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“Hi, Auntie Mack!” Colleen, always very kind, was willing to give my mother a hug before handing her suitcase to the driver who accompanied her.

“How was the trip?” My mother's blue eyes wandered between the two of us, being as pleasant as possible.

“Tiring, I need a shower and my bed.” I complained, walking past her and just handing the suitcase to the driver, who put it on the airport cart and took everything away.

I followed the suited guy, leaving my mother and Colleen behind. I knew that my cousin's relationship with my mother was somewhat special, mainly because Colleen's mother and my dear uncle, my mother's brother, were both insane, so my mother was always the one who was most present in her life as a parental figure. This didn't mean that my relationship with the woman who brought me into the world was easy.

I got into the car first and waited for Colleen to sit next to me, after all, I knew Mackenzie, and she never sat in the middle seat.

The journey to Colleen's parents' house was peaceful, my cousin commented on university life and my mother asked me some questions too, but with my short answers, she eventually gave up. I said goodbye to Colleen, who promised that she would arrive at the party soon and I let my cousin enter the mansion that her parents owned. To my dismay, only mom and I were left now.

“And how are the things that matter at college? I mean, the boys?” She asked with a tone that bordered on malice.

I wanted to vomit.

“I don't have time for that, I have a lot of practice.”

Mackenzie snorted.

“Kendra, for God's sake, you can be an exemplary student and kiss guys, let's not be liars to each other.” My mother was very dramatic sometimes. And every time she tried to act like Regina George's mother, I felt enormous amounts of cringe. “Well, I hope you're taking care of yourself.”

I nodded slightly and turned my attention to the city of Chamberlain, which passed before my eyes.

“Kenny...” The childhood nickname was always a sign of peace, I knew that, but I was so pissed off being in that hellhole of a city that I didn't want a peace treaty at that moment. “You know you can tell me anything, right?!”

I turned my attention back to her and allowed an astonished frown to wash over me.

“Yeah, mom.”

“Kendra...” Her hand reached out until she tried to touch mine, but I dodged it. It was automatic, but the look of fright on my mother's face warned me that this wasn't what she expected.

Soon she withdrew her fingers.

“I didn’t sleep well last night.” I declared, trying to make things easier. “Sorry.”

“OK… everything is fine.”

She shoved her sunglasses on her face and turned to face the window as an awkward silence continued to grow between the two of us. It was difficult to let my mother get so close when she only knew how to impose things and demands for half my life. She was careful, but her love was different. While normal mothers gave hugs and love, mine gave me lessons. The person I found refuge in was my father, but during the last year he was more concerned with arguing with my mother about thehospital, our family business, and going to work than giving me the slightest attention.

And although Colleen had even worse parents, mine could not be taken as an example.

The car parked at the door of our house, and I got out, coming face to face with my father saying goodbye to one of his advisors. Naomi was her name; they had been working together for some time now.

“Daddy!” I called.

The wide smile on his face cheered me up a little.

“Kenny!” I went to him and hugged him tightly. He responded with the same intensity. “Oh I missed you, darling.”

“I missed you too, dad.”

“Of course he gets a hug…” My mother's voice sounded hurt behind my back. “Naomi, what are you still doing here?”

“We were just finishing checking some paperwork from the hospital administration, Mrs. Winfrey.”

“Are you done?” The advisor agreed. “Great, see you tonight then. Goodbye.”

I watched as the girl, who must have been barely thirty years old, left looking somewhat crestfallen and shrunken. My mother was an expert at mistreating her subordinates. I had a nanny who she kicked out of our house, and we had a housekeeper who was also treated like shit by my mother. The one being mistreated at the time was Naomi, at the company's last Christmas party, the girl went home crying. I don't know what my mother said to her, but she seemed very devastated.