[Author's note: All characters in this story are more than 18 years old.]
The Sunday traffic prolongs their ride home from the marina. When they do get home it's nearly dinnertime. Mommy has a lovely meal planned, but it will take a while to prepare.
While the girls and Daddy shower and change (separately, not together), Mommy gets busy in the kitchen. She has much to do. Time flies for her when she's cooking, so it doesn't seem long before Delilah comes down to offer help. When she was a child, she was often a big help to Mommy. She is, by far, the more domesticated of the two sisters. Venus never helped Mommy much, she was more inclined to help Daddy with yard work and with chores in his workshop. Mommy and Delilah have a natural ease with one another; they are birds of a feather. They both love to cook, they both love keeping house and all that that entails.
As they're chopping the veggies for the salad, Mommy curiously asks, "Well, who is it you're seeing these days? Do I know him?"
Delilah tenses, then matter-of-factly states, "It's not a 'him'; it's a 'her'. Her name is Amy. We've been lovers for a few months now."
Expecting her mother to be shocked, she is surprised to see her eyes widen, almost as if she is excited by the prospect. After a short pause, she replies, "That's wonderful, I'm happy for you."
"Tell me about her. How long have you known her?"
"Just a few months. We met at work, went out, and we've been together ever since."
"Do you love her?" Mommy queries.
Hearing Daddy and Venus coming down the stairs, Delilah whispers, "No, I wouldn't say it's love."
Just then Daddy and Venus poke their heads in to ask what's cooking. Mommy assures them it's something good, then shoos them out.
"Go in the living room, you two. Delilah and I will take care of dinner."
Daddy and Venus are more than happy to leave them to the cooking. Besides, Daddy would like to catch up with Venus without Delilah and Mommy around.
They plop down together on the couch, father and daughter, to have a chat. With the windows open and the cool of the evening making its way into the house, she pulls the afghan off the back of the couch to cover herself.