Life Decisions- Laura's Route 02

Trisha momentary studied the growing cloud of smoke between them hanging in the kitchen and sniffed the air. "Oh Law, on second thoughts you wouldn't mind getting up and opening the window, would you?" She smiled and daintily removed the ash from the cigarette over her now clean glass.

"Yeah of course Mum!" Laura said as she heaved herself of the chair leaving her cigarette burning in the ashtray she rummaged out and found the key and unlocked the window.

"It's maybe good to get some fresh air in here after all..." Trisha stated and tilted her head slightly as her lungs pulled hard on her cigarette firmly lodged between her lips.

Laura looked back at her mum and watched as her eyes momentarily closed with the as she filled her waiting lungs with smoke and a shot of bliss flowed across her face as the nicotine flowed around her body as she inhaled, Laura ran her tongue along her lips, nodded and pushed the window open and then filled the kettle with water and then joined her mum in lighting another cigarette as she leaned on the counter and waited for the kettle to boil again.

Chapter 5 A following Thursday Afternoon

Laura sat down on the bench and put her pack down and frowned and bit her bottom lip as stared at the opened lid on the wooden picnic bench in the carpark at work and picked up phone and swiped to open it and then opened the message app and tapped away.

'Hey mum, can get us both a new pack on way home? Please remember house viewing on Berkley Drive @6? xlx"

'Oh yes please only have a couple left, see you there! Tea afterwards at the Vic? Mum x'

"Oh yes, please xlx'

Laura smiled at the thoughts of her mum as placed her phone down on the bench at the work smoking area. She wasn't sure why in the last few weeks she had started coming out with the others at ten, twelve and two, partly for company was her excuse. She blamed it squarely on the week off work she had for the funeral. Sitting there supporting her mum and then sharing 'her mums' pack throughout evenings. She shuddered at the fact that she emptied the ashtray in the living room in the morning that had gone from having a couple of butts in it, this morning there were ten and the flash back to Friday night when she went out with Adam at some point during the night, she got her 'own' pack. Much to Adam's annoyance. She frowned again as shook the penultimate cigarette out of the pack she had opened Tuesday evening and placed the orange filter between her lips. She glanced back at the pack and was happy and relieved that there was just one left for finishing work and the start of the drive home.

The cigarette was soon lit and the smoke from exhale and the cigarette were drifting off across the carpark, she was woken from the pleasurable smoke induced daydream by Zoe saying hello.

"Oh, I don't know where I was there for moment!" she grinned.

"It's okay Law, it's mid-afternoon on a Thursday you are allowed to disappear especially after the week or so you've had." Zoe grinned and placed her cigarette back between her lips. "How's the house hunting?" she asked after exhaling.

Laura sighed and used her hand to support her head with her elbow on the bench "Long and boring, they are slowly merging in to one." She stated and pulled on her cigarette.

"I can imagine!" Zoe grinned.

"It's all sort of If I could buy that house merged with the garden from that one and the drive from the other, it would ideal!" She stated and placed the filter back between her lips and hauled the smoke once again into her lungs.

"Regarding houses I can't say anything, I still live at home with the 'rent, at least the rent is cheap!" she said with her exhale and grinned.

"Yeah, even with everything going on it's been nice just sitting at home in the evenings with Mum on our own has made me appreciate her and now...err and now these things a little more." She smiled as she trimmed the ash on the edge of the bench.

Zoe nodded as she pulled on her cigarette "That is so understandable." She stated with her exhale. "How are things going with Adam?"

Laura chuckled "I am not sure...hot and cold like the bloody taps, I am going to see him tomorrow night as a break for talking to my mum about hot and cold taps in houses!"

Zoe raised her eyebrow "Oh have fun!"

Laura grinned "I am sure we will!" She winked, and the brought the filter back to her lips as her eyes sparkled.

Chapter 6 Saturday Night

Laura tilted her head back and quietly groaned between deep sharp gasps for air as she violently and rhythmically rose and whilst shuddering fell on top of Adam. His hands looked small as they groped her large sagging breasts squeezing her erect nipples between his fingers and twisting as he thrusted up. She threw her head back and moaned, groaned, and then froze and shuddered and let out a muffled a cry and finally collapsed on to Adam's dark hairy chest whilst still panting hard and gently moaning. She covered his chest in affectionate kisses and then rose her head slightly pulled a stray chest hair out of her mouth and collapsed again hugging him hard as they panted deeply in unison.

Adam was lying there grinning and gently stroking the mess of hair on her head. Eventually Laura rolled off Adam and collapsed on her pillow, her arms sprawled out.

She wiped her hair off her sweaty face and away from her mouth and whispered "I really do love you so much Ad."

Adam shuffled on to his side and smiled at Laura and stroked her hair again. "I love you too!"

"Good," she panted "but next time you are on top, it's far too much like hard work for me!" She giggled and then groaned lying there with her tongue hanging out like a dog.

Adam chuckled, "I think you and your mum should smoke less sweetheart; you're losing your stamina!" he quickly responded far too quickly, almost in jest.

Laura's head swung around, and she practically growled as she rolled her eyes and ignored the statement and looked across at him and with the whites of her eyes she glared across the bed in the dusky light. She rolled over on to her back "Oh, that is a wonderful idea, if I could have a ciggy now I would! But I think I rather need a pee, Ad turn your light on, I need to find my nighty just in case."

Adam tried to aim for a kiss before falling back on the bed "You don't need a friggin ciggy!"

Laura shook her head in the darkness, the whites of her eyes almost shining the dusky light. "I know, but can I have the light on please; I do rather need to pee!"

"Can I come and...wa?" He whispered.

Laura glanced towards the wall and turned back to him as she glared, her eyes white in the darkness. "Ad, you've watched me once already this evening, and Dai has already come home and is just out there!" She hissed and practically growled pointing towards the wall.

"Oh," Adam sighed briefly looked at her with puppy dog eyes, before he rolled away and switched the grey cheap bedside light on. Laura's naked back was illuminated in the darkness her vertebrae poked through her soft skin, the red imprint of her overly tight bra remaining embedded her soft skin as she bent forward and picked up the oversized red stripey Denis the Menace T-shirt Adam and given as romantic gesture off the floor. She had liked it so much that it was politely kept at Adams. With a lot of effort, she fought the arm holes and pulled it over her head, and she got up off the bed and tugged it down over her thighs. She glanced back at Adam in bed, the bedsheet covering his crotch as he smiled happily back at her. She shook her head, turned, scratched and itch on her naked right buttock, then tugged again at her nighty to cover it up and headed through the door.

***

Laura padded back into bed drying her wet hands on the nighty and with a huff climbed into bed, without undressing.

"Oh..." Adam whispered at the clothed Laura as climbed in under the duvet, his hands wrapping around her.

"I'm cold now, and it's time for sleep, we've had fun!" She yawned, "Turn the light off."

"You okay Law?" Adam said shuffling around in the bed.

"Yesh, it's just time for bed." Laura shuffled her body around as he tried to get comfortable.

"Okay, don't snap!"

"I'm not!" Laura sharply responded as she pluffed the pillow with her hand.

"Sorry for mentioning smoking."

"Huff!" she snarled knowing full well if had not mentioned smoking again, she would not have even thought about, or even contemplated having a cigarette right about now.

"Okay, can we talk about how your house hunting is going in the morning?" Adam said as he rolled over and turned the light off.

"Yeah, of course, good night!" Laura said as she coughed to define the end of the conversation and curled up in the ball under the duvet and sighed overly loudly.

***

"Hey Law, how are you doing this morning?" Trisha asked as the front door slammed and the whisps of her exhale drifted out of her mouth as she stubbed out a cigarette in the ashtray on the kitchen table.

"Okay..." Laura growled as matter of fact as she eventually sat down beside her mum.

"Do you want..."

Laura's face changed as she saw where her mum's hand was on the table and smiled as she nodded "Yes, of course I bloody well do!" She snapped as she almost tore Trisha's hand off as she grabbed the pack off the table.

"Oh, it was a good night then?"

"To be fair, it wasn't that bad mum, just, err, well I need one of these, it's been a long night. Didn't get much sleep, and before you get ideas, it wasn't because of that, I just couldn't sleep."

"Oh, is everything okay?" Trisha asked as Laura's eyes focused on the white cylinder now protruding from her lips as she flicked the lighter and inhaled.

Laura directed the smoke out of the corner of her mouth away from her mum, "Yes, it is now. Things are still tumbling around in my head."

Trisha raised an eyebrow and grinned "What, did you NEED a cigarette after sex with Adam?" she smiled and teased.

Laura's eyes widened as she went bright red "Oh, god no mum, well...I don't think so...but..." she paused and thought about it "...I guess I could have done with one about eight hours ago, but anyway, now I NEED one!" she smiled as she placed the filter firmly between her lips and dragged hard again.

Trisha nodded in agreement as she pulled on her cigarette, "So back to houses Law, I have made a list!" she stated as the smoke tumbled out of her mouth.

Laura blinked a couple of time and closed on eye as she turned to her Mum "Go on!" as she watched the remainder of the exhale pass her nose.

Trisha licked her lips and put the cigarette in the Gü ramekin and picked up a black clipboard beside her and handed it to Laura. "Whilst you have been out galivanting, I been on the internet this morning and have listed all the two-bedroom houses in our budget in this area, not too far from here, but far enough away for you to have some freedom."

Laura eyes widened and nodded in appreciation of the task ahead.

Trisha continued "So, my next challenge is to arrange more viewings if that is okay with you?"

"Yeah mum, that will be fine!"

"So, shall I try and take Friday off?" Laura asked flicking the ash off her cigarette and taking another long hit.

Trisha nodded, "That would be lovely if you could?"

"I will see what I can do!"

Chapter 7 Thursday Afternoon

Laura opened the front door and called out for her mum that she was home, twisted her mouth at the silence as she peered inside, the house was definitely empty. She walked into the kitchen and dug in her handbag and smiled triumphantly as then put two new packs and her lighter on the kitchen table next to the new recently acquired ashtray. With them placed there she tutted at herself. Almost admonished herself at the thought of the physical act of purchasing her own packs in daylight. It had been a thing late at night after few vodkas with the girls. She almost shivered as she could feel the soleless place, she shrugged her shoulders and promptly sat down, pulled the chair back under the table and focused on opening one of the new packs. She sniffed the aroma as pulled a cigarette out and ran her tongue across her lips placing the orange filter between them. Then with another deep breath in and out in preparation, Laura flicked the lighter and soon inhaled her first dose of smoke since finishing work. She sat there in silence taking deep long drags on the cigarette whilst looking and scrolling on her phone. Within a couple of what seemed like quick minutes, she was stubbing that butt out in the ashtray. She looked around and then nodded to herself, she got up and headed up the stairs to the bedroom. She unbuttoned her blouse as she climbed and by the time she had reached her room she was had already slipped out of her white bra, putting both on the chair in the corner of her room, she bent over and picked up her baggy t-shirt, putting it over her head, and she dropped her black work skirt, pulled off her equally black knickers leaving them both on the floor and then bounced on the bed as she fought her toes with the holes, and then stood up as pulled her grey comfortable jogging bottoms up her legs.

As she got up off the bed and tugged at the drawstrings around her soft middle Laura smiled as she heard the key in the front door. As she came down the stairs as she saw Trisha carrying a large orange shopping bag which clanked as she moved "Hey mum." She called as she padded down the stairs, flicking her hair out of face.

"Oh, Law you are home, Christ this is heavy, it's good to see your home already, that's good, I just popped to Tesco for some more bits."

"More rations?" Laura smiled as she got the bottom of the stairs and then groaned at the weight of the bag as she took it off her mum.

"Yeah, well we have busy weekend of house hunting ahead of us, we will need plenty of sustenance!" Trisha grinned as she made her way into kitchen and Laura silently rolled her eyes as she followed carrying the bag. "Can you pop the kettle on, need a brew, and then we think about dinner, I've got some peppers, and there is chicken in fridge, thinking of a glass of white wine and an easy stir fry?"

"Sounds delightful, mum!" Laura said as she groaned to lift the bag onto the table, the bottles of wine again clinked and clanked as they collided with the wooden surface.

"Good!"

"Right, but first we need a nice cup of tea..." Laura stated.

Trisha smiled as she looked at the single butt surrounded by ash in the ashtray, "And for me I would suggest rather importantly a cigarette..." She smiled sweetly she then pulled two Marlboro lights packs out of the bag and shook her head and smiled wryly as she put them next to the two that Laura had bought.

Both women giggled at each other as they looked at the stack of packs. "Snap, we think a like!" Laura smiled as she made her way to the kettle, checking there was water in it, she flicked the handle "With all the house hunting it's going to be a fun long weekend!"

Trisha nodded, "We can have our dinner in a bit I need to show you what I spent this afternoon doing, I have made us a plan!"

***

Trisha and Laura, spent the evening at the kitchen table sharing a bottle of wine studying all the printed off brochures for the houses, sharing thoughts and comments on the differences between them whilst calmly and without fuss, smoking cigarette after cigarette. They were so focused on the houses; they did not realise quite how many they had smoked. No sooner had they stubbed a cigarette out, the wine glass was topped up and another was lit.

Laura exhaled a cone out to the middle of the room and then smiled as stubbed her latest butt out amongst the dozen others and then stretched and yawned "Mum, we've gone around again?" she asked as her voice almost a squeaked as her hand reached as far as it would go, her top lifting up across her body.

"I know it's exciting isn't it!" Trisha beamed.

Laura lethargically nodded tugging her t shirt back down again over her stomach, "Mum, it may be the case, but I think this tired, drunk little bunny needs to go to bed." She said as she picked up and started rhythmically tapping the red Bic lighter on the table.

Trisha twisted her lips as disappointment crossed her face as she looked down at the brochures and then back at Laura, her eyes briefly followed the bouncing lighter before looking over towards the kettle. "Law, maybe you could make us a quick cup of decaf tea before bed?"

Laura rolled her eyes, "Ohhh, okay mum, but I am only having half a cup, otherwise I will be up weeing all night!" she grinned as she got up from the seat, tugging at her jogging bottoms as she got up.

Trisha smiled at her daughter "Wait till you get to my age, that's just part of the course."

"Oh great, that's something to look forward to!" She chuckled.

But Law, will you stay with me for a whole cigarette?"

Laura gently shook her head, rolled her eyes, and finally grinned, "Yes of course mummmm!"

Chapter 8 Saturday Afternoon

Laura pushed her empty plate to the side and picked up her half empty pint of cider and took a slug and licked her lips and leaned back on the chair and sighed, she picked up looked at the flier in front of her with the picture of the house.

"I really do like this one." She stated and moved it out of her face and turned it so she could see her mum.

"It's convenient to the small Tesco for...," Trisha winked "... also the pub and the Chinese!" She stated as she reached over the plate in front of her and wiggled another cigarette out of the pack between them. "I know how much you like your Chinese."

"I do, are you sure we, I mean you, can afford it?" Laura asked as she took another sip of the cider.

Trisha nodded as her cheeks briefly collapsed around the cigarette poking out between her lips before removing it to speak "There will be some left to buy the furniture!" Trisha grinned as she placed the filter back between her lips and turned the pack to face Laura, before shielding the cigarette from the breeze with her hand and using the lighter to get it finally lit. As the smoke drifted off over her shoulder, she offered the lighter to Laura, who smiled and pulled a cigarette out for herself.

"Thanks for dinner, thanks for everything mum." Laura grinned as she then lit her own cigarette.

Trisha nodded, "All will be fine!" she grinned as she took yet another drag.

"Should I get Adams's input on the house?" Laura looked across the table at her mum taking another lungful of smoke.

"Will he care?" Trisha chuckled to herself.

"Oh mum, he is a nice guy."

"I know you really like him..." She said unconvincingly and took yet another lungful of smoke.

"Yeah, but he really doesn't like our smoking..."

Trisha shrugged her shoulders and frowned as she studied her daughter and her eyes flickered as she took another drag. "It's our life now. You have got to live it how you see fit, yes dad would have hated the smoking, but he was all for your independence?" She smiled as the smoke drifted out of her nose.

"Hmm, I guess so..." She twisted her mouth and shuffled the papers once again, "I don't know, maybe I should buy this one? Or should we look at more houses mum next weekend?" Laura asked holding her cigarette close to her head, the smoke drifting off across the pub beer garden,

Trisha pursed her lips together and thought about it for a second, "If I were you Law, I would put in an offer? See what they say?"

Laura stared at the mum momentarily and then placed her cigarette back between her lips, and as pulled on the cigarette she closed her eyes opening them as she exhaled, "But is it too quick mum?"

Trisha shrugged her shoulders and then smiled at Laura and then shook her head. "Nah go for it."