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MidReal Story
Tempted by My Mom’s Friend
Scenario:I stared at the clock, counting down the seconds until Veronica knocked on the door. She’s my mom’s friend and was tasked with house-sitting while my parents are away on vacation. Apparently, they didn’t trust me to be alone at the house.
Finally, I heard the knock. Opening the door, I was greeted by Veronica—blue hair tied in a bun, wearing a black tank top and leggings that perhaps showed to much.
"Heyyyy! Long time no see, honey," she said, stepping inside with her suitcase and a bright, teasing smile.
She set her suitcase down and stretched, revealing smooth skin under her tank top. "Looks like we’ll be alone together for a while," she added with a wink.
Her gaze shifted toward the backyard. "I heard you have a pool... Maybe I'll let you watch as I swim with my bikini on."
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Christine Windsor
young adult, relationship with Veronica and parents, petite with curly brown hair, curious and naive
Mateo Windsor
Christine's father and Veronica's friend, relationship with Christine and his wife Nicolette, tall with greying hair, protective and trusting
Veronica Carter
house sitter and friend of Christine's mom, relationship with Christine and her parents, striking blue hair in a bun, seductive and manipulative
My parents are going on vacation, and they have left me in the care of their friend Veronica.
I don't know much about her, but my mom seems to trust her.
I watch as she pulls into our driveway in her black Camaro, her striking blue hair pulled back into a bun.
She looks hot, really hot.
Too hot to be just a friend, I think.
She smiles at me as she steps out of the car and waves.
"Hey!"
I say, feeling a little awkward.
I've only met her briefly before, but I can tell that she's sexy as hell.
Suddenly I feel a little excited that she's going to be staying with me for a week.
"Hi Christine," she says, coming up to where I'm standing on the porch.
"My name is Veronica."
"I know. I'm Christine."
"Oh, good. Well, it's nice to meet you, Christine."
She smiles again and looks around at our house and yard.
"Nice place you've got here."
"Thanks," I say, feeling a bit shy.
I'm not used to talking to adults like this.
"Would you like to come in?"
"Oh, I'd love to," she says, following me into the house.
As we go inside, I realize that my parents have left us very little instructions.
It's weird.
I lead Veronica on a quick tour of the house, showing her the guest room where she'll be staying.
As we walk back through the house, I notice that the silence is starting to get a little awkward.
I'm not sure what to say, and Veronica doesn't seem to be talking much either.
She goes into the guest room and starts unpacking her suitcase.
I stand in the doorway for a few minutes, watching her hum to herself as she arranges her clothes in neat piles.
I'm not sure what else to do, so I go back into the main part of the house and sit down on the couch.
The evening stretches out before us, empty and boring.
I look through the hallway at the large TV screen in the living room.
It's almost like it's calling me, begging me to come and watch something.
"Hey, Veronica?"
I call out, clearing my throat. She pauses in her unpacking, holding a silk blouse in one hand.
She turns around to look at me with that same teasing smile from earlier.
"Want to watch a movie or something?"
"Sure, but first, there's something I need to tell you," Veronica replies, her voice suddenly serious.
I blink, caught off guard by the change in her tone.
"Your parents didn't just leave me here to babysit; they wanted me to talk to you about your real mother."
I freeze, sitting there on the couch.
Veronica comes out of the guest room and sits down in the armchair across from me.
She's not smiling anymore, and her eyes are serious.
She pulls something out of her purse and holds it in her hand for a few seconds before extending it to me.
It's an old photograph.
I take it, my hands shaking a little.
The photo shows two young women standing together, smiling at the camera.
One of them is Veronica, but the other woman looks... like me.
They're standing in front of a big oak tree, and they're both wearing college sweatshirts.
The woman who looks like me has curly brown hair, just like mine.
She's also wearing a necklace with a silver locket around her neck.
I stare at the photo, my heart pounding in my chest.
"Who is she?"
I ask, looking up at Veronica.
"That's your mother," she replies quietly.
"She was my best friend. We were roommates in college."
I look back down at the photo, feeling a little stunned.
The woman in the picture is so much like me that I feel like I'm looking at myself. "What happened to her?"
I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
Veronica sighs and leans forward in her chair.
"She died in a car accident when you were just a baby. I've been wanting to talk to you about this for years, but your parents didn't want to bring it up. They said they wanted you to grow up without knowing about all this."
I nod slowly, still staring at the photo.
It's surreal to think that this woman is my real mother.
I've always known that I was adopted, but I never thought much about it before now.
"Can I see more photos?"
I ask Veronica softly.
She nods and reaches into her purse again, pulling out another photo and handing it to me.
This one shows my birth mother holding me as an infant, smiling at the camera with tears in her eyes.
I feel a lump form in my throat as I look at it. "She loved you so much," Veronica says quietly.
"She was such a good mother to you."
I nod again, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes.
"I wish I could have known her," I say softly.
Veronica smiles sadly and reaches out to touch my hand gently.
"I know," she says softly.
"I wish you could have too."
Suddenly I feel overwhelmed by all of this new information.
"Why didn't my parents tell me sooner?" I ask, my voice trembling slightly.
"They thought it was best to wait until you were old enough to understand," Veronica explains, her eyes filled with empathy.
"But now that you're older, they wanted you to know the truth and have the chance to learn about her from someone who loved her too."