"So, did you enjoy your meeting yesterday?" My Mom asked as the hairdresser stuck her under the heat. 

Mom had spent an hour looking over her hair options before she decided to go a little blonder during our mommy/daughter makeover. She chopped about six inches off and it already looked amazing.  My Dad was going to have that stupid dopey grin on his face when he saw her new look.

I was glad I agreed to go out with Gabby tonight.  I did not want to be in the house tonight when those two got their hands on one another. 

Horny teenagers were better at hiding what they were doing than my parents when they were in the mood.

I sat flipping through a celebrity smut magazine with little pieces of aluminum foil attached to my hair.  I was trying out a new shorter bob that hit me just at my shoulders. I had never had my hair cut this short before and was a little nervous about the change.

The stylist convinced me that with my dark hair, I should try a black to light burgundy ombre.  I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but the thought of looking different sounded nice.  A new look for a newish girl, at least a girl that was on the mend.

The shorter haircut felt amazing when the woman was finished. It took a lot of weight off my shoulders and made me feel light and springy.

Now, if only someone could figure out how to do that with my mind. 

"Earth to Jessa?" My mom called back. 

"Yeah." I looked at her, surprised.

"I asked how your group went." She shook her head and rolled her eyes at my lack of focus on our conversation. I had never been very good at paying attention.

"It was really good.  I think I made an actual friend. We're going to hang out tonight after we get done at the salon."  I said, flipping through the latest royal family drama.  Apparently, I must have missed everything when I was away. Marriages, babies, and a disturbance in the royal force.  Fourteen months was a long time in celebrity gossip news.

"Is that a good idea?  I mean, you just got out."  My Mom questioned, avoiding my gaze.

"Mom, we are just going to go talk.  Dr. Schroeder thinks it is good if I can connect with people and talk about my problems. He doesn't want me to bottle up my issues like I did before. He thinks that is the only way I can move forward."  I continued flipping through the magazine without looking up.  I could feel her eyes on me. She was still scared and I was trying my hardest to make her not feel guilty about it. 

"Just with the way everything happened with Cameron and Nathan..." She began.  I knew where she was heading with this. Her assumption was that I had met another guy I would jump into bed with.  I decided I was going to tease her a little bit. She deserved it for having such little faith in me. 

"Yeah, maybe you're right. She is delicious. You should see her ass, so yummy. I can't wait to get her naked tonight." I chuckled.

"Oh, well...um..." Mom stuttered in shock.

"Mom, I'm joking. I'm not going to lie, she is really pretty, but I still like boys."  I laughed.

"Oh, I didn't mean to insinuate anything like that, Jessa.  Honey, there would be nothing wrong if you liked girls too. I'm not a prude. I'm a cool mom."  I looked at her and she was blushing. 

I knew she meant everything she just said as she would support me know matter what lifestyle I chose, as long as it was a safe and happy one. It was still so much fun to watch her try to navigate through this conversation. 

"Ok, Mom, I get it. You're progressive. I'll remember that when I go out on my hot date tonight. Hey, after we are done here, can you take me to the pharmacy and help me pick out some non-penis-shaped condoms?"  I bit my lip, trying to hold back my smile.

"You don't have to make fun of me." She pouted.

"But you make it so easy."

"Promise me you will be careful tonight." She frowned.

"That's why we are going to the pharmacy." I winked at her.

"Brat." She shook her head at me and rolled her eyes.

The attendant came over and checked my hair inside the foil and praised her own work.  I guess it meant she was pleased with it.  After a few more hours, Mom and I were strutting out of the salon with our heads held high. Our hair was blowing in the wind like we were supermodels walking a catwalk. All we needed now was the end of a runway to stop and dramatically pose.

Well, we did do exactly that when we heard our names being called from across the parking lot. We both spun around on our heels and saw a reddish head bobbing between cars wrapped around an exotic beauty with two perfectly placed dimples in her cheeks. 

"Jess, Riley?" 

Uncle Aiden and Aunt Kiera were in the parking lot headed to the home goods store.  The beautiful thing about small towns was there were not a lot of places you could go without running into someone you knew. It was also the downside in living in a place like we did.  You couldn't hide from anyone either.

"Eeek!"  I screamed and ran over, tackling both of them. 

"Jessa, we missed you so much. How are you feeling?" Aunt Kiera squeezed me. 

"I'm doing a lot better now.  I have some moments, but I am working through them. How are the kidlets?"

"We kicked them out." Uncle Aiden answered. 

"You what?" I was in shock. "Casey is only seven."

"He's joking, Jessa."  My mom patted my back.

"I knew that." I grumbled, secretly relieved my little almost cousin wasn't living in a cardboard box in an alley somewhere. 

"Did you ever get in touch with that lawyer?" Uncle Aiden asked my mom.

I looked over at him, confused.  A lawyer? What was he talking about?

Mom reached up and walloped the side of his head as my Aunt Kiera did the same on the other side.  He looked dazed until he looked over at me.

"Oh shit." He mouthed, turning bright red.

I was guessing that was something I wasn't supposed to know about. 

"What do you need a lawyer for?"  I asked my mom.

She stood there with her arms across her chest, frowning at my Uncle.  He was sending an apologetic look back.  He went to try to say something to me and Aunt Kiera put her finger in the air shushing him instantly.  He shrunk back and lowered his eyes to the ground.

"Is everything ok?  You and Dad aren't getting divorced, are you?"  I asked teary-eyed.

I had this insane fear about my parents getting divorced for some reason. They fought a lot about me when I was sick and I was always afraid one of them would leave because of it.  I had these secret abandonment issues that I only talked to Dr. Schroeder about. It was why my dad's occasional absences when I got sick hurt me so much; I was scared he wouldn't come back.  I may have wanted to run away from my life, but I didn't want him to run away from me.

"Oh, Jessa, no. That man would never let me get away that easily."  She smiled. 

"Is it because of me? Is it something I did?"

I didn't understand why I suddenly felt like a stunted eight-year-old.  The word lawyer hit me wrong.  Maybe I was just extra sensitive with all the emotions I was trying to process. From the looks on all their faces, there was something they hadn't planned on telling me and weren't going to.  I didn't like feeling left out.

"Your Dad and I are looking over your Grandma's medical now.  We wanted to meet with a lawyer about our options."  She said, sighing.  She looked over at a phantom spot on the ground. 

Nope, that wasn't it either. My Grandma was still a spitfire who wouldn't dream of giving my parent's control. Mom needed an acting class and a much better story. 

"Hey, Jess, want to go get some ice cream?" Uncle Aiden waggled his eyebrows, trying to distract me from her terrible attempt at fooling me.

"I'm not five." I said, trying not to smile.

Damnit, it wasn't working.

"They have rainbow sprinkles."  He poked his fingers into my stomach.

I smacked his hands away when he tried to tickle me.  I was a grown adult woman. I would not be tickled by this insane middle-aged man in the middle of a crowded parking lot.

"Stop, you're annoying." I told him.

"Yes, yes he is." Aunt Kiera agreed.

"It's so hot outside. I could really use some ice cream.  Please, Sweet Pea?"  He begged, batting his eyelashes.

"Fine, but only because you said please. You're buying it too. Also, I want exactly two scoops of ice cream, one chocolate, chocolate chip and one cookies and cream. On a sugar cone, not a waffle cone. You get me a bowl and you're dead to me."

"Rainbow sprinkles?" He smiled.

"Yes." I mumbled under my breath.