AR Returns Ch 37

Fully dressed and ready for the day, Mary sits on the edge of the bed. Morning sunlight falls across her lap as she stares distantly at her closet.

Somewhere in Gurlberg, a car horn honks. She shakes her head and gets to her feet, brushing herself off. She hesitates in the hallway. Riley’s door is ajar.

Mary makes her way down and knocks gently as she pushes it inward.

Riley is at her desk, bent with her back to Mary. She wears the sort of boyshorts that she did as a teenager and an ordinary undershirt. Even though she’s obviously just gotten up, already her hair is in its usual ponytail. Her laptop is open, and it looks like she’s reading emails.

“What’s up, Mom?” Riley asks calmly, glancing over her shoulder.

The room is neater than usual. Riley has gotten rid of some things, and the whole space just feels more adult. Everything about Riley seems more adult.

Mary feels a flash of pride and that deals a blow to her nerve.

“Mom?” Riley absently lifts one foot to use her toe to scratch at her calf. Her hips sway a little. Mary has, of course, seen the FUTA advertisements that make such a big deal of what is apparently her daughter’s best asset.

Intrusive memories of Stef and Carla in their horny phase, which evidently never ended, come rushing in. Mary twitches irritably.

“Yeah,” she says. “I need a favor.”

“Sure.”

“I read an article and I’m freaking out about bedbugs. Can you just wash all the sheets on hot and make the beds?”

Riley balks. “That’s four beds,” she says.

“Sweetie, please. I’m not going to be home until way past midnight.”

Riley frowns. “What’s going on? I didn’t know you had hot cases right now.”

“I don’t, but Sherry does, and she’s sick.”

“Yikes. Yeah. I can do laundry and stuff. We don’t have bedbugs, Mom.”

“It’s going to be a long day, Riley. It’ll go better for me if I’m not worrying.”

“Okay.” Riley shrugs. “No problem. Your room too?”

“Especially my room,” Mary says.

“Can you tell Kayla to strip her own bed? I don’t really want to go in there.”

“You’re the big sister, Riley. You can handle it.”

Riley sighs and rolls her eyes, a little over the top, then smiles. “Fine.”

“Thank you, Sweetheart.”

“Not a big deal.”

Mary notices the scrapbook beside Riley’s hand on the desk.

“What’s that?” she asks.

“Huh?” Riley frowns and looks down. Then her hand moves like lightning. She places it firmly on top of the scrapbook. “It’s Adella’s. I need to take it back to her place.” She stuffs it in her satchel. “I have to get over there. I have a video call with some perfume company.”

“You can’t do it from here?”

“I don’t trust Kayla not to try to stream Milf Mansion in 4k.”

“Probably smart,” Mary says with a sigh.