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“Oh man, I’d be careful from here on out if I were you. She does not like being laughed at. This one time, she replaced Bray’s shampoo with hair remover. The guy was bald, even his eyebrows were gone.” Dean laughs.
“I’m not scared of your wife, Dean. She can bring her best.” I shrug.
After a minute of waiting for Ella to return, curiosity gets the better of me and I ask, “What do you think she’s doing?”
Dean shrugs. Before he can answer, the front door opens and our mother struts in, staff carting her suitcases behind her. She stops as she sees both Dean and I standing in the middle of the foyer.
“Boys, you’re both here. Good.” She comes up and wraps her arms around Dean, kissing him on the cheek. “I’ve missed you. You should come home more often, darling.”
She then moves onto me, hugging me even tighter than she had Dean. “Looking handsome as ever, Joshua.” She steps back and smiles at us.
Dean and I share a look. Who is this woman and what the fuck has she done with our mother?
Laughter from behind me causes me to turn around. “Fuck no!” I say as I pull my shirt over my head, stomping towards Ella and Emily, who are currently walking towards us in bikinis. Where did those strips of fabric even come from?
Ella stands in front of Emily with her hands on her hips. “Stop right there! I’m going to show Emily here where the pool is.” She looks over at Dean.
“Babe, you don’t mind if we stay for an extra hour, do you?” she asks him.
“Ah, sure, whatever you want, Ella.” The pussy-whipped fucker gives in to her every time.
“Dean, tell your wife if she wants to keep all of that pretty hair on her head, then she had better move out of my way.” I hear my mother’s gasp from behind me. I forgot she was even there for a moment.
“Wife?” Her head moves between Dean and Ella. I’m expecting Oscar-level dramatics any minute now, except, that’s not what happens.
Mum walks over to Ella and pulls her into her arms. “Dean, I can’t believe you got married and didn’t tell me.” She steps back and cups Ella’s face. “Welcome to the family, sweetheart.”
“Thank you, Mrs. McKinley. But it’s not completely Dean’s fault. It was quick. We didn’t have a wedding, just signed the papers,” Ella rambles.
“Ella, you can call me Julie. Don’t you worry. I’ll make sure you get a wedding fit for a princess.”
She turns to me. “Joshua, put your shirt back on. You’re distracting the staff.” She makes a point to nod her head at the two young maids who are standing at the other end of the foyer with their mouths gaping.
Emily looks their way and glares. Huh? Well, that’s interesting.
“Wait, why are these girls allowed to strut around without clothes on, but I can’t?” I ask like a sulking child.
“They’re not naked. They’re going swimming,” my mother, or the woman who has taken over my mother’s body, answers.
“Ella, hunny, go ahead and take Emmy to the pool. I’ll have some drinks and snacks brought out to the two of you.”
Once Ella and Emmy are out of the room, my mother spins on my brother and me. Pointing a finger at Dean, she says, “I’ll deal with you later.”
“Now you,” she directs at me. “For the love of God, please tell me that girl is here of her own free will, Joshua.”
I raise my eyebrows at her question. “Of course she is.” It’s not a complete lie; she did come here of her own free will. However, am I prepared to let her leave? Fuck no.
“What happened to her?”
“I don’t know. I’m trying to find out. She turned up here like that, Mum. I didn’t fucking do that.” I’m not sure why I feel the need to defend myself.
“I know you wouldn’t hurt her, Josh. She’s probably the only person on this godforsaken Earth who you wouldn’t hurt.” She pauses before asking, “Are you okay?”
Why the fuck is everyone asking me that? Like I’m going to fall apart or something.
“I’m fine. But are you okay? Are you dying?” It’s the only conclusion for her sudden motherly attitude I can come up with.
“Never been better. I’m not dying. Is it so wrong for a mother to be concerned for her sons’ wellbeing?”
