She's satisfied, but she has disturbing news.

You hear your mother's heels clicking on the tile in the entryway before the sound of them is muffled as she steps onto the carpet of the living room. You don't hear any indication whether she is pleased or not. You hear her steps approach before she appears in the archway connecting the kitchen to the living room. You didn't get a good look at her this morning and you're entranced for a moment by her smart black suit. Its cut slim and fashionable, hugging her ample curves tightly. You see just a hint of cleavage poking out over her white shirt. The gym bag she's carrying which you assume has the clothes she worked out in tells you she must've gotten over her worry about showering at Chris's space.

"Not bad." She says, causing you to let out the breath you were unconsciously holding. "You forgot the ceiling fan but other than that the furniture looks very nice."

"Thanks mom." You tentatively say, unsure what to do now she's prazing you. You expected more ****.

"Smells good in here!" She smiles at you as she exits and walks toward her room to put her bag away. You hear the click of her heels as she returns. "I'm happy with your progress but I expect the same tomorrow. Start working on polishing these cabinets." She points toward the kitchen cabinets. "It's been a while since they looked their best."

"Ok mom." You say moving to set the table. Once you've set the table you both sit down to eat. Your mother sips the glass of wine you poured for her. You skipped lunch so you dive right in and eat quickly. You're also anxious to get the dishes done and be up to your room before your mother has a chance to surprise you with anything else. Your luck holds about as well as usual.

"I have a date on Friday, day after tomorrow." Shey says, excitedly, as though this were any normal dinner and she had interesting news. Your mother had never dated much, as she was too busy with work and raising you.

"What?!" You say feeling greatly concerned. "With whom?"

"Well... Chris asked me to dinner." She replies, with a hint of hesitation. It appears she's not been entirely broken of her concern for your feelings. Your eyes go wide as she finishes the sentence. You react without thinking, trying desperately once again to make her see reason.

"Mom! Don't go, he's just manipulating you to get to me somehow!" Your mother rolls her eyes and looks away from you. Her expression is one of annoyance but she also looks like she's hurt by your comment. Your eyes search her face as you rack your brain for the right words to bring her around. Before you can think of anything, she speaks again.

"Oh I see." She says, quietly. "He couldn't possibly be interested in your baggy old mom. No way a young stud like that would genuinely care for me." You see a small tear forming at the edge of her eye.

"Mom..." You say, faltering. "That's not what I meant. I think you're beautiful."

"It's too late to patronize me Quinton! The damage is done." She snaps at you, making you quiver a little in fear and anguish at having made her feel this way. You know some part of this is Chris's mind control, but you still love her and hate to see her doubt herself for any reason.

"Mom I mean it, you're the most beautiful woman that has ever walked the earth. A goddess. But Chris-"

"Yes! Chris is orchestrating a secret plot to brainwash me and what? Fuck me and leave me just to get to you? Why are you being so self-centered? I finally decide to go out and have a little fun and you just have to make it about you." She glares at you. You look down at your half-eaten plate, uncertain how to continue. She shakes her head as she stands to put her plate by the sink. "It's just dinner, it's not like he's your new daddy. You don't have to like him but you're going to have to get over your obsession with him and your childish attraction to me. Or did you think I didn't notice you peeping on me again like you used to?" You look up shocked. Your mother smirks at your realization. "Well it's going to stop. I assumed you'd handled it along with your other issues in therapy but I guess it was all a waste. I never confronted you because I didn't want to embarass you but clearly that's only had the effect of spoiling you rotten. You're going off to college soon, I'm still young, I want to have a life again." Without another word, she leaves the room, her heels clicking away down the hall.

You just stare at your food for a while. Did she really mean what she said? Had she known all along, just like Molly? Were you that transparent? These and other disturbing questions invade your mind. Was she so miserable raising me? I have always tried to be as helpful as I thought I could be. I only ever wanted her to be happy and proud of me. You suddenly feel you've lost your appetite and take your plate and the remaining dishes to the sink. You do the dishes in silence as your mind continues to torment you with ever more depressing thoughts. Chris has clearly accelerated his plans for her. You think you must be running out of time.

After cleaning up in the kitchen you ascend the stairs to shower and go to bed as your mother instructed this morning. The water flows over you as you take a seat in the tub under the pleasant deluge. You turn the knob to increase the temperature, the heat providing a poor replacement for the emotional warmth of your mother before all this insanity. After your done you retire to your room. You try to research various mind control techniques on your phone, hoping to get some idea of how Chris is doing all this, but you find nothing but pseudoscience and weird conspiracy bullshit. Frustrated and tired after several hours you plug your phone in and set an alarm for 6am. You don't suppose your mother will want to wake you every morning. You lay back on your bed and close your eyes.