Invisible Girl - An Erotic Romance Pt. 04

Her mother pulled back to look at her, tears running down her cheeks, and said, "You're not even nineteen." She glanced at the phone again, this time angrily, and said, "Is that why you were crying? Has this boy been pressuring you..."

"No, Mom! No! It was nothing like that!" Jane didn't like the direction this conversation was taking one bit. "It didn't even have anything to do with him! I just called him because I wanted somebody to talk to!"

As soon as she said it she knew it had been a mistake. Her mother had stiffened as if Jane had just insulted her. Then her face had gone sad again and she looked down at her hands in her lap.

"Oh Jane, I'm so sorry." She looked back up at Jane, the tears now streaming from her eyes. "Of course you needed someone to talk to. Your father and I have always been too..." She waved her hands helplessly in the air, then collapsed onto Jane's shoulder, sobbing.

Jane had no idea what to do. It was as if she and her mother had suddenly switched places.

"Mom, that isn't what I meant," she said, hugging her. "You and Dad have been great. In fact I was just thinking, when we were downstairs, that you both seem so much happier lately."

Her mother slowly straightened up and reached for a tissue from the bedside table. She blew her nose, then, wiping her eyes, said. "Yes, I guess that's true. Your father's really excited about this book idea; it's the first time I've seen him this enthusiastic about anything in I don't know how long. And that makes me happy.

"But honey...are you sure you're not...mad at us?"

Jane felt her own eyes beginning to tear up and reached for a tissue herself. "Oh no, Mom. I was never mad at you."

She felt something begin to well up inside her that seemed to push the next words out of her mouth. "I just... I always used to feel bad, because you and Dad always seemed unhappy and I...and I..." Grief suddenly engulfed her and her face crumpled into tears. "And I always thought it was...it was m-my fault!" she wailed.

And now it was her turn to collapse onto her mother's shoulder.

They held each other and sobbed for a long time. Her mother rocked Jane back and forth, saying incoherent soothing things and Jane cried and cried, and felt suddenly lighter, as if a great weight had been lifted from her heart.

Finally they were both cried out, and a good thing because they had used up almost all of the tissues, which now littered the whole area surrounding them.

"Oh my," said her mother, "that was a good cry."

Jane thought her mother looked a little dazed and guessed she looked that way herself—because she certainly felt that way.

Her mother made a show of straightening up and taking a deep breath to settle herself. "Now," she said, smiling, "tell me about this boy. Is he nice?"

Jane was delighted to be able to talk about Peter to her mother. "Oh yes, Mom, he really is! His name's Peter, Peter McIlvray, and he's...he's..." She wanted to say a dozen things about him at the same time and they made a logjam in her brain, so all she could think of to say was, "He's just great, Mom. You'd like him, I know you would."

Her mother smiled at her enthusiasm and said, "Well, I hope you'll let us meet him one of these days."

"I will, Mom. I really want you to meet him."

"All right, that's a bargain." Her mother gave Jane's shoulder an affectionate squeeze. Then her expression grew thoughtful and she said, "Jane, are you sure you really feel...comfortable about..." Again she searched for the right words, finally settling for, "what you're doing with...with Peter?"

Jane felt her mother's eyes searching hers, felt her concern. But when she asked herself the question there was no hesitation.

Her voice was quiet but firm as she replied, "Yes, Mom." And then, for the first time, she felt as if she was speaking to her mother as one woman to another as she said, "He really loves me."

Her mother looked back at her worriedly as if wondering whether she could accept what her daughter was telling her.

Jane wanted very much to ask her about some of the things she and Peter did, but decided that her mother had had enough shocks for one day. Her mother in fact looked exhausted—and rightly so, Jane thought. Besides, a conversation on that subject might lead back to why Jane had been crying in the first place and she really didn't want to have to explain what had happened in the basement that morning—was it really only this morning? She was glad her mother had been distracted.

But her mother wasn't finished. "Well, if that's the case, I think we should see about getting you some...other kind of protection. Those other things aren't one hundred percent reliable." She gave Jane a smile that had a little sadness in it. "I should know." Then she gave Jane a hug and a kiss and said, "Though in your case I'm glad they weren't. I love you so much, honey."

Jane smiled back and said, "I love you too, Mom."

"I'll make a doctor's appointment for you." She got up and started toward the door, hesitated, then turned back and said, "I think we'll both be better off if you don't mention any of this to your father."