It was raining outside, Cats and Dogs, so Thomas Baxter sat on the porch, knowing Angel would be home soon. She hated thunderstorms, they had terrified her ever since she was a little girl. Even when Grandma would tell her thunder was just "Angels bowling, honey", Angel would roll her eyes back in her head in disbelief.
Bethany came out on the porch and smiled at her son. "Waiting for Angel to come home early from work, dear?" she smiled, putting her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at his still-beautiful mother and smiled.
"Yep. Lucky for her she works for Uncle Carl, he'll let her leave the job early." Angel had begun working for her father's uncle 2 years previous, in an
Anime
rental store, which suited her nicely. She'd gotten into Cosplay and even occasionally would sneak some Hentai into the house – thinking her father didn't notice.
Angel was no trouble though, she never was. From birth, she'd been a lovely, good-natured child. Thomas had fallen in love with his daughter immediately, she would coo at him or grab his finger with her chubby little hands and his heart would melt. He'd pinch her button nose, she'd squeal and clap her hands and he loved her even more.
As she grew older, Thomas continued to dote on his only child. Angel got most everything she wanted, not that she was spoiled. Far from it. Angel was a perfectly obedient child who did as she was told, worked hard at school, did her chores and helped her parents out when and wherever she could.
It surprised Thomas greatly when, after nearly 9 years of marriage, Lorraine asked him for a divorce. Her reason came as even more of a shock.
"I think you love me Tom, but I don't think you're
in love
with me, do you understand?" she said, tears streaming down her face. "I don't know if you ever were, I think I was just a silly 20-year old you got knocked up and married. I want to be loved Tommy, I'm not 30 yet. All of your love is for our daughter, that's good Tommy, she's a wonderful girl. Take care of her, tell her Mommy loves her." With that, she kissed Thomas on the cheek, picked up her suitcases and got into her car, driving out of his life forever.
Thomas was shaken to the core, Angel seemed to take it all in stride. "I'll be your girl Daddy!" she said defiantly, hands on her hips and chin jutting out. "I can help you and do the dishes and cook and ... "
Heart aching, he took Angel in his arms and cried. He knew Lorraine was right, it hadn't been much of a marriage. When his mother called an hour later, she heard it in his voice.
"What's wrong?"
"Lorraine left."
"Left? What do you mean, Lorraine left?"
"She's left me Mom, she wants a divorce and she's given me custody of Angel. Oh Jesus Mom, what am I going to do?" he wailed.
It broke Bethany's heart to hear her son in such distress, but it didn't take her but a minute to think of a solution. "Sell the house. You never liked it anyway, move in with your father and I. Your father is never around much, working hard on our Landscaping Business. I could use the help around here, Angel will be with family and you can use the money for whatever you need."
"Mom, I can't --- "
"Thomas, what have I told you about arguing with your mother?"
He laughed for the first time that day. Bethany was a strong-willed Irishwoman, he knew better. "Okay Mom, you win. It'll take a few weeks to settle up things here, will that be enough time on your end?"
He could almost hear Bethany grin on the other end of the phone. "It will, and enough time to tell your father, argue with him,
convince
him in my way and make preparations. I'll talk to you soon, love you. Love to Angel."
"Love you too, Mom."
That had been over 9 years ago. Angel, in her own stoic fashion, had taken immediately to the idea of living with "Grams". It was only 20 minutes away from her old neighborhood, she took the bus to school now, but stayed with the same friends. It was hard to believe she'd graduated last week and would begin University in the fall.
"It's really coming down out there" Bethany said, giving her son a peck on the cheek.
"Heard from Dad today, Mom?" he asked Bethany as she turned to go back into the house.
"Mmm-hmm. He'll be out of town looking at new Sods for at least another two days or so."
He hugged his mother from behind, marvelling at how lean and firm she looked. She was 58, but her appearance belied that, she didn't look much past 45. Tom knew it was from all the work at the Nursery that she had started as an adjunct to his father's Landscaping Business, "Bethany's Blossoms". It wasn't uncommon for his mother to put in a 50+ hour week, some of the labor considerably arduous.
"You still give a great hug" she said, kissing his cheek again.
""That's because I've still got a great Mom" he chuckled, letting her go and patting her butt lightly. "Who is still
quite
the looker" he added.
"Oh, away wi' ye!" Bethany grinned, mimicking his Grandmother's Irish brogue to a "T". Good genes ran in the family, Granny Siobhan was still kicking at 90.
They heard the door slam and a soaked-to-the-skin Angel ran into the house. "I hate rain, I hate rain, I fucking HATE rain!" his daughter cursed, throwing her coat on the chair beside the door.
"Young lady –
language
, please!" Bethany chided her Granddaughter.
"Oops, sorry Grams!" Angel apologized. She kissed Bethany on the cheek and hugged her father. "How's my Pops tonight?"
"Umm – wet?" he grinned at her. She pulled back with a sheepish grin.
"Oopsie Daddy, forgot I was soaked through." Angel spun around, her tiny skirt clung to her tushie. "I'm going to go upstairs and get out of these wet clothes, seeya later, Gator." She scampered up the stairs, out of view of her family.
"Did you get a good look?"
"Mom? I beg your pardon?"
"At Angel. She's not a little girl anymore Tom, not by a long shot. She's a young woman, a very sexy, curvy young woman. Don't tell me you don't notice these things."
Thomas turned around and his mother grinned at him. "Ah, I can see you
did
notice, wee scamp!" she teased. Her son was sporting a very obvious erection.