18 Mother talk
Enchantment of the SeasJuly 15, 20139:35 amChops Grille "Amanda, I'm glad that Daniel had a change of heart, now if only that asshole of mine would do the same. I swear I'm nearly at the end of my rope with that moose. He's being more stubborn than I've ever seen him about this. But you tell Daniel I'm glad he sees it our way. I'll handle Arnold, he's not going to bully those kids into doing things his way and that's all there is to it.""No he's not, because if he messes with my girl or Ralph I'll gut him like a feral deer and hang his dead ass in a tree.,": the panda woman said sternly."Too messy momma bear. Besides it leaves too much evidence." The liger pulled out a chair and sat as she continued, "A one shot to the head at fifteen hundred yards on the other hand, that can be explained away in a hunting accident." She looked at the other two women at the table for a moment."Oh, Shit.. Manners. Is this seat taken?""No, we left the retards back in the rooms this morning, one nursing a sore neck, and the other a bruised ego," Amanda replied as the liger took a seat at their table. "Morning meeting without the mindless to discuss our kids and the baby." "sounds like an exciting topic already, how about I throw a log on that fire. Do you know where your daughter is right now?" Lilliana looked at the moose matron with a bit of a grin. "If she's on her usual schedule this trip still in bed asleep. That girl has really gotten into the whole relax and get lazy thing," Raquel replied, a slight smirk on her lips as she looked at the liger. "Wow, so your daughter sleeps in the Windjammer with a panda, bunny, mouse and her brother while plotting to abandon ship for the day?" Lilly leaned back in the cair. "At least mine is still confident enough to let me know what's going on. When did that shit go south for you? I want to be ready for it." "With Daisy? When she turned twelve and started having 'friends with benefits' and I stuck my two cents worth in. I
still keep track of her most of the time Lilly," the moose mother said pulling her phone from her pocket, "she's still pretty good at keeping me in the loop as far as where she goes and who she's with. But I don't ask for a lot of details if she doesn't offer them. Unless I get the feeling she's hiding something from me." Tapping the screen of the device in her paw a few times she continued, "just my point," she said pointing to her phone. "Message from Daisy, 'Mom, taking Ralph and Zoe to the Island for the day. They both need a change of scenery and so do I. Will let you know if anything comes up so don't worry, we'll be fine and everyone has their phone with them.' " Stashing it in her pocket again she looked to the panda woman across from her, "she's a good sister and looks out for her brothers, more so for Ralph but she does care about both of them. Now there may be no separating them with the baby on the way and all."The liger stifled a laugh as she reached out and grabbed hold of a passing waiter. "I need something to drink, is it too early for a mojito? Fuck it, bring that or a black coffee, which ever I can have with the most alcohol in it," then released his and turned back to the table, " OK, you have a hold on the basics of her plans. My concern is the way your men were acting the other night and my girl, and the entire thing that is going on between Peanut and Squeaker."Looking at the liger oddly Amanda asked, "which one is Peanut?""I think she means Daisy Amanda, there's... something you haven't been aware of because to be honest it doesn't affect the other problem one way or another. Daisy may not always tell me her plans Lilly," the moose matron said looking the woman in the eyes, "but shee does talk to me about her... relationships. I see things that she doesn't always think I do too, but you know that probably as a mother yourself. Even when they don't tell you everything they stink at hiding things from you.""I dread the day I have to worry about that. for now it seems Sisy is living by the one rule we have, no secrets. Well, mostly,. She did locke me out of the bathroom yesterday when she was on the phone with Daisy, but that may have been me pestering her more than trying to hide what they were talking about." A smirk crossed Lilly's face as she thought about the side of the conversation she did hear. "Whatever they were talking about included something about 'was he any good?', but I may have gotten the gist of that at breakfast this morning.""You had breakfast with them this morning?" the panda woman asked, "damn what time did they pry Ralph and Zoe out of that room anyway? Those two have been like hermits since this mess started, thought I was going to have to set fire to the ship to get them off it when we got to Hawaii.""Sisy set up breakfast with Daisy last night when they were on the phone. I think the set things on our life cycle vs. everyone elses. They all managed to get there by 6:30am. Everything went well until they asked if Sisy could go with them. It kinda fell apart for the couple after I pushed Daisy a little far on the defence response assessment." She looked down for a second before continuing, "They really didn't deserve what I said, but they ran off to get some distance from the mouse's crazy mom." She laughed as she pictured the moos boy's face at her comment. "God I am such an asshole.""Defence response assessment? Daisy? Why would oyu do something like that to the moose? Her idiot youngest brother okay I can see that but why Daisy?" the m=panda woman asked, cocking an eye at the liger.Lilly looked back at the panda as she answered, "Maybe I am just over protective, but My girl suffers from panic attacks, PTSD and hell if she don't react badly if she is cornered. Poor girl has not had it easy, and I wasn't going to let her out of my sight again on this trip without knowing someone had a handle on the situation, and I didn't want to follow a bunch of teens around all day." She looked over at the moose mother, "Your girl actually surprised me a little. I think she actually wanted to hit me, and I am kind of glad she didn't. That might have hurt." "Okay, I can understand that," the moose responded slowly, as if thinking over her words before continuing, "being over protective of your daughter after everything that has happened is more than understandable. But they're going as a group from what I understand, so why would you..., oh wait what the hell am I saying. Like Daisy and her friend would want to hang out all day with a younger couple." Considering the liger woman's statement she paused before adding, "what did you say to her that would make her want to hit you?"Laughing as she thought about it again, Lilly told the moose, "I called her bunny friend a gutter slut and your son a pediphile." She dropped her head to the table as the laughing overtook her. "I can't believe I said it with a
straight face too. You know how hard it is to say chit like that and know it is so not the truth." She caught her breath and said, "OK Ricky, Let me have it, I got it coming."Staring at the liger woman, her mouth slightly agape the moose said, "you did what?You called her brother a pedaphile to her face? And she didn't slap you across the room?""I know, Right? The girl has a trigger, but some sense of control. I saw it in her eyes she was so close." Lilly started laughing again. "She even said she would have if she didn't know I could break her. My god, your girl has a pair to make most men jealous... in a few ways." She sat for a moment trying to collect her self again."Okay, I guess someone has to draw a map for me after all," Amanda said as she looked from the moose to the liger, "because I'm fucking lost in the woods here. Why would you push Daisy that hard, and why the fuck would she react that strongly over someone she just met?""You want to take that one Ricky?" the liger asked, "I am new on how to explain that shit."Laughing as she looked at the panda mother she explained, "because they, have feelings for each other Amanda. I thought it was just my girl being herself as always and hitting on just about anything that moves, may have even started out that way. But on Daisy's prat she really likes Cecily, I think... I think the girl may actually be in love with the mouse girl.""Hold on just one damn minute," the panda shot back, "Ralph has told us a few things about his sister. To hear him tell it she's damn near a, pardon the expression Raquel, a fuck slut. Now I'm not one to pass judgement on anyone for what they do behind closed doors. For fucks sake my thirteen year old daughter is dating, and pregnant. But are you telling me, that Daisy has not even once been in love with anyone? Are you shitting me?""Not even a little bit before now Amanda. I love her dearly but she's been like a bad boyfriend, love em and leave em. Cecily is the first person she's ever had any real feelings for, and it scares the holy living shit out of her." Raquel glanced over to the liger before she continued. "Caring for someone the way she seems to about Cecily is totally new to her, the fact that all of this other mess is happening around her only makes things worse for her. She's worried
about both of her brothers, about what kind of ignorance her father will try to pull next, and so unsure of herself when it comes to the mouse girl she's a damn mess. This is one time I have very little advice to give to her. The only thing I can tell he is to think with her head, follow her heart and leave her dick out of it. Which believe me is a damn hard thing to say with a straight face when you're talking to your daughter."Lilly busted into another fit of laughter as she asked, "Have you seen that thing Mandy? Just the...Oh My GOD... I don't think I could do it," contemplating her last statement her laughter deepened, "Oh My GOD... that didn't come out right.... And i think I'm making it worse." The liger stopped talking and held onto the table as fi to stop from falling out of the chair.Blushing hotly in her ears the panda woman replied, "well, umm no not Daisy's. But if her brother Ralph is any indication then I can understand. When I got home from deployment I found him and my girl in her bed naked. She rolled over and pulled the covers off him. Didn't even have to think about why when she told me later that morning she was worried about having sex with the boy.? Glancing at the other tables around them she leaned in and lowered her voice as she added, "for a boy his age he's hung like a fucking stallion, even Daniel was surprised when Zoe admitted she still wanted to do him after seeing the boy naked."Lilly's eyes went wide as she thought about the moose mouse pair. "Holy shit!" She slapped her paws to the table and looked at her two companions, "She is about half as long as Sisy is tall. "How the fuck is that going to work?""Oh My God, she'll be a mouse kabob. Jesus Christ she'll look like that guy, what's his name? The ventriloquist with the pepper on a stick? That's what she'll look like trying to ride Daisy." Amanda burst out in laughter as the image flashed across her mind of the little mouse girl and the moose."Fuck!" Lilly tried to contain her laughter, "This conversation went south quick... in more ways than one." She tried to compose herself and get things back on track. "Ok, aside for the obvious things they will have to work out, our girls have a thing for each other, and this cruise only lasts a few more days." She looked over at Raquel and continued, "I have no clue how to handle what's about to hit my little mouse. She has opened up so much with your girl, she's almost a completely different person with her. I don't want to fuck with that
smile I saw on her face after the phone call ended, but the next three days scare the hell out of me." She leaned back in her chair, "Fuck, just send me back into combat, at least then I'm trained for it. I'm not ready for this shit.""No mother ever is Lilly, and falling in love is one of those things that your children will put you through. The best advice I can give yo is this. Be supportive of her decisions as best as you can, but don't let her do anything foolish either. Be there when she needs someone to listen, and when or if she needs a shoulder to cry on. But honestly most of this will fall to those two girls and what they decide to try to do after the cruise is over. If they really do care for each other that much, they will find a way to make it work. For my part, Daisy is seventeen and there's not much I can do other than support her in any way I can. Under more normal circumstances..." the moose matron paused, considering how to phrase what she was about to admit to. "Under different circumstances, if she wasn't so head strong or worried about her brother and his girlfriend being wrapped up in all this mess, I'd tell her that if it's what she really wants then go. That's assuming it was cleared with you if the first place naturally.I'll not be the one to stand in the way of her finding love or happiness. I won't let her father do that either.""You're fucking crazier than I am. Do you have any clue what we are living like right now?" Lilly broke in, "We, our crazy team, ar currently a bunch up unemployed military vets living in a four room cabin in the mountains of Oregon with only a vague plan of our next move. And that plan is dependant on me switching careers from IT contracting to school teacher. I like the girl but that's no place to escape to... not yet." she sighed deeply. "Fuck, I must really be losing my mind now. I actually thought that through. I would be willing to at least let her spend the rest of the summer with Daisy, well until we got moved or school started.""I understand your point Lilly, and it may not seem like it now, but when that asshole and I got together we lived in my parents basement for nearly a year believe me it was bad, the smallest rooms on this ship are bigger than that hole in the ground was. Daisy I'm sure would love to spend the rest of the summer with Cecily, but I would not consider that right now. Nothing against your girl what so ever. But that would put her too close to the girls father. I'd hate to go to prison for killing him over his daughter's choice of girlfriends. Though if he doesn't get off this abortion kick I may anyway," the moose woman said, her expression changing markedly."His what?" A sudden rage that ignited in the ligers eyes as she locked her gaze on the moose matron, "Please tell me I got a mojito and am too tipsy to understand what you just said," She paused for a moment before she continued, "lie to me if you have to.""I wish I could, but I won't lie to cover up his ignorance or his arrogance. The first thing out of both of the fathers mouths was for Zoe to abort the baby. No discussion, no asking what anyone else thought, just this is the way it will be."The liger stood up swiftly nearly throwing the table as she moved, "Where the fuck are they?""Hold on, I'm not done yet. After I am then we can talk about letting you throw him overboard if you still want to so badly. But let me finish first, oyu need to hear it all," the moose woman said, her eyes wide at the liger's reaction."Fine," she said as she sat her teeth clenched and an audible rumble vibrating through the liger's frame, visible in the water glass she suddenly clenched in her paw. The sight in her eyes reminiscent of the night she attacked the moose man outside their daughter's state room."Just bear with me for a few minutes please. Naturally just hearing the word torn Zoe apart, and stunned the rest of us silent. But they continued like they were the only ones involved in the decision. Ralph was comforting Zoe, asking her what she wanted to do. Daniel mouthed of at Ralph and the boy turned on him..." she paused a moment, too long as Amanda picked up the tale and continued."The boy made me proud of him Lilly, he asked my girl what she wanted to do, I was close enough to hear them talking, when Daniel lipped off it sent Ralph over the edge. The boy rushed him, chokeslammed his ass to the floor and pinned him there. Looked his own father on the eyes and told them both no one was doing anything about his baby until he and Zoe decided what they wanted to do. Told us all to ge the fuck out and stay the fuck away from them until they could talk it over and decide," she explained, pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts.The ligers grip on the glass relaxed as she listened to the moose and panda talk. "Good men doing the right thing does not fix stupid men pushing for the wrong
thing. The boy might be doing the right thing, and might even be doing all he can. That still does not fix the real issue." She paused as the anger wrinkled across her snout. "If that's their first reaction... If I remember right, the whole family was aware of what the kids planned to do. That shit leads to only one thing, with or without protection, shit happens. If you're to stupid to see that end coming sooner or later...""Daniel realised it was a stupid fatherly knee jerk reaction later that night, with a little help from the wall, and the floor," Amanda interrupted her, "he did get the point he was being an asshole. He was going to make amends with the this morning, but it seems now they were having breakfast with you when he went to do it. He's okay now and on track with trying to help the kids any way we can," the panda mother said watching the ligers reaction closely.Lilly maintained her grip on the glass, her eye burning a hole in to Raquel as she asked, "And Arnold? What of the moose man that almost said the wrong thing about my girl to my face?""That one is still an idiot," she replied, "but a mostly harmless one at this point. Oh he tried to take the legal route to get his way, even called up his lawyer friend to get things rolling. But it blew up in his face. The lawyer told him that even with the kids ages there's nothing he can really do about it. As long as they were both Colorado residents and consenting when the girl got pregnant, which they are, and were, then it falls to what their wishes are before anything else. Not to mention the fact that he has me to deal with, he will not get his way and that's all there is to it. He has no legal ground to stand on and I will not let him bully them into doing something so vile and reprehensible. If it is what they decide... I will live with it. Bit I don't see either of them choosing that as an option. I will support them no matter what they decide, and if he gets in my way," the moose woman said, a fire in her eyes neither of the woman had seen before, "he'll wish that hell was all there was to pay for it. The fool doesn't even think about the fact that we are talking about my first grand baby here, I won't let him do anything to jeopardize this baby's life, ever."Lilly's face and grip visibly relaxed as she watched the moose's emotions rise as she spoke. She clenched her eyes shut and took several deep breaths before she spoke. "Raquel, you may have saved your husband from me twice. The first time when you stopped him from saying something I would have reacted to and getting him out of the room. And
now again with that look. Now I have to ask you one more thing, about my girl, would she be..." she paused as her grip tightened on the glass again, "It ain't gonna happen. I'm not going to do it. There is no way in hell I will knowingly let him anywhere near my girl. and if I could realistically do anything about it, I would keep him away from anyone my girl loved." She looked back at the moose, the look in her eyes changed from anger to concern, "What the fuck am I going to do, Ricky? I couldn't live with myself if I have to tear those girls apart.""Be supportive of Cecily and let her make up her own mind Lilly. Trust her to do the right thing and she'll trust you to be there for her when she needs you. We both have t give them some credit too, they'll figure something out on their own. But I will tell you this and please let me finish first. I don't expect things to go very well when we get back to Colorado between Daisy and her father as it is. He somewhat blames her for outsiders getting involved in a family matter, and he'll likely make her life harder for it. But I won't let that get out of hand either, I will do what I have to to protect my girl. Even if that means telling her to run, I'll do what's in her best interest. Or rather let her do what's in her best interest as long as she thinks it through. I only ask tht you not do something that doesn't need to be done, if they want it to work it will. Just don't break them up because of her father, she deserves better than that."The liger sighed again. "Look, Ricky, I am the master of making things work, even stupid choices. I have no idea how I manage it other than my friends and their own insane support for me. We all have one rule, 'Do what's right.' That is the only real rule we have, and following that has gotten me into plenty of trouble. I'll tell you now, trying to break those two up is not the right thing, so I can't do it. Even if i tried, I couldn't." She looked at the moose woman as she continued, "I will do anything in my power, Laws and society be damned, to do the right thing by my girl, and everyone in her life. I don't give a shit where I am, or what I am doing, if that girl of yours needs some place to be, I have it. But, I don't want her to run too fast." She stopped and tossed her head back in frustration, "What the fuck has happened to me, a month ago I would have been all, Shit girl, she can come stay with us. We've got five hundred acres of woodland and winter is still a ways around the corner.' but now I am thinking, 'What would be best.' and I have no idea."Smiling broadly, stifling her desire to giggle madly the moose woman replied, "welcome Lilliana Fargo, to being a
mother. This right here, and that exact comment is what it's all about. Day in and day out, getting by without having a damn clue how or why.""I have never had to worry about the why, just the how." Lillian said before stopping and pulling her phone out. she tapped on the screen several times before asking, "How is your daughter at hiking?""She goes hiking in the Rocky Mountains with her friends fairly often, it's sort of one of the things you do when you live in a mountain town, why?", the moose mother asked."Well they have been out of datarange for a little while now and Sisy had decided to drag her out on a geocache hunt. Last location I have is the trailhead. Sisy is still fairly new to hiking, though we have done a lot of it shortly before the cruise, like you said, something you do in the mountains. But if you're comfortable with them out there I'll just text bomb her for when they get back in range." She dropped the phone on the table. "Now back to my thought. I will not turn your girl away if she comes running to us, But I will let you know where she is. Just try to keep your man on a chain long enough for us to get somewhere." She thought for a moment, "Fuckit, let her run when she can, we'll deal with it when it happens, but I'm going to encourage her to stick it out... for now... she needs to be with family if she can.""They should be fine, Daisy is a fairly seasoned hiker, I'm confident in her abilities in the woods. I appreciate your letting me know where she is if she does come your way and I will keep her father off her back as much as I can. Believe me after the things she heard him say when we found out about Zoe... she's only concerned about her brother and his girlfriend. If not for that she might bolt the second we hit dry land. She and Ralph have always been close, she'll want to know he's safe and settled before she does anything for herself."As the moose talked the expression on Lilly's face shifted. As the moose continued the liger began to snicker softly. When Raquel finished her mini-speech lilly looked at her and said, "They are out on a 'hike' alone with each other." she emphasized the word hike with air quotes. "How many hikes have you been on as a teen with someone you're attracted to?" The smile that crept across her muzzle showed where her mind had gone."More than a few," the moose woman replied, a slight blush coming to her cheeks, "and
not a one had much to do with hiking, or looking at the scenery. Well, not at the usual scenery anyway." The moose's grin showing that he mind had traveled down the same trail as the ligers. "I just hope Daisy didn't forget her wallet buddy," the woman added, her grin growing wider."I am still curious about the logistics involved in that potential transaction," the liger held back a giggle as she thought through her comment. "The possible size of the deposits container versus the receiving department." She stifled her laughter as she went on, "Ok, we need to let those girls be teens. I am not even sure if Sisy would be up for stuff like that after the other night. Things have never been good for her in the relationship department, but I think Daisy is actually doing her a lot of good." She looked at the pair, "Ok, I know I interrupted something when I came in and took over here. But how about some Cake? I need a slice or two after this, and some ice cream."