Hades II

you can call me mom

Stella

Adam drove. "How was the date?"

"Okay," I said. "Do you have a professor named Hector?"

Adam shot me a glance. "Yes. He's pretty young, but super smart."

I smiled. "I think that might be the guy I went out with."

"Seriously?" Adam asked.

I nodded.

"Damn," he said. "He seems like a nice guy, and is always friendly if anyone has questions."

Adam parked in Dad's driveway. "Just until we've eaten."

I nodded. "I'll behave," I said.

Adam smiled and got out of the car.

Being with Hector all day had tired me a bit. But it was getting better.

I left the car and followed Adam into the house, which had never felt like my home.

Dad opened the door and let us in.

"It's so good to see you're doing okay!" Donna gushed when I entered the living room. That was probably my biggest problem regarding Donna; she treated me as if I was her daughter. And I'd never been, and never felt the part.

I smiled. "Yeah, I'm getting there."

"If there is anything, just let us know!" she reminded me and smiled at me.

Dad sat down by the table, Adam helped Donna carry in the last bowl. It was chicken pot pie and salad.

I sat down, across the table from Donna, Adam sat down next to me, Dad next to Donna.

"How is everything going?" Dad asked.

"Good," I replied. "I feel better, I'm not as tired, and I rarely experience any discomfort."

He nodded. "Good," he said. "I'm glad to hear. And the insurance?"

I rubbed my face. "It's fine," I said. "It's worked out, and the payment will be on my bank account Monday. I got it under control."

Dad looked at me, really looked at me. His blue eyes, so alike mine, Adam and Taylor's, rested on my face. "You can always ask."

"I've got it under control," I replied.

He didn't look too pleased. "Stella, I'm just trying to help."

"And I'm telling you, very politely, that I've got it under control." I said. I wasn't raising my voice. Dad didn't want to see that I was a grown woman now. He hadn't been there when I needed him, and it was there, in the back of my mind. I believed he'd changed, and he was a good father to Taylor and Adam, though he coddled them as if they were five. But me? I wanted to do things on my own. I'd always done it, why should it change now?

Lisa helped, of course. She was outgoing and said what she meant. And she had helped me, her parents had, when I was out in the deep end. I'd never asked Dad for help, nor would I.

Adam cut into the pie.

"I enjoy being back at school," I volunteered. "It's so nice to feel like I'm doing something again, something useful."

"That is wonderful to hear, darling!" Donna said.

I smiled a tight smile and accepted the food Adam put on my plate.

"I was thinking... Thank you, Adam," she said, cutting herself off. "Maybe we could try and meet once a week?"

Adam looked briefly at me. "Donna, we can't," he said. "Taylor and I have different shifts all the time, and I know, even though she won't admit it, that Stella needs her downtime to catch up with her work again."

She almost looked crestfallen. "You can call me mom," she almost whispered and passed the salad around.