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Laney didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or scream.

It wasn’t that she really minded Ma being home. She almost would have welcomed it for a few days, always grateful for the space from Cary. It was just that Ma had so clearly been dropped on her like a bomb, Cary’s eyes flashing a warning. Ma was the price she had to pay for a perfect birthday.

After so much wordless communication between the three of them all day, and Shane’s soft, quiet touches all night, Ma was just… too much.

“Laney, baby!” she grabbed Laney’s face roughly in both hands and kissed her left cheek and then her right with loud, sloppy kissing noises. She smelled like her expensive French perfume and menthols.

She click click click ed into the kitchen and tutted loudly. “Baby, what have I told you about sugar and carbs?” She picked up the plate of fresh breakfast muffins and dumped them into the trash, followed immediately by the remaining half of the birthday cake.

Laney’s stomach sank as all the Christmas cookies and the gingerbread house were tossed after them. Ma pulled out the trash bag and handed it to Shane.

“Can you take this out please, honey?”

Then she was climbing up onto the countertop and ripping open the cupboards, pulling the boxes of pasta and bags of cookies and chips and granola bars out and dumping them unceremoniously on the ground.

“We can take all of this to the food bank, baby!” she said. “What have you been buying? Honestly I’d have expected more from Cary, with his physique!”

“You know Cary lives on KFC and pizza, Ma,” Laney grumbled.

“Yes, well, the y chromosome has its benefits doesn’t it?” Then she was climbing down, her stilettos crushing several of the boxes, and she kicked at them so they went skittering across the linoleum floor. She opened the freezer door, pulled out half a bottle of Absolut, and unscrewed the cap with her eyes shining, taking a swig right from the bottle. “I’ll make us an omelet later, okay baby?” She pulled out the eggs and tossed them on the counter with a crunch. “I just need a shower real quick…”

And then she sped down the hallway and into the bathroom, the open bottle of Absolut in hand.

Shane looked bewildered, holding the trash bag of baked goods, eyes locked on the ruined pile of food he’d paid for.

“So…” Laney said, “that’s Ma.” She sighed deeply.

He rubbed the back of his head.

“You should go,” she said. She could have sworn he flinched, but he nodded at her and turned to leave. She grabbed his hand.

“Shane, I just need to sort this out, okay? Ma and Cary both home for Christmas… it’s… A lot.”

He stepped towards her, gave her a quick kiss on the brow, and then headed for the door.

Dustin was at the top of the stairs, holding the framed picture he’d given Shane.

Don’t leave it here, Dusty thought. It’ll get ruined.

Shane nodded once, smiled sadly at him, and left.

Laney rubbed her eyes again as a loud clattering noise that sounded suspiciously like the shower curtain being ripped down clanged from the bathroom.

Here we go again…

Fucking great.