Kayla POV

While her friends were having crazy sex-capade adventures with their boyfriends, Kayla loved that she was taking things slow with Isom.

Sure, she would love to get naked with him and see if he could teach her a few things, but that was not all a relationship needed to succeed. She wanted to get to know Isom and wanted him to get to know her.

That's why she invited him to meet her mother.

That could be the biggest mistake she ever made, or maybe help to bring them even closer. They spent nearly every day together, either hanging at her place or his, taking long walks around the neighborhood, or going out on the town eating at some of his favorite vegan restaurants. She enjoyed the food so much, she started to cut out meat from her diet, at least when she ate out.

No way could she give up cheese and dairy. Life would be cruel without ice cream.

Kayla hoped her mother was on her best behavior. Never knew what she would get with her. Sometimes nice and sweet, other times moody and mean. She was sure her mother had an undiagnosed mental disorder, something she would never seek treatment for. All she could do was love her mother no matter what.

"I'm looking forward to this," Isom said as he drove to her mother's place.

"I should warn you...my mother is very...uh, moody."

"I don't know what that means."

"Well, just that...she's a lot. She suffered from severe depression after my father passed away and she has never been the same."

"Your father passed away, when?"

"Almost twenty years ago, but...some people just take longer to get over it."

"I see," was all Isom said.

She visited her mother several times since she moved out, to say hello, hang out with her, and even have dinner. It felt different now that she was out of the house. Her belittling remarks didn't hit as hard. Her mother seemed to be doing well without her there as well. It was a win-win for them both.

Though her childhood home was small, that did not bother Isom as she used her key to enter the house.

"Mom! I'm here!"

She did warn her mother about bringing Isom along, and she did inform him of his specific diet. She hoped her mother was accommodating, if not...well, she would figure something out.

Her mother was in the kitchen, she could tell by the smells coming from there.

"Come on, sit in the living room, I'm sure my mother will be out soon." She led him to the living room, which was nice and cozy, not messy or anything, but it was still not the neatest ever. She got it honestly, being a messy person.

Finally, her mother walked in, hair perfectly pulled back in a bun, make-up on, dressed nicely, and a smile on her face. That all meant nothing.

She did a silent prayer that her mother was on her best behavior tonight. They both stood as she walked over to them.

"There's my only child," her mother greeted her with a hug.

Her mother then looked to Isom, looking him over. "And you must be her new friend."

"Mother, this is Isom, my boyfriend."

"I never thought my child would catch a nice-looking man like you."

And there it was!

"Mrs. Jones, thanks for having me over. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice that my daughter is making new friends. Well come on, dinner is all ready. Seeing as the only time I get to see my child is when she wants some of my cooking."

Kayla had to ask herself why she wanted this. Why would she bring Isom into her chaos that she could barely stand? She could tolerate her mother in small increments, by herself, but bringing Isom into it, well, she hoped he did not hold it against her.

They followed her mother into the dining room. Her mother had covered dishes already set out on the table. She uncovered the dishes and Kayla let out a breath she did not realize she was holding in. Everything looked like food her mother cooked all her life. Did she even listen to her and make it vegan?

"Mom, you remembered Isom was vegan, right?"

"Yes, dear." Her mother sighed with an attitude directed at her. "I read up on that lifestyle and prepared your favorite dish with a meat substitute. No dairy or eggs, right?"

"Yes Ms. Jones, thank you. Sorry, you had to go out of your way for me," Isom said.

"No, hell, I liked trying out something new and making it a different way."

On the table were vegan tamales, her favorites, a dish of black beans seasoned to perfection she was sure, and cilantro rice. She could not wait to make her plate. She grabbed a plate and heaped a nice serving of rice on her plate, two tamales, and beans.

Isom waited for her to finish making her plate, then her mother, before he started on his own plate. She did not wait for either of them to start, she went in on her food.

"Kayla!" her mother snapped at her. "Didn't I teach you anything about manners? Your friend hasn't even finished serving himself and you're eating before he has a chance to sit."

"No, it's okay, she can-"

"It's not about what she can, it's simply manners."

She stopped eating and put her fork down. Just nod and agree with her, she thought to herself. Put a smile on her face and get through dinner. She waited for Isom to sit across the square table from her, and then she looked to her mother as if asking for permission.

"I'll say grace."

That shocked her a bit. Though they went to church sometimes, her mother was never a religious person and they never, ever said grace. She kept silent and bowed her head, waiting for her mother to bless their food.

"Thank you Lord for having my daughter come see me, and bless this food I slaved away in the kitchen to make, and please let it nourish our body...without the good flesh you put on the land for us to enjoy. Amen."

What...in...the....hell...was...that? Her mother with the side shade. She looked to Isom and apologized with her eyes. He seemed to have brushed it off, but it was downright disrespectful. She went back to eating her food, which as always was delicious. Whatever her mother did to those tamales without using animal products was delightful. The masa was perfectly seasoned and melted in her mouth. The filling seemed to be made of a beef substitute mixed with onions, peppers, and herbs.

If Isom liked it, she would need to get the recipe and try and make it for him. She wanted to learn how to cook, and since her mother never seemed to think she needed to know how she would teach herself. That is what Google and YouTube are for now. She did not have to wait for someone to teach her, she could self-teach herself.

"How do you like it?" her mother asked Isom. "I kept tasting it trying to get the seasoning right, but without meat and lard, it's just not the same."

"Oh, it's fine. You did a good job with it," Isom said, digging into his tamale. "I grew up never having had meat, and I know it's a nuisance for others."

"Probably why you stay in such great shape," her mother stated. "Kayla and I need to be more like that, eat better, drop a lot of this extra weight we have."

She cringed at that.

"I happen to love the way Kayla is now. She doesn't have to change anything about herself."

A smile spread across her face. She was going to lose her cool with this guy. He was so perfect. The more she spent time with him, the more she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Yes, she was falling hard for him.

"Maybe if she didn't load her plate as if she eating for two people! Like she's pregnant. Wait, are you pregnant? Are you and him...fucking and giving me an illegitimate bastard grandbaby?"

She stopped eating and dropped her fork. Now she lost her appetite. They were doing so good and now this. A tear rolled down her cheek she was so embarrassed by her mother. She wanted to leave. She wanted to be anywhere but there.

"Mrs. Jones, that was totally uncalled for," Isom calmly said to her. "I care and respect your daughter, and I'm going to protect her from anyone that hurts her. Even her mother."

Isom stood and walked to her. "Are you okay?"

"Can we leave?"

"If that's what you want."

"Go ahead! Leave then! I didn't invite you or that hippie over, you did," her mother yelled out.

She could not move fast enough to get away from her toxic mother. She wiped her tears away and stood to leave. That was not enough for her mother, who stood as well, yelling at them as they walked out.

"You're so ungrateful, Kayla. You leave, think you can come back any time you want. Be a whore with him. When he hurts you, leaves you, breaks your heart, don't come running back to me. I told you, you'd be back here begging to let you stay again. Don't fucking come back!"

Her mother went on and on, and she tried to block out her hateful words.

"That's why I did put meat in my food. Fuck what you said, so there! Enjoy the dead animal carcass running through your bloodstream now."

She was going to be sick to her stomach. She hated her mother.