Chapter Text
Growing up, Ma prepared absolutely all our food. Seriously, once she came to live with us, Mom wasn’t even allowed in the kitchen with unprepared food anymore. She said it was because Mom’s cooking could kill a dragon — which always baffled us because Mom is one.
The first time Ma answered, it rubbed me the wrong way. Here she was, suddenly in our lives again and insulting Mom while referencing the slurs people shot her way. Mom hadn’t even been out of the hospital a month, she didn’t deserve this kind of crap.
Caroline and I refused to eat what Ma had cooked that night. When Mom asked why we weren’t eating, we both glared at Ma. We were looking forward to watching her squirm when Mom turned to her and made it three sets of gray eyes pinning her to her seat.
“What?”
“Would you care to explain why the girls are on hunger strike?”
A flash of betrayal shot across Ma’s face.
“Darling,” Mom’s hand was reaching across the table and clutching Ma’s “I didn’t —”
Ma shook her head.
Something passed between them, but Caroline and I were still too unaccustomed to them to understand what. Before we could seriously comprehend what had just happened, Mom’s attention was on us.
“My question would be better directed to the protestors.” Her voice had a warning edge and her eyebrow had arched.
Caroline looked at me in confusion.
Mom was still holding Ma’s hand and it infuriated me that she trusted this woman who thought so poorly of her. If I had spikes, they’d have been extended. “She said she was doing the cooking from now on because your cooking could kill a dragon.” I watched Mom, waiting for that hardness to settle over her features, waiting for her to pull her hand back from her new pet and turn her affection back to us.
Instead Mom rolled her eyes heavenward, “Andréa.” To my frustration her groan was affectionate.
Ma reached up and brushed the silver hair away from Mom’s eyes, “No one harms my dragon. Not even you.”
Ugh, that saccharine look between them and Mom kissed her. Kissed her at the dining room table. Gross. Even if I had been hungry there was no way I could eat now. God, they were so disgusting.
Mom sent us to bed without dinner. Caroline was that terrible combination of hungry and annoyed. She’d gone silent on me in protest. When Ma snuck into our rooms later with leftovers and a sly grin I knew I’d lost Caroline to her as well.
And what could you expect? Without my co-conspirator, I too caved and ate what she brought. It was delicious.