while, I'm not getting any younger!" A loud horn brought Diana back to reality as she noticed the light had flashed green. Her mother's bluntness would be the death of her.

Choosing to omit the fact that her and Mark didn't even have sex anymore, she simply shrugged her shoulders paying attention to her driving.

"How's the weather back in England?"  Diana asked making coversation, prompting an immediate groan from Relle. "Who knows? It changes so fast I can barely keep up."

Diana laughed, remembering the twenty one years of her life she had spent in the wonderful country before moving to America with Mark two years ago.

"We miss you all so much." Relle spoke emotionally. "It seems like yesterday when we had all gathered round as one big family for your farewell party." Diana smiled, remembering fondly the day she left.

She's part of an average family, growing up in a stable home she rarely needed to worry about money as much however there was no luxury of reckless spending. As the oldest sibling of two younger brothers she found it the hardest to leave them behind, their tearful faces the day she left still imprinted in her memory.

"How's Mason and Ryland?" She asked eagerly wanting to know every detail about her two siblings.

"They're great, Mason recently got into a relationship. You'll meet her when your brothers and your father arrive."

Diana frowned. "Mason has a girlfriend? He never told me this." She recalled their earlier skype call.

"Maybe he wanted to fill you in when they arrived." Relle squealed with excitement. "I can't wait for us all to be together again."

Arriving at the house Relle exhibited  the same expression as the other five times she has come face to face with Diana's home.

"Is it just me or does it get bigger everytime I visit?" Her eyes widened in amazement.

"Come on mum, let's go inside." Diana chuckled, entering the house with her mother's luggage while she slowly followed behind.

She immediately dumped the stack of paperwork Ross had given her to do over the weekend on the coffee table, relieved by the sudden weight lifted from her hands.

"Is that work?" Relle pointed incredulously at the huge pile.

She nodded sighing as she wondered where she would even start from.