"That's great! I'm so proud of you. You've been working so hard," gushed Bette, her chest swelling with pride. Zoe had a good head on her shoulders, and Bette couldn't have been more proud.
"So, how are you and Granny getting along? Do you want to throw her off the roof?"
Bette snorted before taking a sip of her water. "Like that old bat couldn't just fly. She already sleeps hanging upside down."
Zoe barked out a laugh. "So, going just as well as usual. You've got a job now. When do you think you can afford to move out?"
That had been a question weighing heavily on her mind. All she wanted was to have a place of her own. To live in a space where she didn't have to walk past her mother just to get to her room. A room that was tainted by her mother's disregard for boundaries. Bette wasn't sure why she was surprised by the intrusion. It was classic Clara behavior. Her actions had become more intentional and bold. It would only get worse the longer she stayed there. Clara knew every button her daughter had and would continue pressing more and more of them until Bette blew up, and then she'd be blamed for being the explosive one. She had to get out.
Bette sighed, folding her hands in front of her on the table. "I guess it'll still be a while at the prices that are out there now. I'd have to rent. I don't get paid for another week, and I'm hesitant to touch what little I have. Between a security deposit, the first month's rent, and having to furnish a lot of things, I lost to Shel. I want to pad my account some more."
Zoe looked thoughtfully at her mom, stirring her straw lazily in her glass. "Maybe it'll happen quicker than you think?"
"We can only hope."
"I could ask Mom if she could loan you—"
"Absolutely not. You are not to speak about my financial situation to her," Bette snapped, glaring briefly before her eyes softened, and she reached over, squeezing Zoe's hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap. I know you're just trying to help. I'll be fine. I promise. I need to do this on my own."
Their food arrived soon after, the smell of fresh French fries wafting up from their plates. Zoe wasted no time digging into hers while Bette took her time despite the growls from her belly.
One dish Dent's did well was their whole fried catfish. She squeezed lemon over the fillet as her mouth began to water. Fried foods were not something she allowed herself to indulge in often, as Shelly always made comments that it would go straight to her hips. This would be a nice treat after completing her first week at Turtle Grove. And not hearing Shelly tear her down would be a bonus.
"So, tell me about the first week. Did you make friends?" asked Zoe in a motherly tone before taking a huge bite of her patty melt.
"Friends? Are you my mother now?" asked Bette with a smirk.
Zoe lifted her hand to her mouth as she laughed with a mouth full of food. "Someone has to be."
Bette lifted her fork with a bite of catfish to her mouth and chewed it carefully before answering. "I've met some nice people and some odd people. I like most of them. The job seems like something I'll pick up on fast; it's just that I've spent the whole time doing computer training and shadowing people. I did get a chance to start setting up my office one day."
The mention of her office made a mental picture of Kerrie playfully pushing her around the basement flash through her mind. Just thinking about it gave her butterflies, something she had long since forgotten the feeling of.
"Momma, Shel's calling."
The butterflies ceased moving, instead turning into rocks that hit the pit of her stomach.Shelly fucking Cooper.
Zoe answered her phone and mentioned she was having dinner with Bette, who inwardly cringed. "Yeah, she's here. Hold on."
Before Bette could recover from the switch from flirty joy to heavy reality, a phone was being thrust into her hands. "She wants to talk to you about graduation."
I'd rather stick my hand in the deep fryer that cooked my fries.With great effort, Bette managed to keep her face neutral as she put the phone to her ear. "Hello, Shelly."
The internal groan within Bette almost drowned out the nasally soft sound of Shelly Cooper's uppity voice that never sounded as uppity when they were married. Or was she just used to it? Blind to its expected privilege? "Hello, Bette. I heard you finally obtained a job."
"I did. What do you want to talk with me about concerning graduation?"
"Not much for small talk, huh?" quipped Shelly, a tinge of amusement in her voice.
"I think we talked enough during our twenty years of marriage. Graduation, Shelly."
Shelly sighed into her ear, and Bette could hear someone in the background but couldn't distinguish what was said or by whom. "With that kind of attitude, it's a wonder we ever broke up."
"Get on with it," Bette demanded quietly. She forced a smile at Zoe, who lifted her eyebrow.
"Well, Jen and I are going to throw a little graduation luncheon for Zoe. We'll have it at our house; I'll bring in a chef. Jenny can decorate. We're planning for about 15. Since you're not seeing anyone, you should bring your mother—"
"I'll have a date," Bette interjected quickly. Too quickly to think about the words she spoke.What have I done?
