Chapter 47

Our mother snaps up in alarm as I raise my eyebrows.

“She slapped my ass three times already. Pretty sure she has left permanent marks.” The childishness of my tattle-telling only makes her sigh.

“Why do my grown children behave like ten-year-olds when back under this roof? How do any of you function in the adult world?” She sighs and looks at both of her girls as we systematically shrug.

“Booze.” I offer as an explanation and poking fun at myself.

“Men.” Leila nods. Knowing her poison had been a lot of sleeping around when she was pining for one ‘Daniel Hunter’ in her early twenties. We both grin at each other and go back to eating.

“Yes, two words every mother wants to hear uttered from her innocent babies’ mouths.” She seems alarmed, resigned to the fact this isn’t new to her after raising six troubled children, and carrying on preparing her toast.

Everyone falls silent for a moment as we tuck into the food. I’m all too aware that we’re just de